There has been a major shift in the workforce in the past few years. More people are working from home than ever, and many have no intention of returning to the office again. One of the biggest reasons why people enjoy working from home is that they can set their own hours. At the same time, this desire for schedule flexibility is also spreading to other industries.
Now more than ever, other employees want the ability to engage and contribute to their own employee scheduling practices. For example, people who work in shift-based warehouses, public service, and manufacturing plants also want the ability to set their own hours. What does this look like, and what does it mean for the workforce as a whole?
Why Other Industries Are Giving Employees More Autonomy
Traditionally, people would have their hours set by their supervisors or managers who would be responsible for distributing the schedule requiring employees to go to their manager if they want or need to make changes. Even though some companies still do this, many industries are giving employees the ability to set their own hours due to increased demand for work-life balance and flexibility.
There are several reasons why this is the case. They include:
- Recruiting Skilled Workers: Many companies are having a difficult time filling job openings right now with such a competitive job market, and they believe that giving employees the ability to set their own schedules could make the job offer more appealing.
- Boost Employee Satisfaction: Companies have learned that employees are more productive when they are happy. Employees tend to be happier when they can pick their own hours and have more control over when they work, including the ability to swap shifts with other co-workers and volunteer for overtime for some extra cash in their paychecks.
- Employee Scheduling Software: Because of advancements made in workforce management technology, it is possible to use shift scheduling software to allow employees to switch shifts among themselves as well as automatically schedule the right qualified individual to selected assignments based on sophisticated assignment algorithms, aligned with union regulations and industry-specific scheduling laws.
- Supervisor Autonomy: Because there are shift schedule automation programs, managers no longer have to worry about managing to schedule and fill last-minute vacancies on their own. This frees them up to focus on other more rewarding tasks.
These are just a few of the biggest reasons why companies across the board are allowing their employees to set their own hours.
When Employees Set Their Own Hours, Companies Operate Better
One often-overlooked benefit of having employees at their own hours is that companies are open for longer amounts of time with shift flexibility. Organizations have realized that some employees do not want to work traditional business hours habitually. If skilled workers are willing to come in during non-traditional hours, they may be able to accomplish tasks that make jobs more efficient during the day. For example, manufacturing employees can come in during the night to fix machine parts or catch up on production needs while allowing the day shift to keep the assembly lines as efficient as possible.
The Importance of Employee Scheduling Software
Because companies are changing the way they manage their employees, it is important to invest in shift scheduling software. When companies give their employees access to schedule flexibility, they provide more control over their skilled worker’s environment. This can keep employees happy and increase retention rates. At the same time, managers must pay attention to ensure they have enough qualified workers to provide the labor needed to produce desired output on each shift.
For example, companies may want to use an employee scheduling system that specializes in requiring a certain number of people with specific credentials or qualifications to work certain assignments. Then, companies need to keep an eye on the number of hours their employees work. That way, they understand exactly how much money they may have to pay in overtime. Finally, organizations are also encouraged to leverage a program that allows employees to manage their shifts from their mobile devices. That way, they don’t have to worry about managing a paper schedule or keeping up with scheduling changes when someone is out unexpectedly. This also reduces the chances of a shift swap or time off request getting lost in the process.
Rely on Indeavor to Manage your Employee Schedules
Organizations will have an easier time finding and recruiting skilled workers if they provide their employees with more autonomy over their schedules. Indeavor’s automated employee scheduling platform and absence management programs can help companies do exactly that. Get a demo of Indeavor’s People Operations Platform today to see how you can automatically schedule shifts, fill vacancies, and match labor to production demands today by emailing our team of workforce management experts at info@indeavor.com or by giving us a call.
