One of the most common operational problems that many organizations face is simply communicating their employee schedules effectively. Many companies without a program in place to communicate schedules find themselves struggling with tied up phone lines, or with too much managerial time spent on the phone with employees. Even worse, some organizations rely on their employees to check paper schedules, even if these schedules change on the fly. Often these problems lead to errors in schedule, as there are gaps in the information.
Consider the needs of your employees before deciding how to communicate your employee schedules.
Millennials and Gen X
Young adults and tech savvy employees expect to receive their schedules on the devices they use most. In a world where there is an app for everything, the best way to send schedules to millennial employees is on a smart phone. Enable your schedules over the web, and they can bookmark the location easily. Alternatively, if you have a small and manageable workforce, Google Calendar makes sharing employee schedules simple.
Baby Boomers
Older generations are less likely to expect their schedules over the web. However, baby boomers and their counterparts have been using email for decades. Using an automated email system to send out schedules is common in most scheduling software available. However, once an email is sent out the schedules are not as flexible to change.
Low Internet Adoption
Although it may seem like everybody and their dog has an iPhone these days, in reality only about 50% of Americans have smartphones. Many of these individuals may also choose to forgo internet access in their homes. Therefore, internet based web portals and email are not smart choices to communicate employee schedules. However, an interactive voice response system (IVR) can automate the phone call process to communicate schedules. This allows employees to call in with a land line, or standard mobile phone, to call in and hear their schedules automatically.
Often your workforce will not fall under one generation, or how they prefer to be communicated with may not be the typical generational style. Select an employee scheduling system that can accommodate the needs of all your employees.