How to create efficient work schedules to maximize profits

How to create an employee work schedule for maximum performance

Time is money. And, like poets say, it runs inexorably. Time spent in management directly affects the attainment of a company’s goals, hence its relevance in the economic and commercial sphere.

Optimizing human resources to get the most out of time is key for the productivity of the company. To achieve this, it is necessary to understand how to create employee work schedules efficiently.

The schedule puzzle

Schedule management is not easy. In the past, working culture was only on-site and with fixed schedules. This type of business “attitude” did not produce the desired results.

Work exhaustion, excessive unproductive hours or poor staff organization are aspects that, clearly, only produce chaotic results.

Creating an employee work schedule can be a complex and tedious task that, when done correctly, generates better customer experiences and more effective human resources.

Clinging to outdated models of traditional task planning is clearly a mistake. The important thing is to have a method to flexibly and optimally manage and schedule employees shifts and tasks.

The importance of an adequate scheduling system

Let’s take a look at a simple example:

In the company Delivery there are a total of 12 workers for the packaging and distribution departments. Six staff members work in the morning and six in the afternoon, distributed equally between both shifts.

The packaging volume requires 4 workers in the morning shift and 2 in the afternoon shift, while delivery requires 2 workers in the morning shift and 5 in the afternoon shift.

Clearly, the company does not have the necessary staff to cover the needs of parcel management and, moreover, they are distributed irregularly.

When it comes to delivery service, not having the necessary staff at the right times can delay delivery times, worsening the customer service and production levels. 

Naturally, the solution is to create schedules for employees that are appropriate for the volume of work in each shift and to incorporate a worker in the afternoon shift.

This example is simple, but staff management does not always follow such simple criteria. There are other determining factors: reductions in working hours, hourly contracts and many other factors that make work schedules less strict and linear.

The importance of time flexibility in the creation of work schedules

Default scheduling is no longer effective.

The new criteria of business organization and operations, in addition to the recent ways of working: short shifts, continuous working hours, and working remotely, make it necessary to have flexible schedules.

Creating employee work schedules that adapt to the needs of the company and the ones of employees to optimise productivity and corporate performance have led to a new concept: the emotional wage.

The implementation of measures to obtain labour welfare results in a very positive business balance: employees with less stress, more satisfied, more committed to their jobs and, therefore, more productive.

The efforts the company takes to adapt the company needs to the staff’s personal circumstances produces greater satisfaction than the salary itself. Moreover, a satisfied employee will have a better performance which will result in increased sales and an improved customer service.

The variety of jobs, as well as adapting to employees’ circumstances results in a need for better shift planning that is lacking in traditional organizing methods.

Check out: the importance of employee scheduling for employee engagement 

How to create efficient schedules for employees

We are talking about creating work schedules that result in more efficient and ultimately productive workdays, with opportunities to increase sales and improve customer service. The following steps are fundamental when making schedules for employees:

1. A previous analysis of tasks

A good method for making effective work schedules not only addresses a question of allocation of active hours, but of a strict assessment of the amount of time a task needs to be done correctly. 

Managing schedules at the highest level of efficiency implies analysing patterns in projects, so that the tool used for this purpose is a practical resource that provides you with all the information.

2. Schedule working hours in advance

Make work schedules and assign them weekly by means of a criterion of rotations or needs, in a way agreed with the employees will avoid absences or needs of modification when adapting to a real forecast.

3. Be flexible when managing schedules

With more diverse work shifts it is easier to solve eventualities than with two or three shift models, while supporting family reconciliation. In addition, these will allow you to have a longer and more continuous working day entirely covered by the staff.

When changing shifts and requesting days off, it is convenient that employees have tools at their disposal such as an employee app to modify their shifts by themselves, reducing time waste and ensuring that these changes cover the staff needs in the store.

Additionally, a business open for longer hours allows for better customer acquisition and retention by adapting to all their schedules.

4. Organizing workers based on their skills

Having a specialist at all times allows us to cover all services without having to neglect a client or paralyze a whole task.

Implementing “Presence Control” 

Real-time verification of shifts is as simple as having a time and attendance tracking system that reflects the actual working hours of each staff member.

5. Having the right technology

ORQUEST offers a retail workforce management workforce that will allow you to configure work shifts, assign schedules, optimize the organization of tasks and improve, by definition, the work system of your company.

With our comprehensive service you will be able to create employee work schedules with maximum efficiency. 

We have the answers to all your questions. Combine the best technology with the most qualified staff and obtain the solutions to staff management processes.

Each area of your company will benefit, incorporating task automation and improving productivity by minimizing errors.