How Scheduling Optimization Can Better Employee Experience

Despite the blow dealt to many organizations by the pandemic, leaders in their market displayed resilience throughout and continue to do so during the ongoing recovery period. Not just a fluke, the businesses that are thriving have a few themes in common:
 

• Access to technology that enable a quick pivot in a rapidly changing business climate
• The ability to easily comply with changing guidelines
• Loyal and engaged employees that keep operations running smoothly
• Adoption of new ways to provide an attentive, yet safe, customer experience

It’s clear that employees are at the heart of these themes, and the right employee scheduling practices can have a very meaningful and positive impact across the board. That’s why if you are considering any digital transformation right now, an automated and thoughtful approach to employee scheduling should be at the top of your list.
 

Schedule Optimization to Respond Quickly When Disruption or Opportunity Strikes

We all know that “hindsight is 20/20,” and the beauty of this rear-view mirror perspective is that it drives smarter decisions today and into the future, helping us duplicate and refine positive results and avoid repeating past mistakes.

A modern approach to employee scheduling will leverage emerging technology like AI and machine learning to surface and evaluate historical data against emerging trends to ensure labor demand forecasts reflect the current business climate. However, in addition to historical data, schedule optimization must take into account outlying events and disruptions that could result in inaccurate predictions—suggesting that human logic may still play a fundamental role.
 

Simplify Compliance and Maintain Your Brand Equity

Non-compliance with everchanging labor laws and union and collective bargaining agreements can be expensive—from the cost of litigation, fines, and penalties to the potential damage to your brand should accusations be made publicly. It can diminish employee engagement and make it difficult to attract and retain top talent. Leaving compliance to chance with manual scheduling processes can place your organization at high risk if you can’t prove compliance with work hour limits, fair and predictive scheduling guidelines, and minimum employee qualifications.

When employee needs are being met, providing a work/life balance that works for them, they will be happier. That can translate into increased productivity and stronger loyalty to their employer. A modern approach to scheduling should provide employers with the ability to check in and communicate with their employees to ensure they aren’t over-worked or dissatisfied with the shifts they are assigned. Pre-emptive alerts can warn employers of any potential violations or contractual constraints, balancing the needs of employees with the organization’s business goals.
 

Boosting Employee Engagement Benefits Everyone

According to a recent Gallup report, business or work units where employee engagement is high are 21% more profitable. That’s a staggering number. Unfortunately, the same report states that 85% of employees are not engaged, which means businesses are rarely reaching their full potential for profitability.

Record numbers of employees are quitting their jobs in 2021 in what has been dubbed “The Great Resignation”—and compensation isn’t the main reason they are leaving.  Employees want to feel appreciated, have opportunity for growth, and be able to achieve a work/life balance.

In addition to the financial gains for your organization, optimized scheduling has a positive impact on employee experience factors, like showing commitment to employee development by pairing top performers with new or less experienced workers to promote cross-training and mentorship. Early access to planned schedules enables employees to coordinate personal and professional commitments, while the right tools can allow employees to independently resolve last-minute conflicts between scheduled work and personal obligations.
 

Improve employee experience to improve customer experience

According to the aforementioned Gallup report, businesses in the top quartile of employee engagement reported on average 10% higher customer ratings and 20% higher sales—meaning the boost in employee engagement you achieve will also translate to an improved customer experience.

Don’t miss the opportunity to improve customer experience; instead, evaluate schedules against in-store data and plan according to peaks and lulls in traffic patterns, seasonal trends, and employee qualifications to complete necessary tasks.

Schedule a demo to learn more about how WorkForce Scheduling can optimize your workforce and improve the employee experience.