Scheduling is one of the most important aspects of any business. It can make or break your company, and it’s something that should not be taken lightly. The following are some tips to help you get started on improving your scheduling process so that you can save time, money, and energy for other parts of your business.
Scheduling Methods
Use some of the scheduling methods that are best for your business and that some of the best business managers and time scientists have come upon. One of those is a Drum Buffer Rope method that allows you to schedule and sequence which job will be on the constraint each day. This way, it is much easier to schedule the general productivity, rather than each job at every resource.
Another method to use is one that involves the least amount of labor hours, time off, and overtime needed for the particular job. The fewer labor hours needed the better it is for your company because if you are not required to pay hourly wages by law, it is easier to schedule people.
A Schedule Template
A good way to start off your new scheduling process is by creating a template for all future employees. This will allow them to see what their day-to-day responsibilities entail as well as keep track of their hours worked in order to avoid overworking them. Not being able to hold yourself back from pushing your employees too hard is not improving. Being aware of how many hours they have already worked in one week means you don’t accidentally break any labor laws.
Also, give everyone a copy of the schedule as everyone needs to know what their actual work schedule is, which means that each one of your employees should be given a copy of the schedule at some point during the week (preferably on Friday evening or Saturday morning). Keeping schedules posted will also come in handy if there are ever any last-minute changes made.
Hourly Rates
When it comes time to hire someone new, you’ll want to look out for whether or not they will fit in with your current workforce. You should also take their hourly rate into consideration when planning your future schedule since there’s no point in saving a bit of money now if it means that doing so will result in more chaos later on.
Coverage Needed
When planning out your schedule, make sure that you take into consideration those employees who may need coverage (such as a part-timer or others with special circumstances). You should also factor in the cost of extra employees needed during these times and decide if it would be beneficial enough to hire more people on a permanent basis.
This also means keeping track of absences – doing so will make it easier to know when someone is going to be out of work and allow you to reschedule accordingly.
Tasks on Time
A big part of improving your scheduling process is finding ways to get things done faster and avoid unnecessary delays due to unforeseen circumstances such as computer problems. Try to be proactive and finish tasks ahead of time if possible, as this will allow for a smoother transfer of information and reduce the stress on those who may need it most (like managers).
Communication Is Key
One thing that’s very important during any type of workplace shift is proper communication. You should always keep employees updated on everything that’s going on with their schedule as well as make sure they know how to contact you in case they ever have questions or concerns.
Job Breaks
Allowing people to take breaks during their shift can make the workday go by much faster and provide them with a mental break from their job. You should also be sure to give employees at least one day off per week in order to avoid burnout.
Also, be fair with these by making sure that you never make anyone wait too long for a break during the day. Allowing people to take their 15-minute break after each hour worked or to take their lunch breaks and other short breaks during the day at different intervals, has been proven to be a good formula to keep everyone happy and satisfied with their job. This will help them stay rejuvenated once they return to work which can make all of the difference in their productivity levels.
Avoid Burnouts
No matter how brilliant or talented an employee is, it’s important that you don’t ever put all of your eggs in one basket. This means avoiding the attitude of “if I have this one person do everything for everyone, then everyone should be able to get their jobs done faster.” The reality is that not only will it lead to burnout, but it could screw up a lot of other people’s schedules as well.
Also, don’t overschedule days because it’s important not to do too much on certain days. This could lead to a lot of complications and will definitely weigh on your employees eventually, especially those who are still new at their job.
A Consistent Schedule
You want to maintain the same schedule every week in order to cut back on confusion for both yourself and your employees and be realistic about it. This will allow them to get in a groove so that they can become more efficient without any complications getting in their way.
And remember, you never want to have unrealistic expectations. This includes things like expecting employees who are unhappy with their jobs to suddenly become the most productive team members out there or pushing people too hard because you feel as though they can handle it. It’s important that the scheduling process is reasonable for both parties involved so that no one feels taken advantage of or used for their labor.
Hopefully, these scheduling tips have helped you take a step back and reevaluate your process. With these simple adjustments, it should be much easier to improve and be more productive for both employees and managers alike.
