The key is to find the right mix of shift length to both meet the market ’ s needs and execute your service standards . Managing a higher volume of shorter and varied shift starts is daunting if you ’ re still building shifts manually . We will touch on technology that can automate scheduling , availability , work rules , and compliance in a minute .
Identify Benefits that Really Matter
Instant Pay
Like scheduling , how often we pay employees needs to be rethought .
Many front-line workers are living paycheck-to-paycheck and are too proud to let you know their struggles . Some are incurring the excessive costs of being unbanked or underbanked . Many turn to financial institutions like payday loan providers to get cash when they need it , instead of when payday comes around . Financial service providers are charging your lowest-paid employees a lot just to access their earned wages .
The good news is that employers can give employees access to their wages daily and without having to have a bank account . Instant pay services are free to employers and have other tools that restore the financial health of your employees . By providing relief to one of their fundamental needs and stressors , your employees will be more focused and productive .
Investing in your employees ’ financial success earns their trust and loyalty , which reduces turnover and increases the likelihood they will recommend that their friends consider working with you as well .
Gainsharing and pay-forskill
There isn ’ t a lot of incentive for frontline service workers to advance their careers or earn more income . Some companies have been revisiting the 40-year-old concept of gainsharing as the labor crisis continues . With gainsharing , employees receive a bonus that is tied to profit gains in the business ( most often operational measures ).
Businesses are also reconfiguring their pay structures with a payfor-skill mindset . In this model , employees can learn new skills and earn better hourly rates . They are consistently paid for their skill level , regardless of the standard pay rate for the department / location they are scheduled for . The pay-for-skill model lays out a career path for employees while increasing tenure and decreasing turnover .
At a time when cross-utilization is a common practice , the payfor-skill model introduces more flexibility within your labor base to match demand and market changes . The introduction of skill achievement is a great way to introduce gamification or take your gamification to the next level .
Apps
Technology might not be top of mind when considering benefits , but employees struggle when they have to learn old technology , just for their work lives . Communication doesn ’ t have to be an issue now that most employees have a smartphone where they can receive real-time notifications and messages .
Schedule flexibility is something that employees have been craving and one key element to delivering this is making schedules visible . Employees like seeing when they are scheduled , which shifts are open , and who they will be working with . The ability for them to swap shifts and see open shifts they can fill gives them a sense of flexibility and control over their work and personal lives .
If you ’ re targeting younger workers - arming your workforce with the right technology is a must .
Automate and Optimize
Adopting a gig mindset adds layers of complexity to service industry scheduling and operations which can seem daunting if things are still mostly manual .
One thing the tech companies that inspired the gig economy have in common - they automate everything possible . This isn ’ t a new concept . Manufacturers have been finding large areas of cost savings by optimizing their processes and automating everything to maximize production at the lowest cost .
Workforce management platforms take reservations and other business variables , plug them into your staff ’ s availability , and layer in workplace rules and compliance to give you the ideal schedule . Better yet , employees can see and easily swap shifts that don ’ t allow them to go into overtime or violate work rules .
66 ILHA