What makes these systems perfect for managing gig shifts is the ability to get granular with shift timing - down to 15-minute segments . With the labor crisis limiting employee numbers , managers can forecast demand and correctly invest their labor hours to cover peak days and times with precision .
For managers , automatic scheduling saves several hours every week that can be put back into other tasks while compliance alerts operate in the background . Filling open shifts becomes a breeze with automatic communication to their desired staff segment . For employees , it represents a quick and easy way to make a change to their schedule change or pick up another shift .
Culture
No amount of technology can replace the human touch when creating an amazing guest experience , and it all starts with happy employees . When staff feel like they matter to their employers , they are more productive and give better guest service which translates into guest loyalty and ultimately revenue .
When gig workers felt that Uber wasn ’ t treating them fairly , they went to Lyft . Your staff can also easily change jobs – they are in high demand . Healthy work environments that thrive are transparent , flexible and thoughtful about the employee experience . When it is all hands on deck , it is hard to keep culture in focus or follow through on some of the core tenets of good culture .
Operating in a labor crisis crushes the employee experience by creating a stressful situation where employees are overworked and clocking in some serious overtime . Frontline workers are burning out at alarming rates which exacerbates the situation .
A gig mindset can better balance the workflow during shifts by tapping into labor forecasting models that predict demand and layer in other business variables to be more precise when allocating labor budgets . Gig thinking can be broken down into 15-minute segments which gives managers the flexibility they need to bring staff in to keep up with demand and balance the levels of stress on the other team members .
For employers that have mastered the art of schedule balancing , word is getting out that their business is a great place to work and attracts more employees .
While managers are rolling up their sleeves and covering shifts , there is technology that can help them provide transparency and flexibility around scheduling and shift changes . By leaning on technology to automate and cover part of their responsibilities , managers can keep their focus on other more pressing areas .
Time to innovate
When operating in crisis mode , it can be hard to see sustainable solutions to one of the biggest catastrophes the industry has seen . One thing is for sure , the industry is resilient and from great trials come great opportunities and advancements .
About the author Corey McCarthy is the CMO of Unifocus and has more than twenty years ’ experience growing brands in the media , tech and hospitality industries . In her former life , Corey was the VP of Marketing for a global workforce communication platform that was awarded the Hottest Technology by ALIS and also won the TechOvation Award from HTNG . For many years , Corey was at the helm of her own firm where she worked with companies ranging from hotel franchise brands , technology , design , investment banking and retail firms that resulted in numerous mergers and acquisitions .
Early in her career , Corey was the Associate Publisher of Penton Media ' s Lodging Hospitality Magazine where she gained extensive insights into all facets of hospitality , digital media , and technology landscape . She produced her first virtual event in 2005 , launched the Green Lodging Conference in 2006 and worked with hundreds of companies to help build brand awareness and generate leads in the hotel , restaurant and real estate markets . This access to some of the world ' s leading brands allowed her to identify trends , quickly test and optimize new platforms and multichannel campaigns .
Corey earned her MBA in 2010 from St . Mary ' s College of California where she honored in Marketing , Business Strategy and Organizational Behavior Management . She serves on the board of
LesliesWeek . org as well as
TheWallofHonorProject . org .
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