In this economic climate, Pat Benatar would likely agree that the labor market, too, is a battlefield. And in the war for talent, some operators are working to regain the higher ground with a battalion of full-time employees.
“Part-time workers rarely work out long term,” says Todd Friedman, director of food and nutrition at Poinciana Medical Center in Kissimmee, Fla. “They don’t have a set schedule, and are constantly looking for other jobs.” As the unemployment rate continues to grind down, Friedman’s majority full-time department helps the operation remain a competitive employer. Friedman starts employees off as part time, and transitions them after a probationary period. “It’s like promoting from within,” he says. “It’s a carrot, and it’s an incentive.” But logistically, maintaining a mostly full-time team can be tough. Here are a few tricks operators have armed themselves with as they made the move.