Any company that pays for employee job scheduling software needs more from it than what comes with a basic spreadsheet. Scheduling employees is a balancing act that creates more issues if not done properly.
Managers may deal with over-scheduling and under-scheduling. They may also encounter resentment among subordinates and excessive overtime. These things affect productivity and departmental budgets. Inadequate staffing levels further exacerbates the problem when department target are not met.
Streamlining the process and creating suitable schedules requires definitive planning. Here are 11 benefits to using an employee work schedule management system.
1. Create a staff list.
A complete staff list consists of detailed information about who works in each department. This includes information such as:
- Names
- Roles
- Contact information
- Skills and certifications
- Part-time or Full-time classification
- Overtime restrictions, if applicable
2. Establish process to report staff availability.
Employees should have a chance to communicate their desired work hours. This introduces a collaborative environment where managers know employee preferences. Placing employees in work shifts that is convenient for everyone keeps employees engaged.
Giving employees an option to choose a work schedule is beneficial. However, they should also know that working other shifts to guarantee business hours are covered is still possible.
3. Make sure the schedule is accessible for employees.
One thing an employee job scheduling software does is make schedules easily accessible. Staff members who can view and access their schedules are less likely to forget a shift. Managers should ensure schedules are in an easily visible place.
Systems that control employee work schedules should include a self-service option that allows employees to view electronic data. This eliminates the possibility of misplacing or losing printed copies.
4. Configure system to automatically calculate hours worked and pay.
One convenient feature of employee schedule management software is the ability to calculate work hours. Errors with payroll are no longer an issue. The system has predefined formulas that integrate with payroll processing.
5. Plan the best schedule and allow for the worst.
Designing employee work schedules is good. However, managers must include a plan B even for the perfectly designed schedule. An employee may have an emergency or choose to not show up. Scheduling systems should allow for contingencies when exceptions occur.
Managers should never underestimate the human factor where unexpected events can interrupt a perfectly designed schedule. Planning for contingencies helps to ensure shifts are covered without interrupting productivity.
6. Create staffing parameters to manage conflicts.
Scheduling and workforce management software makes it easier to manage conflicts with employee availability. This is critical when a department is up against a deadline. Real-time data and reports helps managers make faster scheduling decisions.
Clearly defined rules for scheduling factors allows better planning. Situations that impact this includes:
- Availability
- Time-off
- Shift swaps
7. Reduce overtime and minimize absences with a work schedule system that controls work hours.
Employee scheduling software also provides alerts to managers. Management quickly responds to one employee calling off by reassigning other employees as necessary. Productivity does not suffer because managers receive advance notice.
Additionally, this software system provides processes to dealing with excessive absenteeism. Time records are available for review alongside attendance policies. Constant access to attendance records makes it easier to address a problem before it gets too far out of control.
8. Integrate the work schedule system with third-party payroll providers.
A single click makes exporting data to upload to third-party payroll providers convenient. This ensures employees are paid accurately and on time. With a fully integrated system, actual clocked time from an electronic system is provided directly to payroll for timely processing.
9. Schedule employees based on skills and talents.
The staff list created is beneficial for ensuring the right person is scheduled for the job. Understaffed environment often have employees scheduled for shifts who are not the best for a specific job. Filling shift slots just for the benefit of completing tasks is not always the better move. Work might get done, but it will not be perfected.
Work might get done, but it will not be perfected. Scheduling employees in positions that do not match their abilities or preferences can negatively affect morale.
10. Manage mobile employees equal to onsite workers.
Another useful benefit of schedule management software is including a module for remote workers. They can manage their time & attendance from any location with a mobile version that mirrors networked software.
11. Use the reporting tool to customize employee data.
Information is not simply stored into a work schedule system. Managers can retrieve the data for real-time reporting. Critical insights with customized reporting assists with forecasts and labor budgets. Managers have a clear view of unpaid time-off, overtime and other factors affecting allocation of department resources.
Manual processes are no longer useful to managing the myriad of conditions that affect work schedules. To make this vital part of the labor force easy, managers should implement effective scheduling software. These systems produce error-free schedules and helps ensure managers cover all shifts.
