By Carol Ann Pruitt
Did you know that in 2021, more than half (55.8%) of the U.S. workforce was made up of hourly workers? This is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But before COVID 19, many hourly workers weren’t even considered essential to their companies, and many were treated as less valuable to the business.
We all know employers are having a tough time hiring salaried workers right now – “No working from home?” “No, thank you!” However, now our frontline healthcare workers, warehouse workers, hospitality, and retail industry workers, to name a few, are demanding more attention. And employers are realizing they better start listening to their hourly employees if they want to remain competitive and profitable.
With the scarce labor pool, and rising wages these days, hourly workers aren’t hesitating to change jobs for better pay and benefits. Also, the latest generations – Millennials and Gen Z aren’t interested in spending their whole career at one company as their loyal Boomer parents did. They want a wide variety of experiences and are not afraid of jumping from one job or from one company to another to get this.
So, what can you do to keep your hourly employees happy and productive? Consider treating them like you treat your salaried employees. We know we can’t offer remote work schedules to frontline workers, but maybe we can start being creative regarding flexibility in their schedules. Here are some other things to consider:
- Better pay with option for overtime pay
- Defined career paths so they understand where they’re going
- Educational assistance/tuition reimbursement
- Job skills training
- Signing/retention bonuses
- Onsite childcare or childcare allowances
- Transportation vouchers
- AND… an excellent work experience that comes from a company’s commitment to maintaining a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce
Attracting and retaining hourly employees is becoming a more significant challenge for employers than ever before. Companies can no longer just benchmark their competitors or leading industry companies. In the past, companies have just benchmarked their competitors or industry best practices. This is a new world!! Companies need to start listening to their own employees’ unique needs and create and customize their employee value proposition. When asked what they like about working at your company, your employees should be able to answer definitively, “THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK BECAUSE…!”
References:
BLS.gov
Taylor, N. (Sept. 1, 2021) Talent Culture. Why Employers are Considering Hourly Workforce Benefits
Schwabel, D. MyWorkChoice, (Feb 8, 2021) What benefits do hourly workers really want?
Sardone, M.A. (Partner Career Market Business Leader U.S. East) Mercer, Attract the hourly workforce – Become the benchmark to get and keep the workforce you need.