Scheduling has always been a daunting task for management and team leaders. One has to make sure they strike a balance between the needs of the employee and the company they work for. Scheduling is not just about having someone at work, it’s also about having them in the right state mentally, emotionally and physically well rested.
It has often been such a sensitive topic that tends to affect employee morale and productivity. An important thing to note is that a holiday schedule, for example, can make or break a business, while something as easily overlooked as split shifts tend to stress out employees more than team leaders realize.
On the other hand, good scheduling;
· Helps maintain the best talent; performers who feel disgruntled by the manner in which their superiors schedule their shifts are more likely to leave an organization, especially those with stronger résumés.
and;
· Improves relations between employer and employees
Here are some tips you can consider when scheduling your teams, as well as a few advantages that may arise from a great schedule;
1. Schedule up to three weeks in advance; this gives employees enough time to align their personal lives with work.
2. Allow employee self-scheduling; this helps enhance commitment, teamwork and brand loyalty
3. Consider employee skill; you need to take note of your employees’ capabilities and have the right skills manning each department or unit
4. Have a store plan and communicate in time
5. Consider employee contributions towards the schedule
6. Be proactive, not reactive; this is quite helpful during holidays when leaders consider using the previous year’s activity, among other things as a guideline for anticipated events
7. Maintain a skeleton staff; this basically means having a few people on standby in the event that those scheduled fail to pitch up for whatever reason
