For companies and organizations with more than 50-100 employees it becomes critical to pay close attention on how many employees are scheduled at any given time.
For most, this is a cumbersome task, especially when keeping a complete schedule is a full-time job. Soon, other department needs are neglected and shift slots are not filled.
An obvious solution is to switch from manual processes to office hours scheduling software. An electronic system puts managers in charge of scheduling employee to work during regular office hours.
The employer that wisely connects the importance of a solid workforce with a simplified scheduling system will witness a reduction in administrative costs and increased profits. Here are the principles to consider when making a selection.
1. Reach Productivity Levels for Company Projects: The other connection to having a department fully staffed is meeting project deadlines without exception. Staffing levels are proportional to productivity levels. When more people are available for work, projects are completed faster and often under budget.
Additionally, businesses do not reject client work because they are staffed to take on more projects. Conversely, businesses that try to function with a lack of adequate manpower are unable to complete client work.
Reduced revenues and profit are a result of not having adequate productivity. In some cases, it could mean a business is unable to continue operating.
2. Adherence to Safety Policies and Regulations: Another concern about profits and productivity is whether employees follow safety policies. One injury could cause an employee to be absent for several months. During that time, the department will also suffer from this temporary loss unless the manager schedules a replacement.
It might be revealed that the injury could have been avoided if the employee was not overworked from excessive overtime hours. Fatigue is harmful to an employee’s performance because he or she becomes stress. Assigning workloads appropriately removes the risk of burnout and injury.
Employees can get help from coworkers if a work assignment is particularly challenging. They are also less likely to file workers’ comp claims or lawsuits.
3. More Options and Flexibility to Cover Shifts: The business has more options when managers use office hours scheduling software to assign shifts. Typically, there is flexibility in who covers certain shifts. People are willing to fill in during an unexpected absence because the burden is not placed on a few workers.
With enough people on staff, managers can build stronger teams for client projects. Most likely, managers have the right employees with the skills and abilities to tackle projects and problems. If not, the schedule reveals where more recruiting is needed.
Knowledgeable workers can share ideas and perspectives on doing good work better. As a result, the company remains competitive and innovative in the marketplace.
4. Maintain Good Customer Relations: Businesses are able to keep production and delivery deadlines with customers. Doing this consistently goes a long way toward maintaining good customer relationships. Obviously, customers are willing to trust the business with future project, which translates to more sales.
Keeping promises with customers reduces the possibility that businesses will pay fines and penalties that takes away profits.
5. Collect Workload Data and Determine Core Projects: Some businesses deal with seasonal trends where having a set number of full-time workers year round is not feasible. When the workload is static, keeping everyone on staff is a good decision.
However, if the department experiences several months of peak time work, managers will need to decrease staffing levels. Managers can determine the baseline level when workloads fluctuate.
Determining core and/or continuing projects is very helpful to this exercise. Even if work for one customer varies, having at least one permanent employee assigned to the project simply to please the customer.
Managers can also identify complex projects that require extensive training. It might become necessary to divert employees from a different department. This task is easy when the scheduling software program includes information on employee skills.
Does the Management Team Know if Enough Employees are Available for Work Schedules?
Working with a manual scheduling system may prohibit managers from knowing accessible skills in their department. While they believe they have enough employees, they may not know if those employees are equipped to perform certain tasks.
If this is the case, managers may consider providing cross-training opportunities. As long as training time does not take employees away from daily tasks for too long, management can save more. The cost of recruiting, hiring and training new employees is a costly undertaking.
On one hand, having too few employees can create expensive production delays. Factor in sick days, vacations and other types of absences and there might not be enough employees for daily operations.
On the other hand, too many employees also lead to unnecessary costs.
Somewhere in between is the right balance. Managers must identify appropriate levels to maximize revenues and minimize expenditures.
You May Also Like:
Employee vs. Contractor: How to Know What You’re Signing Up For
What is the Importance of Conducting an Employee Screening Search?
The Basics of Personal Injury Claims You Need to Know Before Taking Up a Construction Job
What are the Benefits of Implementing a Technology Roadmap?
5 Steps to Become a Modern and Successful Business