Now, it’s not new, but if you are not using an automated program to help you schedule and communicate to your staff, then you’re working too hard. If your staff members are in that 16-24 years of age range, then I can almost guarantee you that scheduling is both difficult and time consuming.
Doing a schedule if all your staff members are 100 per cent flexible and 100 per cent available, is not much of a task, but when you add in variable start and finish times, staff prior commitments, time off requests, holidays, not to mention the “oh I forgot I have plans” email you get five minutes after you send-out/post the schedule, it makes scheduling a nightmare.
When I first looked into these scheduling programs, they were expensive for what they did, and not overly reliable. Fast forward six years – let me tell you they have come a long way in what they can do, as well as how they do it, and at a very reasonable price.
With the help of these scheduling programs most of the challenges of scheduling can be eliminated and you are given an additional, and sometimes more effective way to communicate with your staff.
Generally speaking here is how a scheduling program works. The program allows you to enter your employees pertinent information i.e. birth date so you remember to wish them a happy birthday, and contact info so no matter if you’re in the office or not, you, or other staff members can contact each other.
You can log all shift requests and once the schedule is done it gets sent to everyone’s email/text with a push of a button – no excuses that someone didn’t know. Should staff members wish to change shifts, they can put the shift up for grabs via the system with the reason they need it off, and anyone can pick it up with just a quick click.
At this point the request for change is sent to the managers that you have listed who can approve such requests, and until it is approved the individual is still responsible for working the shift scheduled. Once approved the schedule is automatically updated.
You can also post messages to all staff when posting the schedule, or even after the fact, and all staff that you choose are notified of this message. These features help to elevate the level of communication, save time and essentially make your job easier.
A few programs you might want to consider are Hot Schedule.com, Shift Planning.com and Schedule Fly.com
There are several more out there so do your own research to make sure you pick the one that best suits you and your needs. When doing your research don’t forget that after you purchase the program you want the company you choose to be there to support you when required. Not every company does a great job with after sales service.
