Workforce scheduling is defined as the process of establishing the schedules of hourly workers to meet the current and future demands in a workplace, such as a restaurant, a hospital, or a retail store. It also involves defining schedules so that the transition from one shift to the other is seamless and work remains uninterrupted.
In any industry that relies on hourly workers, workforce scheduling forms the foundation of smooth business functioning. And this scheduling needs to be efficient to take care of last-minute changes such as delays in reporting for the job and sudden leave of absence, among other things. But with scheduling automation on the rise and the growth in the number of apps available to manage scheduling large workforces, workforce scheduling can be made simpler.
Table of Contents
- What Is Workforce Scheduling?
- Industries That Require Workforce Scheduling
- What Are the Features of Workforce Scheduling Software?
- How to Optimize Workforce Scheduling
- Benefits of Workforce Scheduling Automation
What Is Workforce Scheduling?
Workforce scheduling entails establishing the schedule of your current hourly workforce to manage the predicted amount of work in your business.
Several factors affect the process of workforce scheduling. These factors include increased footfall in the retail or restaurant industry, increased tendency of accidents and therefore hospital visits during certain holidays, sudden emergencies in manufacturing or construction, and increased requirements in call or contact centers.
Also, employee availability, employee skills, and employee productivity also determine the process of scheduling.
Workforce schedulingOpens a new window is an integral component of workforce management, which involves taking into account predicted workloads and then the number of resources needed to complete the job. With dynamic industries (as are most industries that hire hourly workers), the workload changes frequently, and having an automated scheduling process in place to handle these changes is imperative.
Workforce scheduling has gone way beyond the traditional spreadsheet. The suite of workforce scheduling software now available ensures that you, for all practical purposes, never have to struggle with planning schedules on spreadsheets again.
From cross-device functionality to mobility for a cross-country workforce, these software can help the struggling manager to streamline workforce scheduling.
Learn More: 7 Workforce Management Trends for 2019Opens a new window
Industries That Require Workforce Scheduling
“In 2018, 81.9 million workers age 16 and older in the United States were paid at hourly rates, representing 58.5 percent of all wage and salary workers,†says a March 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reportOpens a new window . More than half of the U.S. workforce is paid at an hourly rate.
So, there’s that much of the workforce to reckon with, optimize for maximum productivity, and retain, as unemployment numbers continue to remain lowOpens a new window . This means that there are more jobs than people to fill them, and turnover in the hourly worker industry is high.
The industries that hire hourly workers and require workforce scheduling are:
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Contact centers
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Transportation and Logistics
Learn More: Why Financial Instability in the Hourly Workforce Demands an HR ResponseOpens a new window
What Are the Features of Workforce Scheduling Software?
Workforce scheduling technology and workforce management software have evolved to the point where they can automate the operational issues that managers face in optimizing workforce management. AI-powered solutions are also available to handle large workloads, predict the needs with changing seasons, and optimally create schedules for shift workers. In addition, it can also help employees take control of their schedules and switch shifts with other employees directly in case the need arises.
Fig 1. Look for these key features when choosing workforce scheduling software
1. Labor forecasting
The first step in any optimized scheduling solution is to predict the amount of business demand on a given day.
AI-powered workforce management software offers insights into the number of the workforce required based on real-time and historical data on the trends in high-traffic periods and availability of manpower. It then uses this data to predict the number of people needed at any given time in a particular industry.
This simplifies decision-making for managers, who can then use their time for more strategic work.
Any workforce scheduling softwareOpens a new window should be able to help you plan months in advance and allow you to make tweaks in schedules easily. It should also be able to send automated notifications to employees about changes in shifts or cancellations. Always choose a scheduling software that has cross-device functionality, i.e., it serves users on the desktop as well as mobile devices.
For larger organizations, the solution should be able to help you prepare schedules in advance for multiple locations and offer the same functionality of shift swap and automated notifications about changes.
AI is known for personalization, and it can do so even in the case of employee schedules, based on the availability and work patterns of employees.Â
2. Time tracking
A workforce scheduling software tracks the number of hours an employee is putting into the job. So, you can track overtime and better identify situations that result in understaffing or overstaffing.
This is essential in case overtime or non-adherence to shift worker regulations leads to compliance risk. “The full employment economy we are experiencing requires a very sound labor management strategy that assures the most optimized labor force in perfect alignment with local and national labor laws,†says Sasha Poljak, CEO of Nimble Software Systems, Inc (Ximble)Opens a new window , a popular employee scheduling software, in an interview with HR Technologist.Â
3. Shift swapping
The software can give employees visibility into their schedules and help them swap with other shift workers should the need arise – for example, in case of emergencies. This means there are fewer chances of employees losing pay and fewer chances of absenteeism, so the work does not suffer.
4. Customizable Reports
Any workforce manager who has had to prepare a worker’s schedule or a report on a spreadsheet will know the relief an automated, customizable report can offer. You can choose the metrics you want to identify, such as the number of absences per quarter, number of shift swaps by a particular employee in a given week, or the pattern of increased footfall at your business in a particular season through a good workforce management software. This can help you make better scheduling decisions in the future. Â
Learn More: 4 Ways Analytics Can Improve Workforce Planning in 2019Opens a new window
How to Optimize Workforce Scheduling
Optimal workforce scheduling is almost a science. There are far too many variables, but the key is to use the technology available to manage these variables.
Fig 2. Here’s how you can optimize the scheduling your workforce
1. Assess the demands of the business
Any industry that hires hourly workers knows that everyone does not bring the same set of skills to the business. A new crane may be operable only by one or two people at the most, or only one or two employees may have the skills necessary to handle an unprecedented rush at a restaurant. It is essential to keep these employees’ skills in mind to schedule their work accordingly.
Also, keep in mind predicted rush hours, predicted busy seasons, and a backup of employees you can mobilize when work gets busy.
2. Assess employee availability and employee trends/patterns
Workforce crunches are real, but they can be dealt with if you keep an eye on the trends your employees tend to show. For instance, the number of accidents during Thanksgiving tends to increase, and your employees could very well be the casualties.
If some employees tend to have more sick days, then consider that and keep backup ready in case they can’t make it. If some employees prefer a day shift over a night shift, schedule accordingly to avoid burnout and unnecessary absences. Â
3. Let the scheduling begin
Once you have considered these two key factors, begin planning and arrive at a solution that is best suited for your business. As mentioned earlier, with automation, you can experiment with the most optimal schedule and then share it with your employees.
4. Make the schedule available to employees
Employees should be able to view their schedules for transparency and to be able to change or swap them with co-workers if necessary.
Learn More: 3 Ways to Improve the Candidate Experience for Hourly WorkersOpens a new window
Benefits of Workforce Scheduling Automation
The number of possibilities when planning employee shifts is tremendous. Each employee may work a different number of hours a day, there must be a fixed duration gap between each shift an employee works, and there could be a lot of unforeseen incidents that prevent easy scheduling.
This is why AI-powered workforce scheduling solutions such as ORQUESTOpens a new window and KronosOpens a new window , and automated workforce scheduling solutions such as ShiftboardOpens a new window are here to simplify your life just that little bit. And what are the benefits of moving from spreadsheet to specific software?
1. Test different schedule combinations to see which one works the best. Because workforce scheduling solutions allow you to set schedules in a click, you can spend the time determining what the most optimal schedule will be for employees, considering their requirements as well. Â
2. Manage costs by optimizing staffing. Don’t just assume you will need more people during Halloween. Instead, use an automated scheduler to show you how many people you will need.
3. Define the quality of service you provide to your customers. Optimum scheduling defines the quality of service you provide to your customers because employees are there on time and at their best to serve your customers.
4. Maximize productivity. Automated workforce scheduling reduces overstaffing or understaffing, which maximizes productivity and overall costs.
5. Reduce unnecessary overtime. Most workforce scheduling solutions are armed with compliance risk solutions to help you identify issues such as unnecessary overtime.
6. Increase workforce flexibility and reduce burnout. Optimal scheduling enables flexibility and thus improves employee satisfaction. Burnout in the hourly workforce is highOpens a new window , and this kind of flexibility can reduce it significantly. Workforce scheduling solutions can, in fact, help you predict burnout by identifying employee patterns such as late logins and increased absences.
7. Enable lower turnover. Any workforce that managed efficiently, and which has the freedom to swap shifts and change schedules in emergencies, is more likely to stay with a company than one that is haphazardly managed. AI-based workforce scheduling solutionsOpens a new window can help you manage a tardy workforce and predict flight risks and help you prepare for such instances.
Learn More: Workforce Scheduling Tools You Need to Win in the Gig EconomyOpens a new window
Automate So You Can Strategize
Technology is overtaking several repetitive and time-consuming functions, and workforce scheduling is one of them. As the workforce becomes multigenerational and continues to grow, as businesses become more competitive to remain relevant, and as employees demand greater flexibility in their work, strategizing on maximizing the value of a workforce will become more critical for businesses that rely entirely on hourly workers.
How do you manage the workforce scheduling requirements of your business? Share your experience with us on FacebookOpens a new window , LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window , and let’s get this conversation started.