Managers -especially skilled ones- are crucial to the sustenance and success of any organization. In salary-earning workforces, managing employees is easy due to factors such as job security and other benefits employees enjoy that motivate them to be committed to their jobs. On the contrary, managing an hourly workforce can be more challenging due to variable schedules, high turnover rates, risk of conflicts, and communication disparities.

To solve the problem of having a skilled manager lead all hourly employees, it is first important to hire and train a manager to be the right fit for the role. To help you, we have curated a guide on hiring and training a manager in the hourly workforce.

Who Is An Hourly Manager?

Managers are the backbone of many teams and organizations as a whole. These set the vision and strategy of an establishment, manage the resources and people, and ensure all goals in the organization are met successfully. 

Managers are in charge of planning, organizing, staffing, and directing a group of people to accomplish some task. They are leaders who set the path for other employees. This means managers are crucial to the success of any establishment and its operations.

In an hourly workplace setting, hourly managers are known as shift leaders. Like short workers who work certain hours and do not earn salaries, hourly managers are paid wages. They work with other hourly employees to ensure all the jobs are done and executed properly, employees are working efficiently, and customer satisfaction is maintained.

Essentially, hourly managers perform the same rules as regular salary-earning managers. However, because their roles vary slightly, hourly managers’  daily tasks usually depend on where they work and their roles in the establishment. If they work in a transport company, their role may revolve around enduring every delivery on time and all employees performing their duties well. If they work in a restaurant, they may have to supervise food quality, inventory, and expeditions of food delivery. Typically, hourly managerial roles involve logistical concerns, inventory, shift worker supervision, and helping customers.

Hourly managers usually start as hourly workers. They work their way to the top and usually earn their promotion to the manager role using impressive track records over a specific period. They also usually possess several skills that business owners consider integral to leadership in the establishment. While this is great, these skills do not guarantee that a manager will be a great leader for other employees.

The first step in having a good manager is to hire one. The next is to train them to ensure they can take on the role, responsibilities, and challenges that being a manager brings.

Many business owners make the mistake of assuming just any employee with a good work history will perfectly play the role of a manager. However, without proper training, even the most skilled hourly managers will face challenges in their new roles.

With an inadequate or inadequately trained manager on board, hourly employees’ problems will skyrocket. There can be an unintentional increase in turnover, employees will suffer negative experiences, and stress will increase.

To prevent these problems, here is everything you need to know about hiring and training an hourly manager.

Qualities To Look For In A Good Manager

Although certifications are a great way to job how efficiently an employee will perform in the manager role, they are not enough to determine if they will be a good fit. All hourly managers must possess integral qualities useful as successful hourly leaders in any establishment.

Knowing what to look for when hiring an hourly manager is a great way to ensure you make the right choice. Some qualities you should look out for when hiring an hourly manager include the following:

1. Great Communication Skills

The importance of great communication skills cannot be overemphasized. Communication can make or break an hourly employee’s experience in an establishment. The efficiency of information being passed around can determine how successful a business can be.

A good hourly manager should be able to communicate effectively with the employees and their team members. They should be able to pass timely information effectively in a way that not only the employees get the information but also understand this information. 

Managers must also know how to communicate praises and corrections or constructive criticisms. This will play an integral role in breeding a less toxic workspace with workers comfortable being heard, seen, and listened to. This is essential as communication builds trust between managers and employees.

Additionally, a good hourly manager should be able to communicate with customers effectively when necessary. Cases will arise among customers and employees – especially out of conflicts- and managers will be summoned to disperse these conflicts as easily as possible. In many cases, such as this one, a manager’s communication ability might be the establishment’s saving grace in retaining customers when necessary.

2. Ability To Speak More Than One Language

Although bilingualism is not a quality many businesses look for in hourly managers, it will undoubtedly come in handy. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of Hispanic workers contributing to our economy is projected to reach 35.9 million in 2030. They will account for about 78% of the net new workers between 2020 and 2030. Meanwhile, non-Hispanic labor workers have steadily declined over the last decade. Hispanic wage earners will be heavily represented in hourly jobs in various sectors, including hospitality, agriculture, transportation, and food services.

While many of these Hispanic workers will speak Spanish, English, and maybe any other language, a large majority might only speak Spanish. This will not be a problem unless they have to be employed or work with a manager that only speaks English.

In New Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, Florida, and Nevada, where English is usually spoken, and Hispanics and Latinos make up more than one-fourth of the labor force, it is undoubtedly an advantage to have bilingual managers. This will ensure that non-English-speaking employees will be able to communicate and receive information as easily as English-speaking employees. 

When your manager speaker more than one language, they will also be able to provide better customer support when necessary. More importantly, managers do not need to be fluent (although that’s a plus for the business if they are). Being able to understand simple conversations and provide necessary replies will go a long way in ensuring everyone is on the same page.

3. Flexibility

Hourly jobs are usually placed in fast-paced environments. They also usually feature employees with very flexible schedules. Essentially, things change quickly in an hourly job environment.

Although schedules are usually set for employees depending on their shifts, things can quickly change when you least expect them to. For that reason, it is important to have a manager or shift leader that can think fast on their feet. 

Shift leaders should be able to reschedule employees and assign duties when necessary quickly. In cases where an employee misses a shift, especially with a warning, it is important that a manager can quickly figure out a solution to ensure the vacuum of the empty position is filled quickly. In many cases, a manager might be expected to fill the role themselves!

Managers should not only be able to provide solutions that match problems but also guide employees when these problems are. Managers are leaders for a reason, and they are expected to lead employees as they solve these problems.

4. Passion For Employee Development

Managers should have a passion for developing employees. They should be passionate about helping other workers raise in ranks, especially if they were also promoted to manager after working as a regular hourly employee for years.

Shift managers are expected to be able to guide employees into the next stages of their professional careers. These include investing in employee development through seminars, providing assistance when necessary, and training them per the establishment’s resources.

Other than soft skills managers should possess (such as communication), some other skills necessary for shift leaders include:

• Organization: Shift leaders or managers are expected to be able to keep the affairs of the business organized. They should be able to manage time and resources efficiently while keeping track of the resources being used in the establishment. They should be able to manage team’s and departments to ensure all employees are performing their duties as necessary.
• Problem-solving: A good manager should pay attention to detail. They should be able to quickly spot problems and provide the necessary solutions to solve this problem. Whether it is a problem among employees or with customers, employees should be able to catch this problem early and provide an adequate solution.
• Customer Focus: A good manager should always be invested in providing customers with maximum experience. They should prioritize customer needs and ensure all customers are satisfied with the products or services received from the establishment.
•  Accountability: A good hourly manager should be able to be held accountable. They should be able to take responsibility for their actions and decisions with their bosses, around their colleagues, and among their subordinates. They should admit mistakes, apologize when necessary, and provide corrections where mistakes are made.
• Dependability: Managers should set the standard for performance in their establishments. They should be reliable, consistent, and dependable, showing positive traits so others can follow in their footsteps.
• Team Building: A good hourly manager should be able to build and maintain an effective team of other hourly employees. They should foster a positive environment for the teams they build to flourish, provide the assistance team members may need, and reward good performance when possible.

How To Train An Hourly Manager

Managers do not automatically know how to handle their responsibilities and the problems that come with their job position. They require proper training that will equip them with the tools necessary to execute their roles properly.

Manager training should be tailored and paced to the individual’s skillset and experience. This will enable the manager to adapt quickly to what they are learning while also preparing them for the challenges.

Training an hourly manager requires a systematic approach with an aim of developing their leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. Some simple ways to train your new hourly manager include:

• Begin With The Basics: Help the new manager to understand their roles, responsibilities, and the establishment’s expectations of them. Work with them to help them understand the establishment’s mission, values, and vision and how their role fits in the grand scheme of things.
• Offer A Hands-On Training Experience: One of the most effective ways to train an hourly manager is through hands-on experience. Allow them to shadow experienced managers, give them opportunities to lead projects, and provide constructive feedback on their performance.
• Focus On Leadership Skills: An hourly manager should be an excellent leader. Develop the new hire’s leadership skills by teaching them how to motivate, inspire, and coach their team. Provide training on how to set goals, delegate tasks, and manage the performance of the employees in their charge.
• Sharpen Communication Skills: An hourly manager should easily communicate their concerns, thoughts, and opinions with their employees. They should be able to settle conflicts, give feedback, and even praise other employees when necessary. Work with the new hire to identify and analyze problems, generate creative solutions, and implement effective action plans as these are important features of excellent communication.
• Understand Their Shortcomings: As much as many establishments wish for the perfect hourly manager, every manager is going to lack in one aspect or the other. It is important to understand where the new manager lacks and how they can be helped.
• Keep It Simple: An overload of information can do more harm than good to any manager. Keep the training simple enough that they get all the important information they need at a pace set to their capacity. Break down all complex points to ensure the information they receive sticks and makes sense.
• Make The Training Process Continuous: Training does not have to be a one-time affair. Ensure the manager finds their footing by providing help whenever they need it.

Hiring And Training Your Hourly Manager Made Easy

Hiring and training a good manager in the hourly workforce is critical to building a successful and productive team. By following the steps outlined in our guideline, you can identify the key skills and qualities needed for a great manager and develop effective strategies to recruit, onboard, and train them.

A good manager not only leads their team to success but also promotes a positive work culture and fosters employee engagement. As a result, it is important to ensure every hire counts by choosing the best staffing company.

At iCreatives Staffing, we have all you need to quickly find and hire the perfect hourly manager for your establishment. As a leading provider of staffing solutions for various industries, we will help you find the top talent you need and provide the necessary training and development to help them align with your organization. Contact us today to begin your hiring and training process!