If you’re the manager of a business with employees, you know how hard it can be to schedule everyone’s shifts correctly. The staff may not want to work on certain days, or you may need extra employees to cover peak hours when your business sees an influx of customers.
And if someone calls in sick, scheduling an emergency replacement could prove difficult if you don’t have the time to go through the employee files manually and cross-reference them with open shift times. Luckily, there are employee scheduling apps that can streamline this process and make your job easier than ever before.
1) Automatic updates and reminders
Once you sign up for an employee scheduling app, every member of your team is immediately updated with open shifts and appointment availability. Managers can access shift changes on their schedule from anywhere using a mobile device, tablet, or computer.
Using employee scheduling software is one of those small business tasks that you should never have to worry about again. Shift reminders are sent out automatically by email and text, keeping everyone informed about changes in shifts at all times.
Whether it’s adding or removing employees from specific shifts or modifying their attendance, these reminders help make sure your workers get notified as soon as possible, even if they don’t check their schedules daily or have forgotten to enter them into their calendar.
2) Automated schedule adjustments
It’s no secret that automated employee scheduling helps businesses avoid crunch time by making sure they always have enough employees to handle a sudden rush of customers. But even though it can be really helpful, many business owners don’t realize that it can also make their everyday lives easier by giving them more control over scheduling.
For example, you might use it to set extra coverage for certain days or hours and adjust your schedule throughout the week as needed. The result is fewer last-minute changes and less scrambling when things don’t go according to plan!
And with a bit of forward-thinking and planning, you can also set up automated schedule adjustments so your employees are scheduled for as much work as possible during busy times—without taking on unnecessary expenses during slower times.
3) Free up time for employees
By implementing a scheduling app, you free up employees’ time and allow them to focus on doing their best work. Moreover, employees can access their schedules from anywhere at any time, and they can check updates with one simple click.
A scheduling app also streamlines your business by enabling managers to post schedules in real-time. If your team is constantly changing its schedule or needs to reschedule frequently, using a scheduling app will help keep everyone informed and provide your employees with more stability.
The Bottom Line
The most important consideration when determining whether an employee scheduling app is right for your business is making sure it can work with your existing systems and help increase efficiency. When you’re just starting out, that means a lot of manual entry; an automated system will save time down the road when you’re working with a more complex schedule.
If you want to save money on employee payroll costs and avoid having to hire another full-time member of staff to handle your scheduling, consider trying an employee scheduling app as part of your back-office software suite.
