Most management teams strive for the perfect schedule in their industry, yet very few actually achieve that perfection. The technology we have today makes scheduling as easy as possible. In fact, it’s easier than it ever has been, and yet so many people forget this. Whether you are using scheduling apps or an online calendar, you must work with your employees so that everyone is working together in harmony.
You can use free scheduling software to get your employees working at the same rate or ensure that you are using the right planning. But, no matter what you do, you need to learn how to schedule your team properly to keep your business moving forward. With this in mind, we’ve got some epic tips to help you schedule your team better with this in mind.
- Get to know your team. Do you have an office full of early risers, or do you have a team of people who prefer home working? It doesn’t really matter either way; you need to ensure that you know your team and how best they work. All they’re concerned with is making sure that they can work as well as possible. On the other hand, some businesses set a schedule and expect their staff to stick within its parameters without considering the people they hire in the first place. When you get to know your team, you can mix and match their skills and personality types and give them the flexibility that they need to do well.
- Build your shifts around your employees. You know who your best employees are and so you should work with them at their best times of the day. You can then learn which time they are best suited for work. You want to make sure that your employees work to their best efficiency levels, so if you angle your employees to work at their best times of the day, you will encourage a better work ethic and happier staff.
- Get everyone talking. One of the best ways to schedule your team is with a team-wide communication method. Whether you are all logging onto Zoom or you’re all using an instant chat, you need to think about ensuring that you are all working as one group and not just as individuals. Scheduling is much easier if communication is shared in the right way.
- Keep shifts announced early. Notice is key for people to work efficiently, and keeping your shift schedules sent out regularly will help you keep staff updated. Finalizing and distributing schedules is far easier when you know your staff has wiggle room to change their shifts. Get the schedule out quickly and make sure that your staff is all aware of their obligations. You also give them as much notice as they need to make changes.
- Be okay with work preferences. At its most basic, being flexible with your staff is important for a happy team happy with their working schedule. It’s an important part of the scheduling process that you are good with the preferences of your employees. They will work happier and work better if you are considerate of their personal scheduling issues.
- Get your employees to pitch in. One of the easiest ways to get your work schedule right is to schedule your own work together. This will eliminate the need for you to tell people what to do – they can work it out for themselves.
- Make a chart. You can really make a difference to your staff if you have the schedule open on the board and ready for people to read when they need it. Sometimes, your employees can cover each other’s shifts when they know what’s going on. Emergencies come up, and life happens, but instead of leaving it to chance that someone will cover it, you can all see the schedule and work it properly so that you can always have a full roster of staff.
- Always have a backup. The best plans will always go awry if you put them into place, so you should always have a backup plan. Setting up a list of part-time workers on whom you can rely is vital for the continued running of your business. A backup will ensure that your scheduling is perfect, as if something goes wrong and a shift cannot be covered, a backup will help you where you need them to.
