Searching for an employee scheduling app can be a daunting task. Every provider has a laundry list of features that they claim will help your organization. But what features should you prioritize in your search? This will be a different answer depending on your type of organization and how you schedule. Make sure to speak to a specialist and tell them of your unique needs. After 13 years of providing solutions to even the most complex scheduling challenges, SubItUp has compiled the most common features that help organizations be more efficient in their scheduling processes.
Auto-Generation
The overall goal of your search is most likely to maximize efficiency to spend less time, and in turn money, scheduling your staff. The single best way to accomplish this goal is to select a platform that features a robust auto-generation tool, complete with machine learning. A great auto-generation tool will take the rules and procedures that you have set for your staff and combine them with data that the system has learned over time (such as if a potential employee is more likely to drop this specific shift) to produce a maximized schedule in just a few minutes. The amount of time you will spend scheduling will decrease exponentially!
Social Scheduling
Not only should you be looking to maximize efficiency in schedule creation, but also with ongoing schedule management. Those without scheduling software can be overwhelmed by calls, emails and texts from employees requesting a shift or coverage change.
To solve these issues, find a tool that puts the onus on the employee to easily add, drop or swap shifts when needed. You can even enable the necessity for managers to approve all shift change requests, so they can make sure the right people are covering the right shifts.
Set Your Own Scheduling Parameters
Everyone has some unique features that need to be built into their schedule. Whether it's varying maximum hours per week per employee or needing at least a 12-hour buffer between shifts, find a solution that allows for maximized customization in the schedule creation process.
Easy-To-Use App
Your employee's satisfaction (and, in turn, retention rate) will not be determined by bells and whistles. Staff will want an easy-to-use and functional mobile app that can be accessible on all their devices. Instant access to their schedule is something that present-day staff not only need, but also expect to have. Supplying this information to them in an easily digestible way is crucial to staff retention and satisfaction.
Eliminate Human Error
Scheduling conflicts can create major problems and reduce employee retention if you are not currently using an employee scheduling software. Nothing can put a dent in employee satisfaction like constantly being scheduled over-lapping shifts that are impossible to work or being scheduled on a day off. Find a solution that will actively stop these issues from happening and will actively prevent double-bookings and overtime issues. The ideal platform will also not show available shifts to employees that have an overlapping shift. Eliminating human error is one of the absolute top reasons that more organizations are turning toward employee scheduling software.
Robust Reporting Capability
Reporting is the lifeblood of many organizations. Being able to run real-time labor reports and labor projections can help your team budget for the future. Also, consider the time savings of exporting your payroll data and being able to upload it directly into your payroll provider's platform.
Time and Attendance Tracking
While creating and managing your schedule is a crucially important part of managing your workforce, what if your scheduling software could track time and attendance as well? Does a one-stop-shop for all your workforce management needs sound too good to be true? Imagine tying your schedule to your time clock and ensuring your staff clocks in and out only when they should be. There are products that can expertly handle these tasks, so be sure to add this to your list of must-haves.
Messaging
A common issue in many organizations is communication. Between employees not communicating appropriately and managers not using an effective method to reach staff in a timely manner, communication can be greatly improved across the board. Be on the lookout for a scheduling software that includes a robust communication platform that will allow communication via texting, emails and in-platform messaging. This will tie your messages to the schedule and allow for greater efficiency in communication all around.
If you'd like to see where SubItUp stands with these must-have features and how you can maximize efficiency with workforce management software, contact a Product Specialist today.
