5 Reasons to Adopt Employee Scheduling and Time Tracking Software
Published: 21/08/2022
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There is more than meets the eye when it comes to software. In this article, aimed at business owners and operations personnel, we will discuss the more in-depth benefits of scheduling and time tracking software. This piece can serve as a means to persuade your stakeholders.
In our highly technology-driven world, it is little wonder that almost every business process can be automated. Shift scheduling is one of them. Curiously, while the software to achieve this isn’t relevant for businesses that don’t operate on the shift model, even those that do are hesitant about adopting it.
There is a common misconception that such software provides exactly what its title implies. Consequently, it is not viewed as an ROI-driving solution, particularly for smaller companies where roster creation is not as time-consuming as it is for organisations with a larger workforce. However, this mindset may be the very reason these companies struggle to scale as quickly as they would like, or even at all. Furthermore, this might explain the high turnover rates and costly workforce imbalances.
There are several reasons why employee scheduling and time tracking software is a worthwhile investment for shift-based companies. The most obvious include saving time, reducing double-booking, and avoiding overstaffing or understaffing, among others. However, there are a few additional, less-obvious benefits that such solutions can provide.
As it becomes a centralised hub for your team's communication, insights, and file sharing, the roster-building software is more powerful than it is often credited. If you’re uncertain about whether your business requires such a solution, we would like to introduce you to some less obvious reasons in its favour.
When it comes to time off, it’s often a frustrating ordeal for both the employer and the shift worker. Surprisingly, many companies still do not utilise a designated holiday management system, opting to handle time-off-related affairs via emails, calls, or instant messengers. It’s little wonder that leave requests tend to be forgotten unless they’re pinned down in a centralised location. The good news is that if you obtain a shift scheduler, you won’t need to invest in a separate system for holiday management moving forward. Since time off is a crucial factor in scheduling worker shifts, most solutions come equipped with holiday management as a module.
Furthermore, some tools will enable you to create a customised approval process. For larger organisations, this is essential as leave requests often need to go to different approvers. Not only will it save time by taking employee absences into account when creating a new rota, but it will also provide a digital record of requests. In addition to longer leave, the system can assist you in managing sick leave and last-minute cancellations. Regarding the latter, it will also facilitate finding a replacement, thereby avoiding understaffing due to short notice. However, let’s discuss that further in the next section.
Every employer working on a shift basis has experienced the frustration of calling every available worker when the scheduled employee notifies them of their inability to attend just a few hours beforehand. Not only is this an inconvenient and time-consuming method of covering the shift, but it is also not always effective. Scheduling software streamlines the process, and depending on how you configure yours, you may not need to be involved at all.
Firstly, you’ll be promptly notified when the scheduled employee requests a short-notice leave. From there, you can easily allocate another worker to take over, triggering a notification to be sent to them. Alternatively, you can programme your solution (if such an option is supported) to notify all workers who are not rostered that day about a vacant shift. They can then log into the platform and claim it as theirs. Although this does not guarantee you will find coverage, both methods make it significantly faster and less involved to cover shifts, thus helping you avoid being understaffed.
There is another side to the coin regarding short notices. Employees receiving their schedules just a day before their shift is something many businesses do, although this is in no one’s best interest. The last-minute schedule can wreak havoc within the organisation, as it is a major reason behind employee dissatisfaction, which then leads to lateness, absenteeism, and a loss of interest in the job. Simply put, you need to practise what you preach. If you release shift schedules the night before the work needs to be done, you cannot expect your workers to inform you of their absence weeks in advance.
When you automate the schedule creation, it is generated and distributed on the same day, creating a consistent experience. Additionally, instead of worrying about whether you have sent out the latest version of an edited schedule to everyone, the software will notify your staff if any changes occur. Depending on the solution, you may even be able to connect it to your time tracking tool, thereby sending alerts to employees when they have not clocked in for any reason.
As you must have gathered from the previous points, utilising automated employee scheduling and time tracking software eliminates many bottlenecks in communication. You won’t have to chase your workers across different platforms to ensure they know when they’re scheduled, nor will you stress over whether they’ve received the latest version of the roster. Moreover, you won’t have to frantically call each employee for shift coverage when faced with short-notice absences.
A centralised platform will not only enhance communication between you and the workers but also improve interactions within the team itself. With visibility of each other’s availability, your employees will be able to communicate their personal circumstances more effectively and consequently create schedules that accommodate their colleagues’ needs. It will also grant them greater control over rota management, allowing them to decide among themselves and implement changes such as shift swapping and more.
When assembling a shift schedule manually, it’s very easy to accidentally assign some employees more hours than they should receive. While this may not be harmful as a one-off occurrence, if it happens consistently, the workers who are asked to contribute more work hours may become fatigued and start showing signs of burnout. Additionally, it can create a breeding ground for dissatisfaction among staff who, conversely, are not receiving enough hours—particularly if they are paid hourly. Overall, balance is crucial when it comes to creating a roster; however, achieving this in a timely manner while doing it manually is incredibly difficult.
An employee scheduling and time tracking software is not only capable of generating a schedule within seconds, but it is also equipped to strike the perfect balance every time. It takes into account all data that is inputted into it - from the minimum and maximum hours required per employee to their availability. Additionally, shift schedulers often utilise the data they collect: when your business is busiest, when it requires fewer staff on site, the best performance patterns on certain days, and much more.
Although no one will argue that employee scheduling and time tracking software is beneficial for businesses, many companies often underestimate how much they can gain from it. The reason is that the broader range of features it offers is frequently not immediately obvious. However, to achieve success and consistent growth, as well as to adapt to the ever-changing business landscape, organisations must consider the bigger picture.
An automated scheduling solution offers much more than mere convenience. The time it can save businesses is extremely valuable. Through further investigation, we present this article to illustrate that some software offerings are not always immediately apparent, as they provide long-term benefits. Always approach digital solutions with an open mind, and you will find that they can transform your business before you know it.
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