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Why casual and part-time workers are critical
A 2021 Humanforce survey found that 82% of casual workers have direct contact with customers and the public, making them the first human contact that customers often have with a business or brand. Equally revealing, the survey found that 79% of workers said their workplace happiness directly impacts the level of customer service they can deliver. International travel restrictions and a lack of available staff have resulted in businesses across the leisure industry struggling to fill casual roles throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Seek there are currently 20,000 casual jobs on its site, 55% more than in 2020 and 22% more than in 2019. So, in this competitive labour market, what do employers need to offer casual and part-time workers to create a motivated and engaged workforce? Businesses can no longer assume that simply offering higher wages will attract workers. Casual and part-time workers often rate flexibility as their top priority, with many employees citing the flexibility to choose their work hours and shifts as their number one consideration when looking for work. To attract top-quality staff, employers need to understand that casual work often sits work alongside important life and family commitments. While the headlines tell us that there is currently an overabundance of work available, more detailed research shows that the local, flexible workforce cannot secure work when they want it each week: •61% of workers experienced multiple instances of being unable to swap shifts with a co-worker over the last 15 months. •For workers who needed to swap shifts, 30% reported they had to find someone to cover their shift, with 63% having to call or text message managers and fellow workers to swap shifts. •Only 18% of respondents currently work for employers that automate shift-swapping via online or mobile apps - with a further 44% of people saying that such a system would be important in their workplace in the future. In a tight labour market, businesses need to position themselves as an employer of choice by having systems that simplify their workers’ lives. Advanced workplace management solutions can facilitate a flexible work environment for employees through automating shift management, onboarding, training, and leave management. Businesses were forced to work hard during lockdown to keep workers informed and engaged. Staff shortages have put casual staff in the box seat; they are demanding more autonomy to make decisions and take control of their own work life. Successful leisure and hospitality operators now must balance operational efficiencies with allowing people to accept the shifts they want, when they want, and the freedom to pick and choose.
Clayton Pyne shares why offering flexibility and staying connected to your casual workers is key to retaining staff and delivering a consistently memorable customer experience
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f COVID-19 has taught the leisure industry one thing, it’s the importance of a casual workforce. The workers who can rapidly scale up (or down) based on operating conditions and demand, they are the staff that perform functions as varied as greeting members or guests, addressing customer queries, showing fans to their seats in venues, lifeguarding duties and personal training. They can be a positive face of your business building a connection with the public, or not. 46 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 149
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