Snagajob, the country’s largest platform for hourly work, today released results of the company’s 2019 State of the Hourly Worker Report, which looked at the demographics and expectations of today’s hourly workers.

Surveying 2,000 hourly workers in the U.S., the Report found that modern hourly workers are seeking more than just shifts to make money, but instead are looking for work that promises consistency, flexibility and career benefits similar to those of full-time employees. 

As the gig economy continues to grow and unemployment reaches its lowest point in 50 years, it is increasingly becoming a workers’ market. As such, employers are tasked with finding new and creative ways to retain the best talent and avoid costly employee turnover that impacts the customer experience and ultimately sales.

In fact, according to a recent TDn2K report, turnover can cost nearly $2,000 for non-management employees. Part of the challenge is that the benefits being offered to hourly workers today don’t align with what workers want. According to the survey, besides paid vacation and/or sick days, career growth opportunity is the top benefit that would convince hourly workers to stay longer, followed by flexible hours or scheduling, health insurance and transportation reimbursement. 

“Traditionally, hourly workers have prioritized the flexibility of shift-based work, but haven’t seen the benefits afforded to full-time employees,” said Mathieu Stevenson, Snagajob CEO. “This Report shows that we’re entering the next frontier of hourly work, where employees are able to make a career out of gig work but want more than just the flexibility of choosing a job that meets their lifestyle needs. These workers now expect career growth opportunities, want to feel connected to their employer and want to be recognized for the work they are accomplishing. Savvy employers can meaningfully increase retention by recognizing these needs and adapting to the changes ahead of the curve.”

Additional key findings include:

• Hourly workers report receiving an average of 34 hours every week, but nearly 30% want to work more hours
  • Workers are picking up more shifts, with 64% working full-time (35+ hours)
• 43% of surveyed workers report getting less than a day’s notice about shift changes or new schedules
  • 23% of surveyed workers report quitting as a result of not receiving the shift or schedule they wanted
• 83% of surveyed workers want recognition in the form of a financial reward when they go above and beyond
  • Gen Z (16-24 years old) workers are eager to gain more experience, with 20% stating they wanted to receive more responsibility as a reward
• 39% of surveyed hourly workers are from Gen X (40-54 years old), while 26% are Gen Z. The top three industries hiring hourly workers are retail, food services/restaurant and healthcare

In addition, when it comes to workplace satisfaction, well-trained, knowledgeable front-line managers matter. Employees want to feel comfortable talking to their supervisors and creating a real connection, with 61% saying in-person feedback is the most effective type of communication.

However, only 39% of satisfied surveyed workers say their supervisor takes employees’ best interests into account when making decisions. By promoting from within and providing extensive leadership training, businesses can work to ensure a positive work environment while limiting turnover and showing employees that career advancement is an achievable goal.

To download the 2019 State of the Hourly Worker Report, including industry insights and tips from Snagajob in-house experts, click here: https://insights.snag.co/ebooks/2019-state-of-the-hourly-worker-report