(Newswire.net — May 5, 2021) — Coordinating with employees and devising a schedule that works for everyone is much harder than it seems. Here is a list of 4 tips for small businesses to help streamline and effectively manage employee scheduling.
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Don’t Leave Scheduling Until The Last Minute
It’s always best not to hastily rush through shift scheduling decisions. Business owners and managers should take their time to make a schedule, that way it works for everyone as best it can. Employee schedules should be made at least 3 months in advance, giving employees and managers an ample amount of time to determine when they can work and what fits best with their own schedule.
By planning a schedule 3 months ahead, your employees will feel more accommodated and that their time is respected. Also, this gives managers enough time to make necessary changes if an employee wants to take a vacation or schedules an appointment. Don’t forget that an employee who feels respected is a happy employee!
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Put Down The Pen And Paper And Start Using An Employee Scheduling App
If you’re still creating your employee schedule with pen and paper, stop what you’re doing! Hand-written schedules take a ton of time to make, can include many mistakes and even get lost in piles of paperwork. An employee scheduling app will not only save you time, but can also help you avoid costly mistakes.
Some features a good employee scheduling app should include are; a calendar view of your schedule, automatic push notifications, a geo-fencing time-clock, digital workflows and task lists. Connecteam’s employee scheduling app encompasses all these features and more! Employees can easily and quickly view their schedules for the whole month in the palm of their hand and are able to easily reach managers or administrators through the in-app chat if a problem arises. The Connecteam scheduling app makes your job easier, simplifies your scheduling process, saves time, money and unnecessary mistakes.
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Be Consistent And Flexible
Remember your employees are people too and have their own lives with busy schedules. By implementing a consistent schedule, employees can know what to expect when it comes to their work schedule and helps reduce scheduling issues. In fact, Lonnie Golden, a labor economic expert, describes that “work-family conflict is worsened not only by longer weekly hours of work, but also by having irregular shift work”.
With this in mind, a consistent work schedule creates a stable and reliable work environment for your employees!
Be considerate to the fact sometimes an employee may have something unexpected come up and it is out of their control. If an unexpected issue does arise with an employee, remember to be flexible and always have someone available to cover shifts if necessary. Being flexible and prepared for quick changes helps you run your business more smoothly.
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Know When To Schedule Your Most Experienced Employees
If you know that certain shifts require an established level of experience, or you know that certain shifts are especially busier than others, make sure you schedule the most experienced or knowledgeable employees for these shifts. Furthermore, create a buddy system for new onboarding employees, this solidifies the knowledge of your experienced employee while they train others. Additionally, if you want a less qualified employee to become more familiar with a fast-paced shift, schedule them with an employee with experience to help show them the ropes!
Also, remember to be fair when dispensing shifts. No employee wants to feel that they need to beg to be scheduled or that they are constantly getting the short end of the stick with unfavorable or inconvenient shifts. Make sure shift schedules rotate, that way your team doesn’t feel like management is picking favorites and no HR problems arise from disgruntled employees.
All Things Considered…
It’s super important for small businesses to be smart and efficient when it comes to creating an employee schedule. If you’re still using pen and paper, then switch to an employee scheduling app. The Connecteam Scheduling app will surely cut down on lost time, make scheduling a breeze and even optimize your internal business processes like payroll and workflows.
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