For small business owners, creating employee shift schedules is like working on a puzzle. This isn't just a time-filling job. Schedules need to be consistent, mindful, and functional. But for small business owners, coordinating team schedules can take up a lot of time, creating a headache that feels like there's no solution.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Team scheduling It doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming.
Let's take a look at some common pitfalls when it comes to team scheduling and how Homebase can simplify the process, making it quick and easy so you can tackle the more pressing needs of your business.
What is team scheduling and why is it important?
Team scheduling, as the name suggests, involves creating long-term schedules, such as weekly, biweekly, monthly, or quarterly, to understand how often your employees work.
Employee tracking and scheduling is important for functional and organizational reasons. It would be great if you could ask your employees how often and when they want to work and stick to that schedule, but life (and other people) doesn't really work that way. Team scheduling is an important tool for understanding how much time and wages are spent on labor. Historical patterns of coverage required each year. Maintain a single source of information for management and employees to see when and how often they are working.
Beware of headaches and complications with team scheduling
In a perfect business world, adjusting employee schedules would be easy. We all know that things tend to get in the way in the real world. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the stress factors associated with having the right people in your business, and we'll discuss them as well.
Here are some headaches and complications to be aware of and avoid when scheduling your employees.
Balance your budget and coverage needs
Labor costs must fit within your budget. It's simple and clear. The main way scheduling becomes a hassle is by putting in more effort than the budget allocated for that week or schedule period.
For example, let's say you scheduled two additional people for your coverage needs, but forgot to check the time and amount allocated for that period. Plus, it turns out we don't need that many people anyway since it's low season. That means you'll have to redo schedules, cleverly remove shifts, and solve puzzles to finally create a schedule that has everything your business needs. In fact, this can affect employee morale. If employees feel their shifts are being taken away because their schedules don't match the budget, they may feel undervalued.
When planning your schedule, consider your budget to avoid duplicative or unnecessary coverage mistakes.
Sufficient team support is possible even during busy periods
While ensuring labor costs are in line with budget concerns, it can also cause headaches if schedules don't account for busy seasons. Having to ask employees to come to work at unscheduled times can feel like pulling teeth.
Avoid this problem by anticipating what you will need. For example, if you know your peak season will be right before a major holiday, factor in the cost to ensure you're properly covered. Running a business with a thin, distributed team can be stressful for any business owner. It takes a knack to create a functional and effective team schedule, while staying within the budget and anticipating the demands of customers and guests.
Leave such as sick leave or vacation
Everyone needs a break at some point. Employee leave can be scheduled as personal leave, vacation time, or unexpected leave such as sickness or employee absence. Whatever the reason for the gap in employee availability or coverage, adjusting schedules to account for it can be a pain.
To avoid complications and ensure proper coverage if your employees take personal leave or vacation, ask them to communicate their dates well in advance of the schedule. Short notice is not helpful and often creates complications when coordinating team schedules. Consider your schedule framework. If the schedule consists of his two-week working hours, the employee should apply for personal days and vacations well in advance so that he does not have trouble organizing availability at the last minute. must be submitted.
When it comes to employee sickness and absence, there are ways to avoid a lack of compensation, such as scheduling an hour or two of overlap between the first and second shifts. That way, if an employee is late or gets sick, there is someone available to handle the work until someone is called.
lack of communication
Nothing complicates the situation more than poor communication. Employees rely on owners and managers to schedule shifts around their availability, and small businesses often rely on employees to decide their own schedules and show up to work on time. I need it. It sounds simple, but it is often misunderstood and misunderstood, causing unnecessary frustration.
Maintain open communication about schedules with your team members. For example, use software that can alert you when: they are scheduled. Follow up as needed, but simplify the process of communicating the schedule so you and your team are all on the same page.
Tips to simplify team scheduling
Now that you know the common mishaps to avoid when scheduling employees, here are some tips to help you schedule quickly and smoothly.
- Understand exactly what you need in terms of workforce. Your workforce needs Important parts of a business plan We have already outlined it. For small business owners, this shouldn't change much outside of the busy season of the year. This should be planned in as much detail as possible to avoid complications.
- Collect PTO requests and availability. Collect and centrally manage holiday requests using team scheduling tools.
- Get employee scheduling software. Gone are the days of working with spreadsheets to manually create and track employee shifts. Get employee scheduling software that lets you create or copy schedules with all employee information, including availability, in one place.
- Allow employees to handle shift changes themselves. Empower and empower employees swap shifts each other. Instead of responding to all of these requests directly, you can approve them from a central scheduling tool.
What to look for in employee scheduling software
Find the tool that suits your needs. Not the other way around.search employee scheduling software Not only does this work to keep team scheduling as quick and easy as possible, but it also makes sure it's integrated into other important parts of your business and employee experience.
home base Schedule team members quickly and easily. Use Homebase to communicate with your employees by sending notifications when new schedules are announced or when something changes. Allow your employees to use her Homebase to process their own shift exchanges and approve everything from the same app. At home base, time clock tool This makes it easier to handle timesheets, Payroll calculation Easy to navigate.
Homebase is an employee scheduling software that meets your needs, not your mold.
simplify the complex
Technology has helped streamline the team's schedule. Getting your team's schedule right can be complicated, but it doesn't have to be a hassle. It's fulfilling to work on a puzzle and put all the pieces in the right place. Make it your team's schedule reality.
Get started with Homebase for free today.