Rostering employees can be a daunting task for managers. Here’s a detailed look at top concerns and how the right workforce management solutions can address them.
1. Fairness in Rostering
Fairness and perceived fairness are substantially important to employees. Our Third Annual Employee Experience Study revealed that 62% of dissatisfied employees don’t see their rosters more than a week in advance, and 41% can’t swap shifts with other employees. Additionally, practices such as on-call shifts, clopening shifts (where employees close at night and open the next morning), and rotating shifts disturb work-life balance. This dissatisfaction can lead to higher turnover rates and lower employee morale.
Solution: Employee rostering software ensures fair and transparent rostering by automating shift assignments and accommodating employee preferences and availability. Automation allows employees to see their rosters in advance, reduces biases, and helps keep a more equitable work environment.
2. Employee Fatigue
Whilst being a hard worker is the mark of an excellent employee, fatigue is not a virtue. Unfair rosters, sizable task loads, or disengagement can all lead to employee fatigue. Tired employees are more prone to making mistakes, being late, and feeling generally unhappy, affecting overall productivity and safety at the workplace.
Solution: Implementing workforce management software for effective labour forecasting can alleviate employee fatigue. Managers can use the data to look ahead and prevent rostering employees for back-to-back shifts or excessive hours, ensuring they have adequate rest between shifts. Using labour forecasting software promotes a healthier, more productive workforce.
3. Manual Rostering Processes
Manually processing employee rostering requests consumes valuable time managers could otherwise spend on strategic tasks like developing team skills. Many (40%) employees still need to contact their managers via email, SMS, or messaging platforms to obtain roster information.
Solution: Automating this process with workforce management software frees up time for managers. It allows them to allocate their efforts towards more impactful activities, thus accelerating business growth and enhancing employee development.
4. Budget Management
Managing budgets whilst ensuring compliance with labour laws is another significant challenge. Miscalculations in overtime pay can result in legal consequences and financial losses for companies.
Solution: Comprehensive workforce compliance software can help managers comply with labour laws and manage budgets effectively. The software minimizes financial risks and ensures accurate pay by correctly calculating overtime and other wage components.
5. Anticipating Rostering Needs
Accurately predicting staffing needs during fluctuating periods, like during events or peak seasons, is difficult without precise data and effective analysis.
Solution: Utilizing labour forecasting software can greatly enhance the accuracy of rostering. These solutions analyse historical data and apply algorithms to forecast future staffing needs. Labour forecasting software helps businesses prepare for demand surges, ensuring they are adequately staffed.
6. Filling Shifts for Unplanned Absences
Managers often struggle to fill shifts when employees call off on short notice, disrupting operations and affecting customer service and productivity.
Solution: Absence and leave management solutions provide real-time updates and allow for quick resource reallocation. The software can find available employees who can cover shifts, minimizing disruptions and maintaining smooth operations even during unexpected absences.
7. Maximizing Labour Productivity
Improving workforce productivity means having the right people in the right place at the right time is crucial for maximizing labour productivity. However, manually managing this is nearly impossible due to the sheer number of variables involved.
Solution: Employee productivity and labour tracking use advanced algorithms to minimize administrative tasks, optimize staffing, and offer workforce data insights to enable more intelligent decision-making. This allows managers to better understand employee needs and ensure that each shift is staffed with employees who are best suited for the tasks at hand, increasing productivity and maximizing ROI.
Overcoming Rostering Challenges
Leveraging modern workforce management solutions like WorkForce Suite equips managers to overcome common rostering challenges. These solutions ensure fair rostering, reduce employee fatigue, streamline manual processes, manage budgets effectively, anticipate staffing needs, fill unexpected absences, and maximize labour productivity.
Implementing these innovative solutions allows managers to focus on critical aspects of business growth and employee development. For more information on how WorkForce Software can help your organisation, visit our website, or contact us for a demo. Embrace the future of workforce management and stop stressing over rostering challenges today.
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