Is your HCM’s scheduling software crippling your efficiency? Some new tools to explore

Has the time come to make an employee scheduling software change? While some human capital management (HCM) platforms have a scheduler built in, it may lack specific workforce management capabilities that your business needs.

A classic example of this is industries that have shift-based positions, including health care, senior care, restaurant and hospitality, call centers, manufacturing and transportation.

For instance, in the restaurant business, platforms like 7shifts and HotSchedules are designed for environments that include split shifts, staff rotations and last-minute staffing changes.

And in addition to a senior care-specific scheduling tool that takes personnel skills and 24/7 staffing needs into consideration, assisted living facilities may benefit from also having a volunteer management platform, such as SignUpGenius, Civic Champs or Better Impact.

Some signs of inefficiency that warrant a change:

1. Your managers are spending a significant amount of time manually creating and distributing work schedules.
2. Your current software doesn’t process time-off requests or shift swaps, or lacks mobile app access.
3. Communication regarding work schedule updates is slow or inconsistent.
4. Employees express frustration with lack of control over their schedules or difficulty in accessing information.
5. Your current software is putting you at risk for noncompliance because it isn’t up-to-date on employment law changes. New York State, for example, has detailed laws related to scheduling that can trip up employers that aren’t in the know.

Upsides to upgrading scheduling software

Market research indicates that a lot of your peers are looking at, and adopting, new scheduling tools. A 2023 report by ResearchAndMarkets projected the global workforce management software market to grow by more than $3 billion by 2028.

Modern employee scheduling software offers a range of advantages, including:

• Reduced labor costs. Scheduling software optimizes staffing levels and minimizes overtime expenses.
• Improved compliance. Best-in-class solutions ensure adherence to all the important labor laws and regulations regarding breaks, work hours, rest periods and industrial regs that apply to your company.
• Optimized scheduling. Data-driven decisions can be leveraged for creating efficient schedules based on employee skills, availability, workload requirements and workforce performance.
• Reduced administrative work. With today’s automation technology, managers no longer have to manually create new schedules each week/pay period. Automatic tracking of time-off requests and shift swaps, frees up managers for other priorities.
• Streamlined communication. With mobile apps and online access, work schedules are conveniently available to employees.
• Better contingency planning. Scheduling software enables easier management of unexpected absences or sudden changes in staffing needs.
• Enhanced performance management. Best-in-class solutions integrate with your other HR tools to facilitate performance evaluations and skill development initiatives.
• Empowering workers with choice. Scheduling software can incorporate self-service tools like shift bidding and swapping, allowing workers to choose their preferred schedules and negotiate with colleagues, offering them a sense of ownership and control over their work lives.

Vendors to browse

To get you started, here’s Research.com‘s list of top scheduling software providers, several of which have timekeeping and shift scheduling capabilities:

• TCP Humanity Scheduling
• When I Work
• Skedulo
• WorkInSync
• Quinyx
• ClockShark
• Planday
• Buddy Punch
• Playvox WFM
• Shiftboard
• Avaza
• OpenSimSim, and
• AttendanceBot.

What exactly do you need?

When researching your scheduling software options and choosing a tool that best empowers your team and keeps your operation running smoothly, important factors to consider include your:

• budget (Compare the different pricing models, such as subscription fees, per-user fees, etc.)
• team size
• analytics needs
• shift scheduling needs
• number of locations (Some solutions are more ideal for small businesses, while others work better for enterprise-size organizations), and
• state, local and/or industrial compliance requirements.

Also, can your vendor finalists customize schedules based on roles, skills and department-specific needs?

For more help with staff scheduling, download this free white paper, “Employee Scheduling: Technology-Driven Solutions and Best Practices” and sign up to attend the free webinar “Increasing Engagement and Retention Through Scheduling” on March 29.