Work Shift Management: How to Create an Ideal Shift for Employees

Automated Shift Scheduling Helps to Create Perfect Work Schedules for your Team

As organizations embrace digital transformation, they have started working globally. The traditional working hours for businesses with global clients are not sustainable anymore. To offer 24/7 service, organizations need to employ advanced shift planning. A well-organized shift schedule will be your competitive advantage, especially in industries that need to work round-the-clock.

Easily improve employee satisfaction plus the business’s bottom line by applying good shift scheduling practices. Automated shift scheduling systems improve shift planning by reducing scheduling issues and errors that could cost money or damage employee morale.

The Importance of Shift Planning for an Organization

Companies can use shift planning to receive high productivity rates from employees in each shift. Without a proper plan to manage employee schedules, you could end up paying for common scheduling mistakes such as overstaffing, unfilled shifts, etc.

• Well-planned Shifts Offer Employee Flexibility: Employees value flexibility, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, employees need flexibility more than ever in their job. According to a survey, 63% of the workforce want more flexibility in their job. Well-planned shifts allow staff to manage their own time, reducing the overall attrition rate.
• Improve Productivity and Business Growth: When your staff works in shifts, they won’t be overburdened with tasks due to uneven work distribution. Shift planning creates more productive activities and prevents employee burnout. Organizations can use shift planning tools in order to schedule their employees and increase revenue, leading to business growth.
• Help Reduce Labor Costs by Reducing Overtime: Overtime is a large component cost for businesses. According to a survey, the overtime budget of most organizations can comprise of up to 10% to 15% of their annual budget. With effective shift planning, companies can change the staff number per their need with shifts. Shift hours can accommodate peak hours and ensure the maximum number of employees are always available during these hours. A shift planning system helps reduce labor costs without compromising the efficiency and productivity of your staff members.

How to Create a Perfect Shift Schedule

Several factors must be considered when trying to make the perfect shift schedule. Here are a few factors to help you create an ideal work schedule for your employees:

• Always Plan Shifts in Advance: Plan future schedules as early as possible. Helping employees set their own routines and still fulfill their job responsibilities. Moreover, if employees can pre-plan their weeks don’t feel the need to swap shifts as frequently.
• Specify Required Skills for Each Shift: We know that employees within an organization do not possess the same skills, efficiency, or experience levels. There should be a master schedule that uses each employee’s skills and knowledge for each position and every shift.
• Reduces Scheduling Conflicts: There should be consistency while creating a schedule. Avoiding unnecessary swapping of shifts or favoritism between the team members of a shift. Managers should also always consider the responsibility and preferences of employees’ availability while scheduling.
• Be Flexible When Creating Schedules: Managers must consider the staff’s daily routine, health fitness, and family background while planning a work schedule. One good way to allow flexibility is to provide a calendar your employees can schedule for themselves. It encourages employees to commit to the shifts assigned. Resulting in a more productive workforce while employees are on the clock.
• Use Ad-Hoc Schedules to Fill Gaps: After finalizing the shift schedules, you could still run into situations when staff might need to be on leave or sudden emergencies, leaving you without a substitute and an empty shift. For such scenarios, you can create an ad-hoc schedule to find a fill-in for employees who are not available during a specific shift.

Conclusion

A shift scheduling system that works for everyone should be the top priority when creating your business plan. Your workforce must be in the best condition to perform well each day. A well-planned shift schedule will directly impact employee satisfaction and business productivity.

An online employee scheduling system helps you create and manage different types of shifts. Employees can pick up open shifts and post their availability for future planning. This type of solution eliminates scheduling conflicts by ensuring everyone is provided real-time updates on who is available when needed. Skills-based scheduling helps you assign tasks and shifts based on employee abilities and qualities.