So, you know it’s time to expand your team, but you want to find out if it’s best to hire two part-time workers or one full-time employee? The answer to this question is actually different for every business, depending on your unique needs.

There are a lot of factors to weigh when deciding which type of employee to take on, so it’s important to have a solid understanding of each type of employment. The definition of part-time and full-time employees varies, but traditionally the former is defined as those working 1,000 hours or less per year. A full-time employee may work as little as 30 hours per week, but traditionally follows a 40-hour work week schedule.

Pros and Cons of Part-Time Employees

Some of the pros and cons of hiring part-time employees include:

• Pro: You have more flexibility with scheduling, ensuring you’re not paying employees to come to work when you don’t actually need them.
• Con: Many part-time workers are ultimately seeking full-time work, so expect high turnover rates, as they’re more likely to head to another company than full-time employees.
• Pro: You’re not required to pay benefits to part-time workers.
• Con: Part-time employees often hold more than one job, so frequent scheduling conflicts may arise.

Pros and Cons of Full-Time Employees

Major pros and cons of full-time employees are:

• Pro: Full-time workers typically have a stronger sense of company loyalty, so they’re willing to stay with the company during rough periods.
• Con: You’re required to pay employees to come to work each day, even when business is slow and you don’t have enough work for everyone to do.
• Pro: The majority of full-time workers only have one job, allowing them to be more flexible with their schedules.
• Con: In most cases, you’ll need to pay benefits to full-time employees, including health insurance, retirement and paid time off.

It’s important to take the specific needs of your business into account when deciding whether it’s best to hire one full-time or two-part time employees. Remember, what works for one company won’t necessarily be successful for another, so don’t model your hiring strategy after your competitors.

At ECS, our unique business model allows us to support recruiters seeking low-risk, instant access to the national contingent staffing market and clients seeking budget-friendly professional payrolling and consultant management services. Contact us today to learn more.