Jamie Smith from Hudson took the UW-Madison iSchool’s Continuing Education course:  Strategies for Supervising Part-Time Staff thanks to a scholarship from IFLS.  Here are some of Jamie’s key highlights and takeaways from the course:

• Allow enough time for training new staff, and let them train with more than just one person so they gain the incites and tips from others already working the position they will be working in. Train at a pace that is not overwhelming, and include specialized / detailed trainings over the next 6 months to year.
• One-size-fits-all trainings are generally not great. Find out the needs and interests of particular staff or departments and get them signed up for training that they are interested in and that applies specifically to their position or department. Allow staff to shadow each other if they show an interest in another department – this increases on-the-job growth, teamwork and comradery.
• It is important to include part-time staff in meetings, trainings, and discussions that are appropriate. This may require adjusting schedules to accommodate their attendance. If possible, send out agendas beforehand so staff can be prepared any input. Staff feel more involved when they are included in such discussions, resulting in increased productivity, commitment, and satisfaction.
• Supervisors / managers need to make time for informal monthly or bi-monthly one-on-one check-ins with part-time staff to gauge satisfaction in the workplace, interest in professional growth, and any present concerns. This is in addition to the annual performance evaluation.
• Do not overwhelm staff with emails over the week. Part-time staff in particular return to an abundance of emails to look over, and information quicky gets buried. Using another platform for more important information, such as a blog, can be helpful to reference back to later on. Simply consolidating emails into once-a-week updates minimizes information overload.
• Social connection is important in the workplace. Take the time to organize informal after-work get-togethers for team building. Make them as inclusive as possible so that everyone can participate. Communication and trust within our teams is important – it directly increases team performance and employee wellbeing.