Ensuring the Right Number of Workers on Every Shift
19 Sep, 2013 | Tags: Employee Schedule, Employee Scheduling, Employee Scheduling Software, Employees Schedules, Job Scheduling Software, Online Scheduler, Online Scheduling, Online Scheduling Software, Retail Scheduling, Schedule, Scheduling Software, Scheduling staff members, Shift Scheduling, Staff Scheduling, Web Scheduling Software, What Time do I Work, Whattimedoiwork.com, Work Scheduler, Work Scheduling
All businesses have both slow and busy seasons/days/hours, however retail companies are hit hardest by dramatic swings in customer traffic. It can be a struggle to create a schedule that includes the optimal coverage for every shift. You don’t want to schedule too many people during the slower times—that would be too costly to your bottom line. But you need to make sure enough personnel are on the floor during the busier times—ensuring your customers enjoy a pleasant shopping experience.
Guessing and estimating might work some days. Then again, “guestimating” might also miss the target entirely, leaving you grossly overstaffed on a slow day, or perilously understaffed on days that the barrage of customers walk through your doors needing assistance.
To get a clearer idea about when you need more or less staff, you can review sales reports. These documents enable you to see your busiest and slowest days/hours throughout the year. But that’s only one piece of the scheduling puzzle. You must also consider the availability of your staff, their preferred hours each week, and time-off requests. In addition, you need to ensure your employees are aware of the schedule (ahead of time), deal with scheduling conflicts, and eliminate overtime hours whenever possible. Juggling all these variables can significantly impact other important aspects of your business that require your attention.
A proven way to resolve all these problems is at your fingertips with online employee scheduling software. By storing all employee contact information, availability, and previous schedules in the cloud, you can quickly and easily create conflict-free schedules. Fortunately that solution is available today from WhatTimeDoIWork.com!
Here’s how it works.
- You start by entering all your employees’ names and departments, all in a single cloud-based location that you can access 24×7.
- Then, you create weekly schedules with easy-to-use web-based software.
- Once you’ve used the system for a while, you can run reports against the existing schedules to gather in-depth information about any day you choose. You can discover:
- Who worked what shifts
- How many workers were on the floor during any shift
- Overtime hours
- Busy days of the week/month
- Slow days of the week/month
Best of all, you can use the built-in reporting and analytics capabilities to predict the volume of business from one week/month/quarter to the next. Also with accurate forecasts in hand, you can make optimal schedules by having the right employees scheduled for the right shifts in the right place.
To discover for yourself just how much time and money you can save by using our web scheduling software, you can test drive it for free. There’s no obligation, and no credit card is required to sign up. For complete information on our web scheduling software, please visit https://www.whattimedoiwork.com/features/
Back-to-School Scheduling—Making the Adjustments
05 Sep, 2013 | Tags: Employee Schedule, Employee Scheduling, Employee Scheduling Software, Employees Schedules, Job Scheduling Software, Online Scheduler, Online Scheduling, Online Scheduling Software, Opening Checklist, Scheduling Software, Scheduling staff members, Shift Scheduling, Staff Scheduling, Web Scheduling Software, What Time do I Work, Whattimedoiwork.com, Work Scheduler, Work Scheduling
As we are now in September, students have one thing on their minds—going back to school. That means shopping for new clothes, book bags, notebooks, pens, pencils, and all manner of “school stuff.”
For personnel managers at educational facilities—elementary schools, vocational high schools, private high schools, colleges and universities—going back to school means something a little different. It means creating work schedules that accommodate fluctuating employee availability:
- Faculty and instructional personnel
- Aids and in-classroom assistants
- Executives, administrators, and managers
- Secretaries and clerks
- Technicians and para-professionals
- IT administrators
- Service and maintenance personnel
- Food services
- And many more
Your employees have busy lives outside of your school’s walls. They want to attend their children’s soccer games, ballet classes, and piano lessons. They need to take their kids to doctors and dentists. With so many employees and so many extra-curricular demands, it’s a constant battle to keep track of the requests for time off and preferred classes or shifts. Emails help, but not everyone follows that rule. You still receive some ad-hoc requests that all too often get lost or forgotten.
Rather than spend one more school year struggling with work scheduling, maybe the time is right to try a new solution that replaces traditional paper schedules with web-based online scheduling.
What Time Do I Work offers a comprehensive yet easy-to-use online scheduling solution that provides point-and-click simplicity. By storing all your employee’s names, emails, phone numbers, preferred shifts, and requested time off in one online location, we enable you to create a new schedule by simply moving time slots to the appropriate names on your schedule template. And if you happen to select a name for a time slot that the employee requested off, the software alerts you to the mistake immediately. To correct the error, you simply move the time slot to a different name. It’s just that easy to create a schedule.
When a schedule is completed to your satisfaction, click Send, and the schedule is automatically posted to the cloud and sent to all your employees via email or text. And because all employee information and schedules are stored in the cloud, they remain:
- Available 24×7 to you and your workers
- Protected against loss
- Well organized
- Updatable at any time, i.e., you can use an existing schedule to create a new one quickly and easily
For many clients, our advanced yet easy-to-use web scheduling software reduces the time required to create a weekly schedule by as much as 75%.
To discover for yourself just how much time and money you can save by using our web scheduling software, you can test drive it for free. There’s no obligation, and no credit card is required to sign up.
For complete information on our web scheduling software, please visit https://www.whattimedoiwork.com/features/.
Online Restaurant Scheduling Software Saves A Life …Literally!
27 Jun, 2013 | Tags: Employee Schedule, Employee schedule calendar, Employee Scheduling, Employee Scheduling Software, Employees Schedules, job schedule, Job Scheduling Software, Medical Scheduling, Medical Scheduling Software, online employee scheduling software, Online Restaurant Scheduling Software, online schedule, Online Scheduler, Online Scheduling, Online Scheduling Software, restaurant schedules, Retail Scheduling, Schedule, Scheduling, Scheduling Software, Shift Scheduling, Staff Scheduling, Staff Scheduling Software, Web Scheduling Software, What Time do I Work, Whattimedoiwork.com, Work Scheduler, Work Scheduling, Workforce Scheduling, workscheduling
Hundreds of thousands of robberies occur each year, and many of the criminals who commit these crimes target restaurants late at night. A lone manager with maybe a few employees at best, lots of cash, and the darkness of night to slip away into is an alluring temptation for these perpetrators. They enter the building after it’s closed to the public, hold any remaining people at gun point and demand all the cash and valuables that they can forcefully take.
Sometimes they leave without a shot fired, but other times the victims unfortunately turn out to be casualties. whether from being locked in an industrial refrigerator overnight so the criminals can get away unabated, or from violent assaults — through force or weaponry. Either way, it’s no secret to any restaurant manager that working late at night, alone in their business, can be a dangerous situation.
To my surprise, we were recently contacted by one of our clients, wanting to thank us for saving his life. Saving his life — seriously? I’ve always been very happy and proud to know that our online restaurant scheduling software makes our clients’ lives easier, but I never thought it would actually save a life!
He explained that he’s always had to stay at his restaurant all alone until quite late at night to complete the weekly work schedule. He had apparently done this for most of his career — until he signed up for our online restaurant scheduling software.
Two masked intruders, armed with shot guns, recently robbed his restaurant. When he and his owners later looked at the security cameras, they saw the two men violently breaking through doors and smashing everything in sight. At one point, when they were near his office, it appeared that the robbers heard a noise.
One of the men turned quickly and fired a shot.
“I normally would have been there alone, working on my schedule at the time of the robbery. I had only left moments earlier to work on it from home instead,” he told us, with growing emotion in his voice. “Instead of being the victim of a violent crime, I was home with my family because of your software.” At that point his appreciation and thankfulness poured out.
Online restaurant scheduling software not only allows you to create your schedules more efficiently from anywhere you please, but it also changes your life in ways you can’t even imagine.
Sign up for online restaurant scheduling software from www.whattimedoiwork.com today and enjoy the convenience of scheduling whenever and wherever you please. Cause it just might save your life someday!
Restaurant Employee Scheduling Software Proves Who The Real Liar Is!
25 Jun, 2013 | Tags: Employee Schedule, Employee schedule calendar, Employee Scheduling, Employee Scheduling Software, Employees Schedules, job schedule, Job Scheduling Software, Medical Scheduling, Medical Scheduling Software, online employee scheduling software, Online Restaurant Scheduling Software, online schedule, Online Scheduler, Online Scheduling, Online Scheduling Software, restaurant schedules, Retail Scheduling, Schedule, Scheduling, Scheduling Software, Shift Scheduling, Staff Scheduling, Staff Scheduling Software, Web Scheduling Software, What Time do I Work, Whattimedoiwork.com, Work Scheduler, Work Scheduling, Workforce Scheduling, workscheduling
Employees are constantly challenging their managers — pushing the limits of what they can get away with. They continuously keep managers and owners on their guard for the next scam being sent their way. They can have quite a gift for exaggeration and a flair for the dramatics when going down these paths. “Trust me!” is something I’ve heard time and time again.
After speaking with a former employee of many years ago, Tony, he mentioned one such incident that has always stuck in my mind — the day that our restaurant employee scheduling software proved he was not a liar.
He had a troublesome co-worker who was constantly trying to create a rift between him and his general manager in never-ending ploys to get what she wanted. Time and time again he would be put into frustrating situations when she would blatantly lie about issues that had no proof on either side. Each time these uncomfortable moments would occur, it would leave another scar on Tony’s name, ruining his reputation with his general manager and the owners as well. Even though Tony could not prove that he was telling the truth when explaining his side of the story, he also could not prove that the troublesome employee was lying either. The question would then remain with the general manager and owner as to who was the real liar and who was telling the truth.
One day his general manager approached him angrily, questioning his ability to follow the requests in their restaurant employee scheduling software, and why he had scheduled the troublesome employee for a shift that she had requested off weeks in advance of the schedule being made. Confused and bewildered, he explained that he had acknowledged all the requests that were in the scheduling software, but the general manager replied that he had looked in the system already and saw that the request was in there, but had not been acknowledged.
Of course the employee did not show up to her shift that day because of this apparent mistake, which created a chaotic day for the rest of the staff and management as they struggled to meet the demands of the business in her absense. Feeling that he had made an error, Tony humbly appologized and felt the growing distrust in his reputation. Unfortunately for the troublesome employee, though, the situation resurfaced again under different circumstances.
In the next manager meeting, the owner showed up, also angry with what had occurred. He questioned Tony’s motives behind scheduling the employee, and explained how the employee had approached him as well about the issue. Thinking quickly, he replied, “Let me take a look at this request,” and quickly ran to the office to open up the restaurant employee scheduling software.
To his surprise and relief, Tony finally got the opportunity he deserved. The employee in question had submitted her request the very morning of the shift in question. She missed the shift for her own reasons and only put the request in a day before complaining about the problem to the general manager and owner — in an attempt to absolve herself of her own guilt. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her, there is a time stamp on each request, and the restaurant employee scheduling software recorded the exact time that the request was made, proving that she had blatently lied about the situation.
With great pride, Tony returned to the meeting and made his own request. He said, “would you all please come to the office and take a look at this request?” Apologies were made, Tonys reputation was restored and the troublesome employee was reprimanded the very next day.
Tell us your story about how whattimedoiwork.com’s restaurant employee scheduling software has kept things fair in your workplace.
4 Ways To Be A Better Boss
18 Jun, 2013 | Tags: Employee Schedule, Employee schedule calendar, Employee Scheduling, Employee Scheduling Software, Employees Schedules, job schedule, Job Scheduling Software, Medical Scheduling, Medical Scheduling Software, online employee scheduling software, Online Restaurant Scheduling Software, online schedule, Online Scheduler, Online Scheduling, Online Scheduling Software, restaurant schedules, Retail Scheduling, Schedule, Scheduling, Scheduling Software, Shift Scheduling, Staff Scheduling, Staff Scheduling Software, Web Scheduling Software, What Time do I Work, Whattimedoiwork.com, Work Scheduler, Work Scheduling, Workforce Scheduling, workscheduling
Utilizing Employee Scheduling Software Allows You to be a Better Boss!
Did you know woes in the workplace are costing employers $360 billion per year? In a 2012 study, positive business expert Michelle McQuaid reported that more than half of the employees polled thought they would be more successful in their careers if they got along better with their bosses. Thirty-one percent of those polled said they feel uninspired and unappreciated by their bosses, and almost 20 percent said their bosses have little-to-no integrity. This lack of morale is taking a toll on both employees and their bosses, with productivity and the bottom line taking a big hit.
Employee scheduling software can keep bosses from becoming another statistic. Here’s how:
1. Encourage effective communication.
Employee scheduling software allows managers to input their employees’ requests and restrictions – such as their weekly availabilities, vacation days, etc. In order to enter that information into the system, though, employees have to communicate those needs to their bosses.
This practice not only encourages employees to keep in constant communication, which will help to avoid misunderstandings, but also encourages them to take responsibility and initiative in order to get their preferences, rather than acting passive aggressively.
In settings that don’t use scheduling software, employees may be too shy or afraid to confront their boss about the hours that he or she has given them. But when software is used for the schedule, employees can simply update their information in the system and avoid those uncomfortable situations.
2. Eliminate feelings of favoritism or nepotism.
Bosses who lack integrity and have unfair practices, like playing favorites, don’t have much respect from their employees. And workers are less likely to perform tasks if they don’t respect the person they are performing them for. Bosses who engage in questionable practices are also sending a message to their employees that it is okay for them to do the same.
Employees will have a hard time placing blame on bosses who use employee scheduling software, since every employee now has an equal opportunity to input their preferences into the system, despite how much interaction time they have with their boss. Ultimately this will result in employees that won’t be able to hold grudges or have disdain for their boss anymore, for a schedule they deem unfair or unfavorable.
3. Keep organized, and in turn, keep your employees organized.
Workplaces are filled with employees who lack direction because disorganized leaders don’t deliver and manage plans and strategies to guide their teams.
Disorganized leaders breed disorganized workers. Without management plans, well-planned schedules and strategies, workplaces can become a wreck. Posting a timely, orderly schedule each week created by employee scheduling software encourages employees to also be timely and orderly.
Not to mention, time that bosses once spent creating the schedule can be concentrated on making other areas of their business as organized as the schedules.
4. Boost their morale.
After leaving all the heavy lifting of the scheduling process to the software, bosses will have more time to be with their employees. Spending more time together allows bosses to get to know their employees on a personal level and vice versa. From a personal standpoint, showing your employees you care about them makes them more likely to feel appreciated – and in turn, motivated. From a business standpoint, the more you know about your employees, the more familiar you will be with their strengths and weaknesses.
Let’s face it – you can’t make everyone happy. But with employee scheduling software, you can come a lot closer.
