When you run a shift-based business, you’ve got a lot on your plate. From juggling demand with staffing and controlling costs, to keeping your teams happy with reliable schedules and balanced shifts, the work doesn’t stop.
And smart staff scheduling is a key challenge for many businesses—62% of employees don’t have solid schedules, while 80% would feel more loyal to their employers if they had more flexible schedules. Rushed and unpredictable schedules are a surefire way to create low employee morale and turnover in your business.
That’s where a workforce management solution comes in.
It’s not about filling empty spots in your schedule; it’s about creating a positive work environment and driving employee engagement through scheduling that works for your team and your business.
With the right solution, you can improve employee turnover, morale, and your bottom line.
Unpredictable scheduling is a recipe for low morale
For both shift workers and managers, unpredictable schedules can greatly impact how people feel about their work. Every last-minute change and messy schedule create confusion and frustration—and that means lower morale and higher burnout.
Not only that, but the time managers spend fixing schedules or juggling shift swaps can lead to higher labor costs that are tough to recover from.
There are four easy ways you can create more predictable schedules that build confidence (and protect your budget).
Give your team visibility into schedules with Deputy Scheduling, which lets you share schedules and automatically notify employees, so everyone’s in the loop.
Use Shift Swap to empower teams to swap or claim open shifts, so managers don’t over or understaff shifts. Flexible scheduling accommodates your team’s lifestyle, while more accurate scheduling can help reduce labor costs.
Everyone can stay up to date with schedules and changes with Deputy Messaging, which encourages open communication and helps prevent confusion and frustration.
To keep scheduling fair and accurate across the board, Deputy’s Demand Forecasting provides managers with insights into both scheduling data and costs, enabling them to adjust schedules based on business trends, staffing needs, sales data, labor percentages, employee feedback, and more.
When employees know their schedules and can rely on them, morale rises, leading to better performance that benefits both your customers and your business.
Stronger teams and better results with fair scheduling
When employees know what to expect at work, they show up more engaged and satisfied with every shift. Smart staff scheduling helps create predictability for everyone, especially when staff have a say in their schedules.
Research from SHRM found that predictable, flexible scheduling is one of the top retention practices businesses can follow—in addition to offering consistent hours week to week, and incorporating employee feedback.
But retention isn’t the only upside to creating fairer schedules; in many US cities, it’s actually the law, making predictable scheduling a must. Smart staff scheduling makes it easier for managers and team leads to navigate Fair Work Week laws, such as keeping secure records of compliance, and providing employees with advanced notice of shifts.
To put this into practice in your own business, here are simple tips to follow:
Let staff set or submit preferred shift times and availability before you build your schedules.
Try micro-scheduling, which can help balance coverage with flexibility; for example, managers can schedule shorter shifts around busy periods, giving employees the shifts they prefer (while still keeping labor costs in check).
Encourage workers to manage their own shifts when they want to swap or claim extra shifts, for more flexibility in scheduling.
Share schedules early so teams know what to expect for upcoming shifts; if or when employees need to call out sick or trade shifts, they’ll have the notice they need, so no shift goes understaffed.
Share and communicate changes right away, so everyone’s informed and there’s no confusion around shift coverage.
Recognize the people behind every great shift by giving shoutouts and kudos to your teams. It’s an easy way to share appreciation and strengthen your workplace culture.
Smart staff scheduling just makes sense
One of the most effective ways to reduce labor costs is to improve scheduling, not just because it optimizes your budget, but also because it helps ensure that no one’s overworked or underused. Matching staffing to demand can help prevent burnout, reduce overtime, and improve employee morale.
It’s why more shift-based businesses are adopting workforce management solutions. Employees get fairer, more predictable schedules; managers can cut hours spent on manual scheduling, and you get peace of mind that you’re not overspending on labor.
For example, employee scheduling software lets you:
Plan for peaks in demand so managers can build more predictable schedules that balance staff with demand and support labor cost reductions.
Leverage analytics and insights to spot trends, gaps, and potential issues with scheduling that can lead to costly staffing decisions and unfair shifts.
Collect feedback and performance data from shifts so managers know what works, what doesn’t, and the tweaks they need to make to schedules.
Smarter scheduling makes it easier to balance efficiency with empathy—when teams feel supported, and schedules reflect demand, it becomes more natural to create schedules that work for everyone.
How you can get started with smart staff scheduling
Creating more effective, predictable schedules is great for both your people and your bottom line, but it doesn’t have to be complicated! With a few simple practices, you can support your teams while driving efficiency across your business.
Start with asking employees for feedback—what’s working, and what’s not?
Utilize an employee scheduling software to consolidate scheduling and communication in one place.
Incorporate data to plan schedules and ensure every shift is fair and staffed accurately (based on factors like demand, feedback, and staffing trends).
Give employees control over coverage and shift swaps, making scheduling more flexible for everyone.
When schedules work for your teams, they work for your business, too.
Make every shift a great one
With Deputy’s workforce management solution, you can bring scheduling, communication, and shift management into one easy-to-use platform that supports both your people and your business’s goals. Build more predictable schedules, reduce turnover, and make every shift a great one with Deputy.
See why over 385,000 businesses trust Deputy to build better schedules. Book your demo with our team, or start a free trial today.
