Australia managed to bypass much of the financial chaos during COVID-19 owing to its strict border control and solid pre-pandemic economic figures. In 2020, the unemployment rate stood at 6.46%; but the resilient workforce (consisting of 13+ million people across six states) in 2022 brought that number down to 3.4% –– a remarkable decrease. Today, about 33% of Aussies are employed part-time, and this number continues to trend upward as many are picking up side hustles and freelance work to support the country’s moderately growing cost-of-living expenses.
For Australian business owners, this is a great time to hire from this group. In this article, we’ll show you the steps necessary to hire part-time workers in Australia, the benefits (and the downsides) of bringing on part-time employees, and the best job search websites and platforms for sourcing talent.
How to Hire Part-Time Workers in Australia
In Australia, a part-time employee is a candidate that works fewer than 38 hours per week (compares to full-time employees who work 38 hours and up). On average, they are typically employed on a permanent basis or on a fixed-term contract. Depending on the type of business model your company follows, and the specific parameters of your part-time employee’s role, you’ll need to follow a few steps to ensure that you are hiring correctly and effectively.
STEP 1: Determine whether you can afford the potential cost of a part-time employee.
Assess your business needs and know whether you can support a part-time employee and all of the potential costs associated with them: including, wages, allowances, overtime pay, leave pay, worker’s compensation insurance, and taxes.
STEP 2: Recruit a part-time employee.
Advertise your vacancy on job search platforms and with recruitment agents (for a fee). Be prepared to evaluate applications, interview candidates and negotiate terms and offers.
STEP 3: Hire and prepare your part-time employee for work.
In addition to preparing them for the task(s) at hand, this is the time to induct your part-timer into company culture (if they are working in an office), as well as providing them with tax forms, Work Health & Safety (WHS) forms and committing to an agreed upon schedule of hours and responsibilities.
STEP 4: Ensure you are paying your part-time employee the right amount.
Know the difference between minimum wage pay rates for junior part-time employees, and apprentice and trainee pay rates. Withhold relevant taxes from all payments and provides employees with pay slips on a regulated basis. Hang on to ALL employment and tax forms and keep meticulous records per employee.
STEP 5: Ensure you know the terms for ending your part-timer’s employment.
Because part-time employees are more likely to have job contracts end abruptly based on the workflow then compared to full-timers, knowing the fair and legal way to dismiss an employee––including serving ample notice and providing their final paycheck––is crucial.
The Pros and Cons of Hiring Part-Time Workers in Australia
As with any job-hiring experience, there are benefits for and against choosing to bring on a part-time candidate to do the work –– especially if you are looking for someone to fulfill duties on a long-term basis. Here are some of the pros and cons of hiring part-timers to fill the role:
PROS
- Increased flexibility: Hiring part-timers allows you to utilize your staff according to your specific needs. For companies with slow periods, it might not be beneficial to hire more full-time workers when the work is temporarily not there (and avoid painful lay-offs). Incorporating Temporary, part-time employees can help shoulder the workload, while giving your full-timers additional support. Part-timers can also stand in for employees who take long-term leaves or find themselves out sick for days.
- Keeps costs down: Hiring part-timers over full-time employees provides significant cost savings in the long run –– especially if your company only provides health care benefits, sick leave, and retirement plans to full-time staff. Part-timers understand and accept that their role is temporary and that they don’t typically qualify for perks.
- Provides needed support when it counts: Many companies require specialized work help for very specific amounts of time––especially around holidays. Hiring part-time employees mean that you can bring on staff with the qualifications you require, without committing to a long-term contract. Once the busy season is over, you and your part-timers can amicably part ways.
- Broader candidate pool: When hiring part-time employees, you are inviting specialized candidates with unique skills that you might not come across when hiring full-time. For example, new mothers who are softly re-entering the workforce, or students looking to prove themselves in a first-time role. Casting this wider net opens up a world of qualified job seekers.
CONS
- Part-time employees can feel less invested in the company: Part-timers tend to adopt the attitude that they don’t owe your company loyalty because they don’t receive health benefits or full-time pay, or because they don’t feel as appreciated as their full-time coworkers. It’s difficult to establish a true connection with a role, and an organization when only hired on a part-time basis. Part-timers also have less time and opportunity to learn the inner workings of the company and can occasionally feel undervalued and unappreciated––even if this is not true.
- Less connected: Simply, part-timers aren’t on the job or at their desks long enough to really connect with and engage with management and co-workers. As a result, it’s difficult for other employees to get to know them and work with them as a team.
- In-office workload conflicts: Part-timers work fewer hours than their full-time co-workers. Yet the workload for the entire team tends to stay the same. As a result of this disparity, resentments can crop up from the full-timers who feel that they contribute more work in less time. What can further complicate matters is when part-timers have fewer responsibilities and, therefore, more downtime, which can lead to discord and hurt feelings from overwhelmed and overworked full-timers.
- Work can be inconsistent: Working part-time hours means that employees can often feel unattached and disassociated from their company’s guidelines and deliverables, resulting in an output that seems off-balance or inconsistent.
The Best Job Sites for Hiring Part-Time Job Seekers in Australia
Recruitment agencies and job search platforms are ideal areas for sourcing part-time job seekers in Australia. Many of these agencies post full and part-time candidates, but others specialize in representing those looking for temporary, short-term, and/or part-time employment.
GrabJobs is the best option for hiring part-time Australians. It is a cost-effective recruitment solution that automates sourcing, screening, and interviewing of candidates––and includes over 5,000 companies using the job platform to simplify their hiring process. Auto-generated job seeker profiles mean that users can begin applying for new jobs in under a minute, making it great for employers looking to hire quickly and easily.
Subscription: Free for 14 days; pricing plans
Hiring Focus: All types of workers (blue collar, white collar, remote, entry-level, etc.)
One of the planet’s most popular job search engines for job seekers and employers alike––in fact, about 1 in 4 Australians are registered users––LinkedIn is a ubiquitous tool for finding full and part-time employees based on trusted connections. It also features numerous tools and subscription-based add-ons that make hiring so simple. As a LinkedIn user, you can either advertise a part-time vacancy with your company for free in your newsfeed or pay to have it reach more users.
Subscription: Free & paid options
A market leader in online employment marketplaces, SEEK’s influential presence spans 10 countries in Latin America and Asia Pacific––including Australia and New Zealand. Interestingly, SEEK has been ranked one of the Ten Best Places to Work in Tech in Australia.
Subscription: Free & Paid options
Adzuna is a popular global site that helps employers expand their outreach to a broader audience. The site integrates with newspapers, ensuring that job ads will appear in front of the right candidates wherever they are and whatever medium they’re using for their job search.
Subscription: Paid options
This service is job seeker-centric, which means that the emphasis is on candidates looking to find work. CareerOne provides services for employers looking to hire and even curates your job description into an immersive experience to help them make the right choice when applying.
Subscription: Free & Paid options
Another popular global (and free) job search site, Indeed Australia not only places qualified candidates in roles suited to their skills and experience––but also provide crucial tools for jobseekers like salary guides and company reviews. Simply upload your resume to Indeed’s platform and companies reach out to YOU, making the stress of finding work that much simpler.
Subscription: Free & paid options
Lloyd Connect is a Melbourne-based, award-winning recruitment agency and platform for Australian job seekers. Consisting of a dedicated team of recruitment industry professionals, Lloyd Connect delivers high-quality candidates to employers while taking great pride in being the agency that builds long-lasting relationships.
Subscription: Free & paid options
Adecco has been a trusted name in workplace recruitment for decades, and they maintain their prestige by using expert job recruitment agents to pair candidates with positions perfect for them. Famed for their annually published Salary Guides, Adecco has cornered the market by connecting Australian employers and employees and providing staffing solutions.
Subscription: Free & paid options
This global job search organization is highly popular in Australia for candidates looking to enter or re-enter the workforce. Randstad’s team of qualified job search professionals helps candidates find rewarding and relevant positions in a variety of different fields and industries, making them ripe for the picking by companies.
Subscription: Free & paid options
This employment network is funded by businesses and organizations that are contracted by the Australian Government. Job seekers who are currently on government subsidies or support can use this free service to find work through the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
Subscription: Free
CareerJet is a global job search engine operating in dozens of countries around the world, including Australia. Employers can quickly and easily find relevant candidates in just about every sector and at every level of experience by placing targeted ads.
Subscription: Paid Options
One of Australia’s go-to sites for temporary, one-time, and part-time employment work, Gumtree is a massively popular free marketplace for connecting qualified job seekers with positions across dozens of fields and industries. Gumtree also comes with an app, making finding a job that much easier.
Subscription: Free options
This popular and effective hiring platform allows business owners in Australia to source, screen, and hire people from around the globe. Employers can advertise their job position(s) for free by signing up for an account while gaining instant access to a talent pool that includes millions of candidates.
Subscription: Free
This popular site gathers millions of monthly visitors worldwide and features connections with thousands of business partners. Employers can create an account and post positions that are assessed by candidates from a diverse pool from across Australia and the world.
Subscription: Paid
This popular, Australia-based search engine is a default source for many job seekers––which makes it a great marketplace for employers looking for qualified candidates, fast. Jora users can search through career opportunities, all sourced from many job sites from all over Australia, while also accessing their blog and partner sites for additional resourcing.
Subscription: Free & paid options
Other great resources for employers looking to hire part-time job seekers:
Subscription: Paid options
Subscription: Paid options
Subscription: Free & paid options
Subscription: Free & paid options
Subscription: Free & paid options
Learn More About How to Hire Part-Time Employees in Australia Today
There you have it! A comprehensive guide for business owners looking to hire part-time employees in Australia. Now that you know the correct steps to take, the pros and cons of hiring part-timers, and the best resources and platforms in the country for finding temporary staff, you’re ready to take that next step toward making the most of your entire organization.
