Recurring changes in the work plan constantly disturb the list of priorities. This can lead to negative consequences in productivity and team progress, irrational time management and missed deadlines. Is there a way to stay on top of things and make time for everything?

The best way to prioritize tasks is to write them down

To begin with, you have to make plans for the nearest future by creating a detailed list of all of the assignments and their deadlines for a day, a week or a month. Instead of trying to memorize everything, you should start a work diary and write down all of your tasks. This psychological trick stresses the importance of your work.

Organize everything

Once you have compiled a list of assignments, you might notice similarities between them. This isn’t surprising as most tasks can be put into three categories: single, recurring and project.

1. Single
   If you are given a single task, better do it first thing tomorrow. Make a list of small assignments and cross out some of them every day. Before you decide on the most important tasks, consider how urgent they are and how much time you need to complete them. Your goal is to finish assignments during your shift. If you don’t have time, do the task tomorrow. Note that this method doesn’t work for immediate assignments.
2. Recurring
   You don’t have to write down every single thing that has to be done on a daily basis. For example, if you share articles on social media or are in charge of e-mail campaigns. With that said, a schedule should be made for tasks that are tied to specific hours and days. This will significantly simplify the sorting of work priorities.
3. Projects
   Projects are tasks that are more difficult to complete than simple assignments. Work on them as long as you can, but don’t try to take up several projects simultaneously. We recommend that you create a list of projects and choose the most urgent and important out of all of them. Don’t pick up a new project without finishing the previous one.

Important assignments come first

Creating an alphabetical or a numerical list won’t work. Your goal is not to blindly follow the items on the list, but to concentrate on high priority tasks. The remaining work can be done in whatever order you deem necessary.

In time you will learn how to choose work with the highest level of priority and not let it become a problem. If you will follow these rules, you won’t believe how fast the working process will become.

Difficulties in scheduling and solutions

If you are a manager in charge of a company’s work schedule and you are reading this article, then most likely you experience issues with scheduling shifts for employees.

Here you will find three most common problems that arise during work schedule compilation, and best solutions for them. Start implementing today!

Issue №1: Last-minute scheduling

Putting off shift scheduling until the last minute is not a good idea. Managers in charge should make sure that the shift schedule is available as soon as possible so that the employees can make their own plans during the month. Otherwise, many workers will have to choose between personal matters and work.

Solution:

Plan your schedules ahead of time to give all employees the opportunity to review the schedule and make changes if necessary. Numerous templates of the online service Shifton allow you to do this in just a few clicks!

Issue №2: Uneven shift distribution

By making changes to the schedule manually, any manager can overlook a miscalculation in the distribution of shifts. As a result, it may happen that some workers would not work the prescribed hours, while others, on the contrary, come to overwork, which can also result in an involuntary violation of the labor law.

Solution:

To avoid this scenario, use Shifton, an automated service for scheduling work and shift schedules. In this case, the employees will have no reason to reproach the manager for negligence and carelessness!

Issue №3: Lack of modern tools

Managers who still use pen and paper to create a company’s schedule not only make their lives harder, but they are more likely to make mistakes. In addition, the sheer volume of calls and messages on the personal phones of executives and employees is time-consuming, resulting in a lack of work-life differentiation.

Solution:

With easy-to-use software like Shifton, you can significantly simplify employee scheduling and communication within the company. Moreover, notifications arrive on the mobile version of the online application almost instantly, and employees can exchange shifts on their own, saving managers a lot of time.

By automating employee scheduling with the Shifton online service, you can get consistent results, make fewer mistakes, cut costs, and increase productivity and overall employee satisfaction.

If you are not using Shifton for your business yet, then it’s time to get started! Register and try all the features of the online application for free during the entire trial period!

How to Improve the Efficiency of Call Center Employees

Most call center managers use standard methods in order to motivate employees and achieve their goals (for example, bonuses, allowances and benefits). But if you’re really interested in growing your company, you should try new solutions to improve operators’ productivity.

Here are 5 interesting ideas that will help you increase the efficiency of your call center employees by at least 10%.

1. 15-minute vouchers

Are there any operators who would refuse to finish work 15 minutes early without losing the payment?

Many call centers try to encourage their employees with various bonuses (like sweet gifts or tickets to a movie). Anyway in each and every company, there will always be employees who do not eat sweets and prefer the theater. But almost everyone wants to leave their workplace early!

15-minute vouchers for the most productive call center employees can be a great incentive to do better work. This solution allows you to motivate almost any operator.

2. Collecting acknowledgments

Many call center operators resent that while all customer complaints are registered, formalized and passed on to management, compliments and gratitude often go unrecorded.

Meanwhile, collecting and voicing feedback from grateful customers can significantly increase the motivation of call center employees. Try sending out last week’s recorded thank you messages once a week to the operators who maintained them.

This is a great opportunity for all other employees to understand how important their work is. And employees who receive gratitude will feel how valuable they are for the company.

3. Call of the month

The most difficult calls from the most “hard” clients shouldn’t go unnoticed, either.

It’s good if your call center practices call records analysis on a monthly basis. In this case, you can quickly and easily choose the call of the month by collecting feedback from managers and supervisors.

Once you’ve found a prime example of a particularly difficult or stressful situation that took place during a call, you can look for the most successful behavioral strategies for those situations. Such an analysis can become not only a recognition of the success of the operator-hero of the call, but also an additional incentive for employees who successfully manage such calls.

4. Daytime vigor

It is no secret that between the afternoon and the end of the working day, a significant decline in the productivity of workers takes place rather often. But we can offer you a quick and easy way to avoid this!

Try asking your call center employees to stand up, not sit down, for one hour after lunch! This method avoids activity drop and makes operator voices sound more energetic and engaging.

Of course, such an innovation should be implemented exclusively on a voluntary basis. In addition, workers with disabilities or back pain, etc., should be warned of possible health problems.

5. Schedule flexibility

A perennial challenge for call center managers is ensuring that enough employees work on a given project. After all, a shortage of operators significantly affects the working conditions of the entire team and of course, reduces productivity.

A competent manager always tries to be responsive to the requests of employees who need to make changes in the schedule. For example, many parents will want to take vacation during school holidays, and students will want to take time off during a session in college.

Only a well-designed scheduling tool allows you to create a call center schedule that will satisfy the needs of all employees. This will help management achieve its goals and bring financial benefits to the company in the long term.

How to take into account personal issues of each employee and at the same time comply with all the requirements of labor legislation? We have a solution!

Conclusion

The Shifton online service will help you quickly and efficiently create, edit the company’s work schedule and employee schedules using convenient templates, as well as confirm requests for leave or sick leave with one click. In addition, operators can independently swap shifts, which reduces the burden on call center managers.

If you are not using Shifton for your business yet, then it’s time to get started! Register and try all the features of the online application for free during the entire trial period!

Top 5 Cloud Call Center Software in 2021-2022

The key to effective customer support is not only well-trained operators, but also quality call center software. Modern technologies help automate operational and business processes in a call center, as well as increase employee productivity.

The main tasks of software for any call center are automation and increasing the efficiency of operational processes: call distribution, filling in customer information, routing, etc.

Optimization of business processes is also important: the ability to monitor the performance of operators in particular and departments in general, analyze key performance indicators and monitor the work of the call center in real time mode.

When choosing call center software, you can improve your customer service by using software that is cloud-based. These are the main advantages of such a solution:

• Better customer service management
• Improved reporting
• Increased efficiency
• Centralized data collection
• Reduced costs
• Increased sales and customer satisfaction
• Enhanced data security
• Multichannel support

5 Best Cloud Call Center Programs in 2021-2022

1. Shifton
   Manual scheduling shifts for operators takes too much time and effort for call center managers. The Shifton online app optimizes day-to-day scheduling operations, reduces turnover and increases employee engagement in order to deliver the best possible customer experience. The Shifton cloud service is ideal for scheduling shifts in a call center. The functionality of the application allows managers to create optimal work schedules, easily schedule shifts and distribute tasks between operators. In addition, employees can independently adjust their work schedule by swapping shifts (with the confirmation of the swap by the manager, if necessary).Shifton helps you create an optimal balanced schedule that ensures the best quality service to your call center customers.
2. CloudTalk
   This innovative cloud-based software provides several unique tools for call centers. The custom waiting in call queuing feature eliminates call forwarding, which helps the sales team close more deals by automating the dialing process. CloudTalk also maintains a high level of customer satisfaction through intelligent call routing, Click-to-Call and IVR options. CloudTalk allows you to set up an online call center with all available devices from anywhere in the world while maintaining local presence with local phone numbers. In addition, this call center software offers hundreds of integrations with CRM, e-commerce, tech support, shopping carts, Zapier and APIs.
3. Avaya Contact Center is a universal cloud or hybrid automation solution for inbound and outbound applications for voice, video, email, and group chats. A unified multi-channel communication system allows remote operator groups to handle calls from anywhere. Avaya Contact Center also provides the features of screen capture, training, and call quality management, as well as real-time reports and statistics for any selected period. In addition, this cloud-based call center software offers engagement recording, voice analytics, and automated scheduling features.
4. MyOperator call center software allows you to manage multiple calls without spending too much time and effort. The benefit of using this call center software solution is that it has innovative features such as adding music on hold and the ability to take notes while in a conversation with a customer. MyOperator is an easy-to-use cloud service that offers API integration. Its main purpose is to record, forward, transfer and track calls. However, you can also export the call log data for performance analysis as needed.
5. Dialpad is a web application which helps you take your business communication to the next level. It enables you to communicate with your clients, employees and other businesses with utmost ease making your business communication more efficient and effective. Whether it is voice-based communication or text messages, Dialpad has great solutions for them all. It takes your communication to a new level so that you also enjoy your time while speaking to your clients.

Conclusion

The right cloud-based call center software helps improve efficiency, productivity and customer service. We choose the Shifton online service since it is the perfect application for efficient call center management.

If you do not use Shifton for your business yet, then it’s time to get started! Register and try all the features of the online application for 2 months for free!

How Shifton adds to call center reporting

Telemarketing and statistics analysis is one of the most important activities in a call center. Indicators such as the number and duration of processed calls, the average waiting time for a client’s response, KPIs of operators, etc., can be fully measured and employees’ effectiveness can be evaluated very quickly.

Measuring call center performance

When telemarketing activities are limited to one or two employees, operational analytics are fairly straightforward and can be limited to tracking 2-3 metrics. This is quite enough for effective management of an advertising campaign.

On the other hand, as telemarketing projects scale up, it is always good to know a wider range of metrics that help manage call center performance. They make it easier to identify elements that have a positive or negative impact on the campaign’s outcome.

There can be many of them; here are several examples: incorrect contact database, poorly trained team, inadequately scheduled shifts for personnel at certain hours, equipment breakdowns, etc.

Correctly designed and calculated measures can help identify areas that need improvement. Statistics received on time can help with this.

Call center statistical reports

When evaluating the work of a call center, one should pay attention not only to reports on closed leads but also to other reporting indicators — the number of processed calls, their duration and the level of service.

After analyzing the report for each call, one will receive mini-marketing research in fact. This helps to understand a lot about customers — what they prefer, what competing companies they use, and so on.

Another important indicator is the waiting time of customers on the line. During peak days on the call center team, delays in handling incoming calls can indirectly affect the level of customer satisfaction and for this reason, they can choose competitors. As a result, the company for which such a call center provides services will receive less potential profit, which means it will incur losses.

How can Shifton help in this case?

Based on information about worked shifts and breaks, Shifton provides detailed reports on multiple projects or a specific employee at the most detailed level. Such reporting, combined with other statistical information, allows you to identify peak days and optimally configure shifts and the number of operators on each of them.

Shifton also offers a payroll option that can be used to predict call center costs. This feature will save you from having to pay overtime due to more operator assignments.

The Shifton cloud service offers powerful reporting tools that display a lot of statistical information about the work of both the company as a whole and its individual employees. Combined with tools for planning and tracking attendance, these reports can display information about achievements, planned and completed tasks, predict future costs and optimize processes in the company in time.

Forecasts and reports obtained using the Shifton cloud service allow additional optimization of the call center with an unlimited number of employees. Thus, you will not only solve existing issues but also prevent their occurrence in the future.

Want to make sure? Welcome to Shifton! Register and try all the features of our online application for 2 months for free!

7 important factors that make Shifton the best solution for any call center

Choosing the right software for call centers has become not a privilege, but a necessity. Moreover, the key point in choosing a particular program for a call center is the availability of all the necessary functions for the efficient and uninterrupted workflow.

When choosing a call center program, it is important to consider 7 factors that guarantee business profitability. Today you will come to know why Shifton is the best service for outsourcing companies in 2021.

Required functions

It is crucial that the call center software provides all the necessary functions that simplify the work of operators and managers.

Shifton helps you to significantly save time and effort on compilation of shifts and schedules. The “Shifts swapping” option removes unnecessary burden from managers, since it allows employees to independently swap their shifts, involving managers only to approve the swap. Thus, the manager saves time and effort in finding replacements for employees.

Team management

Call center teams can be large or small, company systems can be complex, and branch offices located across the country or even all over the world. Shifton offers great team management tools – from multi-level access and structured accounts to assigning and tracking tasks with checklists.

Due to the fact that Shifton takes into account different time zones, you can manage employees remotely.

The extensive functionality of Shifton allows you to work from anywhere, having all the necessary tools at hand. This makes it possible to offer services to customers around the world remotely as well.

Scalability

Call center software must scale with your business and adapt to both the number of customers and the complexity of their needs and requests.

Shifton supports scheduling for an unlimited number of employees. The size of the company is not critical — Shifton allows you to build its structure taking into account all projects, work schedules, job hierarchy and other conditions.

Reporting and monitoring

Analysis and control functions in the call center software help you achieve maximum efficiency. Shifton offers powerful reporting tools that display extensive statistical information about a company’s performance.

Combined with tools for planning and tracking attendance, such reports provide complete information on achievements, planned and completed tasks, help you predict future costs and receive a signal to optimize processes in the company right in time.

Perfect integration

Call center software should integrate seamlessly with CRM, e-commerce platform, and existing help desk as needed.

Shifton offers integrations with many popular software (1C, Oracle, NetSuit, QuickBooks, etc.) to improve workflows, data exchange and API access. The list of integrations is constantly expanding.

SMS, email and push notifications

Shifton offers the option of SMS, email and push notifications that are sent to employees when they create schedules or make changes to schedules.

Thus, all important data is received by the right people at the right time.

Price

When choosing a call center program, price is definitely one of the important factors. We recommend starting with a free trial critically reviewing your results.

Shifton lets you use just the right amount of modules and only pay for those you use. For two months, you can try all the functionality of the application absolutely free. After this period, the cost for one employee will be from $0.5 to $4 (depending on the number of selected modules).

Choose Shifton — The Perfect Call Center Solution

The right software will be an excellent foundation for the effective functioning of your company. Considering the above factors, the best results will undoubtedly be achieved with Shifton, the ultimate call center scheduling software. This software not only allows you to integrate all communication channels with the client, but also provides a number of other useful features.

Drawing up work schedules and shifts, accounting for employee attendance, shifts swapping, analysis and reporting — this is only a partial list of Shifton online app features!

Want to make sure? Welcome to Shifton! Register and try all the features of our online application for 1 month for free!

One of the most important tasks of the head of any company is to develop the company’s brand, increase productivity and save time for working with personnel. We present to your attention the best services for scheduling tasks and managing team resources in 2021. It’s time to clean up your to-do list!

Project Management Tools 2021

Depending on the size, industry and goals, you can choose relatively simple control systems, as well as large business solutions or internal developments.

Here are the top 6 services for project and staff management in 2021.

Monday

It is a powerful yet simple tool for teams that helps shape workflows, adjust to shifting needs, create transparency, connect collaboratively, and put an end to manual work.

The tool can be used across teams, departments, leaders and organizations, and all types of projects and processes.

Free of charge individual plan include up to 2 team members and helps to keep track of their work and tasks, providing the most essential features of the tool. Monthly paid plans start from $8 per user.

Trello

Easy to use tool that can be integrated with popular services and is great for scheduling tasks.

The main feature of this service is its’ simple interface in the form of boards with tasks and lists of tasks. Statuses of the tasks can be updated with one click of the mouse. One of the most convenient features is that a separate window is allocated for each user.

Trello is free to use in a limited version only.

Slack

This corporate messenger became one of the most popular business solutions for employee interaction in 2021. The web service runs on personal computers, iOS and Android devices and is often used as an alternative to Skype.

In its free version, one gets 5GB storage and 10K of messages for the team, as well as 10 integrations with popular tools and services. Paid plans start from $8 per user per month.

Wrike

Popular cloud service for setting tasks and project management in 2021. Numerous integrations are the hallmark of the application. Compared to other tools, Wrike offers relative simplicity and convenience.

As for the shortcomings, users note that the interface is too simple. The free plan offers 2 GB for the whole account and limited functions. Paid plans start from $9.8 per user per month.

Asana

A very popular task tracker in 2021 with an intuitive interface. This service can be used both in team and for personal purposes.

The tool presents wide functionality: scheduling, chatting, execution control and many more. Asana presents 3 plans to choose from depending on the goals of the company. The basic free plan includes up to 15 users and offers limited funclionality. Monthly paid plans start from $13.49 per user.

Shifton

Shifton is a great alternative to the aforementioned tools. The online application offers a wide range of tools for managing companies, projects and schedules, as well as 4 interface languages ​​to choose from. Shifton users can also set their preferred working hours, request a break or exchange shifts with colleagues within the app.

The service supports scheduling for any given number of employees who can use “Tasks” module. The module allows to manage tasks and related customer data, assign tasks to employees or allow them to take them on their own, establish deadlines for execution and completion of tasks, attach lists that employees fill in after the tasks are completed. Shifton is available for free for 2 months. After that, the monthly payment for “Tasks” module will be $0.5 per person.

The above list of software developers for managing team resources is by far not complete, but now you know where to start!

We hope that these tools will allow you to focus on the development of your business, as well as save time on organizational and marketing tasks.

Usually, those managers who deal with scheduling for teams and departments face a challenging task. They need to have the schedules created while taking into account all employees and their personal circumstances, sick leaves, days off, monthly and weekly work hours.

In case you still compile schedules and shifts on paper or in an Excel file it can take hours to make all the necessary updates. Various scheduling apps for sure take the burden of employee scheduling. They significantly reduce managers’ time and effort, improve teamwork and maximize uptime.

We know that Shifton online app is an excellent alternative to all popular analogs. Let’s compare Shifton features with WhenIWork functionality and make sure of that.

Free Trial Period	1 months	2 weeks
Min.cost	$1 per user per month	$2 per user per month
Support	Personal account manager	Chat bot
Automated Scheduling	yes	yes
Shifts Swapping	yes	yes
Breaks Swapping	yes	no
Payroll Calculation	yes	no
Tasks	yes	yes
Check Lists	yes	no
Availability	yes	no
Swapping Control	yes	yes
Integrations	yes	yes
Reports and Analysis	yes	yes
Reminders	yes	yes
Notifications	yes	yes

* Feature comparisons are compiled based on publicly available information as of September 2021.

As we can see from the comparison table, Shifton provides almost the same features as WhenIWork and even more – say, personal account manager, “Availability” option which ensures maximum flexibility for both employees and employers, not to mention a much longer free trial period and lower costs.

Want to make sure? Welcome to Shifton! Register and try all features of Shifton for 2 months free-of-charge!

Creating an efficient work schedule for employees is essential for maintaining productivity, ensuring fairness, and meeting business demands. A well-organized staff schedule helps businesses operate smoothly while balancing employee availability, preferences, and workload. However, scheduling employees can be challenging, especially when dealing with last-minute changes, shift swaps, and labor laws.

This guide outlines 16 steps to improve your staff scheduling process, covering essential employee scheduling techniques to schedule staff efficiently, reduce scheduling conflicts, and enhance business automation.

Things You Should Know and Implement in Work Scheduling

Work scheduling tools like Shifton enable managers to automate scheduling work and eliminate manual shift planning. HR professionals and team leads previously spent a significant portion of their time managing staff schedules, factoring in time-off requests and shift preferences. Now, business automation solutions streamline these tasks, allowing managers to focus on employee wellness, performance coaching, and workforce development.

Implementing work schedule technology effectively requires understanding the key elements of scheduling employees and shift management automation. Here are five crucial things to know when digitizing your staff scheduling process.

1. Better Time and Task Management

With workforce automation tools, managers can schedule employees efficiently while managing tasks and projects within the same system. This integration allows companies to improve time management, productivity, and team collaboration by ensuring employees know exactly what to do during their shifts.

A well-structured staff schedule should include shift assignments, task distribution, and project deadlines, ensuring that operations run smoothly. Shifton, a powerful scheduling solution, enables businesses to create schedules for employees while also assigning checklists and tasks to enhance service quality and operational efficiency.

2. Automation and Artificial Intelligence

A major advantage of an automatic employee scheduler is the use of AI-powered automation. With 62% of businesses either planning to implement or already using automation in the workplace, it’s clear that AI-driven scheduling solutions will become increasingly important for managers.

How to schedule employees effectively using automation:

• Input employee details, shift lengths, and availability into the system.
• Let the scheduling software optimized work schedules.
• The system automatically adjusts shifts based on time-off requests and workforce demand.
• Minimize scheduling conflicts with real-time updates and automated recommendations.

Using automation for businesses simplifies scheduling and staffing, reducing the need for manual adjustments and last-minute shift changes.

3. Cloud-Based Time Tracking

Around 44% of talent managers now rely on cloud-based workforce automation tools to track employee schedules and attendance. Modern employee scheduling techniques include cloud-based log-ins, allowing staff to clock in and out from anywhere. This feature is crucial for hybrid work models, remote teams, and businesses operating in multiple locations.

For companies requiring on-site check-ins, many scheduling tools offer GPS verification and IP-based clock-ins, ensuring accurate tracking of working schedules for employees. These digital time-tracking features enhance accountability and reduce payroll discrepancies while offering greater flexibility for employees.

4. Data Analytics for Scheduling Optimization

An effective work schedule should be data-driven. Digital scheduling solutions provide real-time analytics dashboards, offering insights into:

• Employee attendance and shift adherence.
• Total hours worked per period.
• Late arrivals, overtime, and productivity trends.
• Task completion rates per shift.

By leveraging data analytics in scheduling employees, businesses can identify inefficiencies, improve staffing decisions, and enhance performance tracking. These insights allow managers to refine their staff schedules, ensuring that labor costs align with operational needs while maintaining workforce productivity.

5. Automated Salary Calculation

One of the biggest advantages of business automation in scheduling and staffing is automated payroll processing. Instead of manually tracking hours and calculating wages, modern staff scheduling processes integrate payroll functions, simplifying salary calculations.

Key benefits of automation in salary processing:

• Tracks employee work hours and applies pre-set pay rates.
• Generates automated payroll reports based on actual time worked.
• Reduces payroll errors by eliminating manual data entry.
• Integrates with accounting and finance systems for seamless payroll processing.

With automated scheduling and payroll systems, HR teams can save significant time while ensuring accurate, timely salary disbursement.

16 Steps to Improve Your Staff Scheduling

Step 1: Establish What Your Team Needs to Do

Before you make a schedule for employees, identify the key responsibilities and tasks that need to be covered. Consider:

• What services or tasks must be completed daily?
• Which employees are best suited for specific roles?
• Are there peak hours requiring additional staff coverage?

Understanding workload distribution ensures that scheduling employees aligns with operational needs and ensures work is completed efficiently.

Step 2: Look at When You’re Busiest (and Slowest)

Analyze past performance data to determine your business’s busiest and slowest periods. Use insights from:

• Sales and customer traffic reports
• Call volume data (for customer support teams)
• Seasonal trends and demand fluctuations

By aligning staff schedules with actual demand, businesses optimize labor costs and ensure sufficient coverage during peak hours while avoiding overstaffing during slow periods.

Step 3: Predict Future Activity Levels

Predicting workload helps managers schedule employees fairly and effectively. Consider:

• Upcoming promotions or business events
• Holiday seasons or vacation requests
• Market trends that could impact customer demand

By anticipating future needs, managers can schedule staff proactively, preventing last-minute staffing shortages and ensuring an efficient working schedule for employees.

Step 4: Consider Your Staff Needs

A staff schedule should consider both business requirements and employee preferences. Employees who feel their needs are acknowledged are more likely to stay engaged and productive. When creating a schedule for employees, consider:

• Availability and requested time off
• Work-life balance considerations
• Skill levels and job roles

A fair and balanced schedule improves employee satisfaction, reduces burnout, and minimizes absenteeism.

Step 5: Select Your Shift Scheduling Method

Choosing the right approach to scheduling employees depends on your business model, workforce structure, and operational requirements. There are several employee scheduling techniques to consider:

• Fixed shifts – Employees work the same hours every day (e.g., 9 AM – 5 PM). Ideal for businesses with stable workloads.
• Rotating shifts – Employees alternate between different shifts (morning, evening, night). Common in healthcare, retail, and hospitality.
• Split shifts – Employees work two separate periods in a day (e.g., 8 AM – 12 PM, then 4 PM – 8 PM). Useful for businesses with fluctuating demand.
• On-call scheduling – Employees remain available for work if needed. Often used in healthcare and emergency services.
• Flexible scheduling – Employees choose their hours based on workload and business needs. Suitable for remote teams and creative industries.

Selecting the right staff scheduling process helps businesses optimize labor costs while ensuring efficient employee scheduling.

Step 6: Optimize Shift Schedules Based on Busy Hours

To maximize productivity, schedule staff based on peak and slow hours. Businesses should:

• Assign more employees during peak hours to improve service quality.
• Reduce staffing during slow hours to avoid unnecessary labor costs.
• Use historical data to predict demand fluctuations and adjust shifts accordingly.

A data-driven approach to scheduling employees so that work is completed ensures optimal resource allocation, helping businesses operate efficiently.

Step 7: Minimize Last-Minute Schedule Changes

Unexpected schedule changes disrupt workflow and frustrate employees. To prevent last-minute changes:

• Encourage employees to submit time-off requests in advance.
• Set a deadline for shift swaps and require management approval.
• Have backup employees available for urgent staffing needs.
• Use scheduling software to automate last-minute adjustments.

By minimizing scheduling conflicts, businesses maintain staff scheduling stability and improve employee satisfaction.

Step 8: Ensure Schedules Are Readily Available

A work schedule for employees should be easy to access, reducing confusion and miscommunication. To improve accessibility:

• Share schedules digitally via an online portal or mobile app.
• Post printed schedules in break rooms or common areas.
• Notify employees of schedule updates in real time to avoid misunderstandings.

Clear communication ensures employees stay informed about their work schedules, reducing absenteeism and scheduling errors.

Step 9: Balancing the Needs of the Business and Employees

Effective staff schedule management requires a balance between business demands and employee well-being. While businesses must maintain productivity and profitability, they should also consider employee preferences to boost engagement and retention.

Strategies for balancing business and employee needs:

• Offer flexible scheduling when possible to accommodate personal commitments.
• Rotate shifts fairly to prevent overburdening certain employees.
• Implement clear policies for requesting time off or swapping shifts.
• Encourage open communication between managers and staff about scheduling concerns.

A well-balanced schedule for employees improves morale, reduces turnover, and creates a more motivated workforce.

Step 10: Be Aware of Events and Factors That Influence a Schedule

Certain external factors impact employee scheduling best practices, requiring businesses to remain adaptable.

Common factors affecting schedules:

• Public holidays and seasonal demand – Businesses must prepare for increased workloads or reduced staff availability.
• Weather conditions – Outdoor jobs may be delayed due to weather disruptions.
• Industry trends – Economic shifts or customer preferences can impact staffing needs.
• Unexpected emergencies – Employee absences due to illness or family emergencies require contingency plans.

Monitoring these factors helps businesses adjust work schedules for employees proactively, preventing staffing shortages or inefficiencies.

Step 11: Distribute the Schedule to Employees

Once the staff schedule is finalized, businesses must ensure that every employee receives it on time.

Best practices for distributing schedules:

• Send schedules in advance to give employees time to plan.
• Use an online scheduling platform for easy updates and access.
• Post physical copies in common areas for reference.
• Allow employees to acknowledge receipt to confirm they’ve seen their shifts.

Making schedules easily accessible helps manage employee schedules effectively while reducing confusion and miscommunication.

Step 12: Establish a Team Communication Strategy

A strong communication strategy ensures employees stay informed and engaged with scheduling updates.

Ways to improve team communication:

• Use scheduling apps to send automatic shift reminders.
• Create a dedicated chat group for discussing shift swaps or updates.
• Encourage feedback to identify scheduling concerns early.
• Hold regular meetings to discuss staffing challenges and solutions.

Clear communication enhances staff scheduling efficiency, preventing last-minute confusion and conflicts.

Step 13: Periodically Evaluate Your Schedule and Process

The staff scheduling process should be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains effective. Businesses should analyze key performance metrics to determine whether their scheduling strategy meets operational and employee needs.

How to evaluate your scheduling process:

• Track attendance and punctuality – Identify patterns of absenteeism or lateness.
• Monitor workload distribution – Ensure shifts are fairly balanced among employees.
• Collect employee feedback – Ask staff about scheduling challenges and improvements.
• Assess customer satisfaction – Ensure staffing levels align with customer service quality.

By periodically reviewing and refining the schedule, businesses can improve efficiency and employee satisfaction, making scheduling more adaptable to changing demands.

Step 14: Monitor and Adjust as Necessary

Even a well-planned work schedule for employees requires adjustments over time. Businesses should remain flexible and responsive to changing circumstances.

Best practices for monitoring and adjusting schedules:

• Use scheduling software to track employee hours and shift coverage in real time.
• Address understaffing issues quickly by assigning additional workers when necessary.
• Adjust shifts based on employee performance and workload needs.
• Be proactive about conflicts, resolving them before they escalate.

Regular monitoring ensures efficient employee scheduling while allowing managers to make data-driven decisions to optimize staff schedules.

Step 15: Comply with Legal Requirements

Businesses must follow labor laws and regulations when creating employee schedules to avoid legal risks.

Key compliance considerations:

• Minimum rest periods – Ensure employees get adequate breaks between shifts.
• Overtime regulations – Track overtime hours and compensate employees accordingly.
• Fair scheduling laws – Some regions require advance notice for shift changes.
• Work-hour restrictions – Certain industries have limits on maximum work hours.

Understanding and complying with employee scheduling best practices protects businesses from penalties and legal disputes while ensuring fair working conditions.

Step 16: Use Scheduling Software

Using automation for businesses simplifies the staff scheduling process, reducing administrative workload and improving accuracy. A scheduling app helps businesses:

• Automate shift assignments to match employee availability and workload.
• Provide real-time schedule updates to employees.
• Allow staff to request time off and swap shifts digitally.
• Generate reports on labor costs, attendance, and performance.

By implementing workforce automation, businesses can save time, reduce scheduling conflicts, and ensure employees receive fair and efficient work schedules.

What Are the Benefits of Using Scheduling Software for Employees?

Investing in scheduling software provides businesses with a structured and efficient way to schedule employees, reduce errors, and improve workforce management. Below are the key benefits of using automation in the workplace for scheduling.

1. Streamline Scheduling

Manual scheduling is time-consuming and prone to human error. Scheduling software helps businesses make a schedule for employees efficiently by:

• Automating shift creation and adjustments.
• Reducing the risk of double-booking employees.
• Allowing managers to easily update schedules in real time.
• Providing templates for repetitive scheduling patterns.

With automation for businesses, managers can schedule employees quickly and accurately, ensuring smooth operations.

2. Improve Communication

An employee schedule should be easily accessible to all staff members. Scheduling software enhances communication by:

• Sending automatic notifications about shift assignments and changes.
• Providing a centralized platform where employees can view schedules.
• Enabling direct communication between managers and staff for shift swaps.

With better communication, employees stay informed and engaged, reducing confusion about their work schedules.

3. Reduce Scheduling Conflicts

Conflicts arise when multiple employees request the same time off or shifts are assigned unfairly. Scheduling software prevents these issues by:

• Highlighting potential scheduling conflicts before they occur.
• Allow employees to submit availability and time-off requests digitally.
• Offering automated conflict resolution to adjust shifts as needed.

This ensures fair scheduling and balanced workload distribution, leading to higher employee satisfaction.

4. Boost Efficiency

A well-organized staff schedule improves efficiency by ensuring that the right employees are assigned at the right times. Scheduling software helps by:

• Aligning shifts with business demand and peak hours.
• Tracking employee performance and attendance trends.
• Eliminating manual scheduling errors that cause operational slowdowns.

By scheduling employees effectively, businesses can increase productivity and reduce labor costs.

5. Scale Business Growth

As businesses expand, managing staff schedules manually becomes unsustainable. Workforce automation helps scale operations by:

• Handling larger teams and multiple locations efficiently.
• Integrating with payroll and HR software to streamline workforce management.
• Allowing flexible shift structures to accommodate business growth.

With the best way to schedule employee shifts, businesses can scale while maintaining effective employee scheduling.

Optimizing Scheduling with Shifton

Shifton is a powerful employee scheduling solution designed to help businesses manage employee schedules, optimize shift planning, and streamline workforce automation. Whether you need to schedule employees effectively, reduce conflicts, or improve shift visibility, Shifton provides the right tools for business automation and staff schedule management.

Key Features of Shifton for Staff Scheduling

• Automated Shift Scheduling – Create efficient work schedules for employees in just a few clicks.
• Employee Availability Tracking – Prevent scheduling conflicts by matching shifts with employee availability.
• Real-Time Schedule Updates – Instantly notify employees of any shift changes or updates.
• Shift Swaps & Time-Off Management – Allow employees to swap shifts and request time off digitally.
• Payroll & Time Tracking Integration – Sync work hours with payroll systems for accurate salary processing.
• Multi-Location Scheduling – Manage staff schedules across multiple branches or locations.

How Shifton Helps Businesses Schedule Employees Effectively

Shifton is designed to simplify the staff scheduling process, ensuring that businesses can:

• Make a schedule for employees quickly and accurately.
• Reduce last-minute changes and ensure reliable shift coverage.
• Improve employee engagement by offering fair and transparent scheduling.
• Save time on manual scheduling and focus on business growth.
• Ensure compliance with labor laws through automated scheduling rules.

Why Choose Shifton for Workforce Automation?

Shifton’s intuitive interface and automation tools make it one of the best ways to schedule employee shifts for businesses of all sizes. By implementing Shifton, companies can:

• Reduce scheduling errors by automating shift assignments.
• Increase efficiency by aligning work schedules with business demand.
• Enhance flexibility for employees while ensuring operational consistency.

With Shifton’s staff scheduling software, businesses can effectively manage employee schedules, reduce conflicts, and optimize shift planning for long-term success.

Final Thoughts on Employee Scheduling

Effective staff scheduling is essential for maintaining productivity, ensuring fair work distribution, and optimizing business operations. By following these 16 steps, businesses can schedule employees effectively, minimize conflicts, and improve workforce satisfaction.

Key Takeaways:

• Plan ahead by analyzing business needs, peak hours, and employee availability.
• Use data-driven scheduling to match staffing levels with demand.
• Ensure fairness by considering employee preferences and legal requirements.
• Improve communication by making schedules easily accessible.
• Leverage scheduling software like Shifton to automate shift planning, reduce errors, and improve efficiency.

A well-structured work schedule for employees not only benefits the business but also enhances employee engagement and retention. By investing in workforce automation, companies can streamline operations and focus on growth rather than administrative tasks.

With the right employee scheduling techniques and tools, businesses can save time, reduce costs, and create a more efficient work environment.

Start optimizing your staff scheduling today and build a stronger, more productive workforce!

Shifton is a state-of-the-art online tool designed for planning the work of employees in a company. Shifton offers access to a wide range of useful features: customizable work schedules, shift templates, simplified shift swapping, integrated compliance with labor laws and many other useful modules that allow you to quickly and efficiently build schedules for employees.

This is what makes the Shifton online app unique:

One-click scheduling using pre-configured templates

Company managers can track the workflow in a flexible task management system. Shifton also provides all employees with the opportunity to choose tasks within their competence.

For example, waiters in a restaurant can send each other requests for shift swaps. Depending on the schedule settings, such swaps can take place without the participation of the senior manager, or they can be sent to the manager for confirmation. Thus, the restaurant owner will never find himself in a situation when there is not enough staff on shifts. In addition, the system automatically makes changes to the schedule and all this information is stored in one place.

Smart payroll

Shifton allows a company owner to collect in one place information on the salary of employees, daily and weekly overtime calculations, unique events’ rates, bonuses, penalties and other data. An employee can fill more than one position within a company and receive different salaries for their work.

Since different countries use different laws, Shifton helps companies with remote employees located in different countries comply with all labor law requirements. Integration with Quickbooks and other popular accounting programs is also available.

Tracking attendance

The Shifton attendance tracking module provides accurate information on shift start and end as well as time-offs in real time mode. The function is available for stationary computers and smartphones, as well as via GPS or network.

Shifton system checks the set schedule in real time mode, comparing the time of shifts and breaks. A separate feature also allows you to automatically mark the end of the shift if employees forget to do so manually.

If necessary, company management can collect data on the location of employees for their visits to the workplace. For example, if an employee is constantly on the move between company offices with Wi-Fi network and static IP-address, the Shifton system can be configured to accept events only from specific static IP-address, ensuring that the employee is at the workplace.

How Shifton can improve bank workflow management

The full-fledged activity of the bank is impossible without well-coordinated work of all its branches and a competently drawn up work schedule. These days commercial and state-owned banks have been considering working not only on regular working days, but also on holidays. In addition, the current situation with lockdowns also requires flexible adjustments to the realities of life.

Shifton online application is a real help for any bank

Maximum automation of the workflow helps to simplify the life of the bank owner. Shifton online app helps to distribute employees to departments, keep track of their working hours and manage work schedules.

In addition, the functionality of the application allows to establish effective communication and management of those employees who are located in different time zones, or work remotely. In order to add employees to Shifton system, the manager needs to add only their first names, last names, mobile phone numbers or emails.

Using Shifton, the bank manager can add an unlimited number of employees, give them various tasks and give them different access levels. Shifton “Departments, Projects” module allows to instantly transfer employees from one department to another if required. Shifton also provides the opportunity to effectively coordinate staff work and compare statistics and monthly metrics.

Another useful feature of the application is the ability to transfer and save all the necessary documentation in a secure cloud storage. Since Shifton online app is available 24/7, any bank employee with the appropriate authority can request all the necessary information at any time.

Using Shifton app, bank managers can create and edit regular and holiday schedules for different departments or individual employees. At the same time, they can quickly make changes to already created schedules.

For example, if a bank closes earlier than usual on holidays, the schedule can be shortened to the required hour. In addition, thanks to the “Bonuses and Penalties” module, you can assign additional bonuses to employees who take their shifts on holidays.

Having a smart work schedule is essential for establishing a stable workflow in a bank. However, the schedule should be flexible. Any employee can be absent for any reason: sick-leave, family circumstances, hospitalization, etc. For such cases, the “Open shifts” option will come in handy, allowing the bank to function as planned regardless of how long one or another employee is absent.

With Shifton, a modern online scheduling tool, you can easily manage a bank workflow with any number of branches and employees.

How can Shifton optimize restaurant operations

Competent organization of workflow is crucial for the successful work of a restaurant. The lack of effective schedules for workers can easily lower the level of customer service and increase the risk of staff departure.

This article suggests on how Shifton app can help restaurant owners improve the efficiency of their staff.

How to improve the productivity of restaurant employees?

In order to always be aware of what is happening in the restaurant, set your work schedules with Shifton online app. Thanks to its easy-to-use structure, this application can be implemented for tracking of working hours in many catering institutions. Restaurant managers have instant access to all the information regarding schedules, employee shifts, and more since the data is stored in one place.

Modules available in Shifton app are specially developed for restaurants and allow smart distribution of shifts between employees, taking into account overtime hours. These options significantly save time spent on scheduling and numerous revisions, which influences staff productivity directly.

Moreover, Shifton provides all employees with the option to propose schedule changes and be notified of all the updates in working schedules. For example, if there is a need to replace a sick or absent employee, his colleagues get corresponding notification on an open shift and can quickly take it over. If necessary, the request for confirmation of the swap is sent to the manager or shift supervisor, which provides full control of all operations with the schedule.

Shifton is the optimal online app for increase of motivation among employees

When creating a schedule for a restaurant, it is essential to take into account the workload on holidays and other dates with peaks in visitors. Shifton online app allows you to create schedules with the most optimal staff rotation for the most loaded shifts (for example, on Friday evenings or holidays).

Accordingly, each employee will have the opportunity to earn additional income from time to time. Such approach in scheduling allows you to kill two birds with one stone: keep experienced workers focused and give newcomers a chance to prove themselves.

For effective restaurant management you can use other methods of employee motivation. For example, Shifton “Bonuses and Penalties” module displays the relevant information to the managers of the restautant, and employees can check the amount of his earnings for current month in their accounts. This awareness allows the employees of the restaurant to effectively control their income.

Summing up

Shifton online app provides restaurant management with a complete picture of the shifts scheduling. Shifton allows managers to reduce the time spent on creation of effective work schedules and focus on other aspects of running a restaurant business.

The Shifton module “Pay rate reports” helps to correctly calculate the salary of employees and keep track of overtime hours. The “Bonuses and Fines” module records all rewards and fines. The “Attendance” module displays the real time when employees start and end their shifts and breaks and summarizes this information for statistics.

Moreover, Shifton developers always listen to the requests of the customers and are ready to customize the capabilities of the app to suit the needs of your business.

* All original photographs courtesy of DialogMarket call senter. The review of Shifton by Coffee Molly founder Irina Uskova can be found here.