Whether you own, operate or manage a large corporation, or a medium-sized business, do you manually create schedules for your employees? Well, if you do it manually, then I’m sure the task can be quite time-consuming, and arduously slow. And yes, creating a schedule which works well for all your employees and shift requirements is a tough thing to do, and small, medium and large-scale companies suffer from loss of time and resources in dealing with the confusion and potential human error when doing it manually. So, why not automate your employee scheduling, by using freeware rostering software? Read on to learn more about the perks of using this type of software.
What is Employee Scheduling Software?
Employee scheduling software, also known as freeware rostering software, is defined as a workforce and scheduling management platform or software which helps business owners and managers administer their hourly employees or staff.
Automating the process of creating employee or worker schedules can lead to consistent results, increased productivity, improved worker satisfaction and it effectively manages labor costs.
The core function of freeware rostering software is that it allows auto-assigning shifts, automating notifications for new schedules and shift changes, clock-in and clock-out features, creation of timecards and payroll file importation.
The key points of freeware rostering software is that it makes it quite easy to create and manage schedules, which saves business owners and managers time, and it helps them to stay compliant too.
If creating employee schedules and shifts has always been a manual process for you, then the use of freeware rostering software help to fully automate the process, and save business owners and managers hours of time each week.
An employee scheduling software or solution is hailed as one of the essential management tools, as it can help business owners and managers reduce labor costs, improve employee experiences, simplify compliance and more.
The Many Perks of Using Employee Scheduling Software
No matter how many employees or workers you have in your company, creating schedules can certainly be tough and time-consuming, especially if you do things manually. Like for example you need to find the right coverage, resole various schedule conflicts or issues, deal with last-minute changes, and meet shift requirements.
According to workforce scheduling experts, on average managers spend 20% of their time creating employee schedules manually. So, if you have a 40-hour workweek, then that’s about a full day consumed by schedule management per week!
And, if you, or your human resources department (HR) is spending too much time creating employee schedules manually, then the use of high-tech freeware rostering software can be a time and cost-saving solution.
Now, let’s look at the specific perks or benefits of using freeware rostering software. For starters, it can significantly reduce labor costs. Well, labor costs are probably one of the biggest expenses that a company or business entity will ever incur.
The good thing is that the use of software, specifically freeware rostering software, can help small, medium and large-scale businesses or organizations become more cost-efficient by tracking schedule versus actual hours worked overtime and breaks. This can also help business owners and managers properly calculate the correct pay each pay period, and it also helps them plan future schedules more strategically, and efficiently.
Second, freeware rostering software also leads to better communication. If your small business entity, or large corporation, purely relies on paper printouts or email attachments, then it can be very hard to share schedule updates with your workers, as well as ensure that everyone will be on the same page.
The good thing is that freeware rostering software will make it so much easier to effectively communicate with your employees or workers, and effectively reduce scheduling conflicts or misunderstandings.
When you publish a new schedule, or update an existing one, you can send a notification (whether on email or through text message) which alerts your employees to the change. But, because freeware rostering software quickly lets you share schedules and shift changes in real time, your workers or staff won’t be surprised (or shocked) by the sudden change of schedules or shifts. And, you won’t also need to deal with as many last-minute time off requests too.
Third, freeware rostering software can help improve employee experiences. Without the use of this platform or software, employees will need to physically notify their managers of shit changes, time off request and any other scheduling concerns or issues. OF course, this process can be very time-consuming, and it can also create a lot of opportunities for error. Like a manager may misunderstand a request, and erroneously schedule the wrong day off!
But, with the use of freeware rostering software, employees can easily manage their own schedule changes. With most collaborative scheduling tools or software, employees can now set their own availability, trade shift schedules with each other, submit leave and time off requests, and play a more active role in their work experience.
And, since employees can easily see schedule changes in real time, there’s also less risk of them erroneously arriving late or showing up for a cancelled shift. This also provides them with an improved experience, better employee satisfaction and a better work-life balance.
Fourth, freeware rostering software offers employers, managers and staff convenience. Most scheduling software providers today offer a mobile app for more added convenience. With a mobile app for scheduling shifts, you and your workers can easily manage schedules from just about any location.
And regardless of where they are, the workers can also easily check their schedules, make the required changes, and submit time off requests. This can be very helpful for employees who frequently travel, or for those who do not work in a traditional office setting (like a work-from-home setting, or more of a field work type).
Finally, you can use freeware rostering software as a performance management tool. With it, you will have the ability to track tardiness and absences easily. If there’s a recurring problem, then you will have a track record that you can reference to discuss with your staff!
With some solutions, you may be able to schedule employees based on their skill level or certifications, too. This can help you plan for special events or peak hours and ensure your business runs smoothly during those times.
