Everyone is sometimes guilty of putting off important tasks. People often believe that they have endless time for work. The deadline edges closer, while tasks remain incomplete. Chronic procrastination can lead to serious consequences: from being reprimanded to losing the job. With that said, here are a few tips on how to stop procrastinating.

Dealing with procrastination begins with identifying the root of the problem

Anyone can feel overwhelmed by the workload. First, you have to choose a top priority task. Before you begin, understand the causes of procrastination. Perhaps, you are afraid to get the task wrong or are unsure about it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your colleagues.

Today is a good day to start

If you don’t know how to overcome procrastination, the best solution is to start working straight away. If a task seems too complicated and you think that you won’t have time to do it, try the following. Think of a task that will take you 5 minutes to finish and do it. Then, get a timer going and try working on that complicated task for 5 minutes. If you start doing something, you are more likely to see it through, as you tend to remember unfinished tasks. That way your chance to overcome procrastination increases.

Divide your working hours into blocks

Eliminate all distractions and focus on your work. We suggest that you divide a working hour into 20-minute blocks and take short breaks between them. The brain works in cycles with high and low activity periods. To reach the peak of productivity, one must be mindful of these fluctuations, balancing their work and rest time respectfully.

Make a bet

Another way to boost your productivity is by making a bet with a friend. Choose a time and date as a deadline for your task. Next, offer your friend a bit of money, coffee or lunch should you fail to finish the task on time. This will provide extra motivation.

Think positively about past instances of procrastination

Try not to be too hard on yourself for your past instances of procrastination. This problem often affects perfectionists and people who are afraid to fail. Keep up the positivity and don’t let negative thoughts creep into your mind.

We hope that our article will free you from the procrastination trap.

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 prioritise tasks is to write them down

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

Organise everything

Once you have compiled a list of tasks, 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 tasks 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 tasks during your shift. If you don’t have time, do the task tomorrow. Note that this method doesn’t work for tasks that need immediate attention.
2. Recurring
   You don’t have to write down every single thing that has to be done daily. For example, if you share articles on social media or are in charge of e-mail campaigns. 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 ones 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 numerical list won’t work. Your aim is not to blindly follow the items on the list, but to focus on high priority tasks. The remaining work can be done in whatever order you see fit.

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

Difficulties in scheduling and solutions

If you’re running a company’s work schedule and are reading this article, it’s likely you’re facing challenges with scheduling shifts for staff.

Here, you’ll find three common issues that come up when compiling a work schedule, along with the best solutions for them. Start implementing today!

Issue №1: Last-minute scheduling

Leaving shift scheduling to the last minute isn’t wise. Managers need to ensure that the shift schedule is available as early as possible so employees can plan their month. Otherwise, many workers might have to choose between personal commitments and work.

Solution:

Plan your schedules in advance to allow all employees the chance to review the schedule and make changes if needed. The numerous templates available on the Shifton online service let you do this in just a few clicks!

Issue №2: Uneven shift distribution

By manually adjusting the schedule, managers can miss the unequal distribution of shifts. As a result, some workers may end up not working the required hours, while others may overwork, potentially breaching labour laws.

Solution:

To avoid this, use Shifton, an automated service for scheduling work and shifts. This way, employees won’t have any grounds to accuse the manager of negligence and carelessness!

Issue №3: Lack of modern tools

Managers still using pen and paper for scheduling not only complicate things for themselves but are also more prone to mistakes. Moreover, the constant calls and messages on executives and staff’s personal phones consume time and lead to poor work-life balance.

Solution:

With user-friendly software like Shifton, you can greatly simplify scheduling and communication within the company. Notifications arrive almost instantly on the mobile version of the online app, and employees can swap shifts themselves, saving managers a lot of time.

By automating staff scheduling with the Shifton online service, you can achieve consistent results, reduce errors, cut costs, and boost productivity and overall employee satisfaction.

If you’re not using Shifton for your business yet, now’s the time to start! Register and trial all the online application’s features for free throughout the trial period!

How to Boost Call Centre Employees’ Efficiency

Most call centre managers utilise standard methods to motivate employees and achieve their objectives (such as bonuses, allowances, and benefits). However, if you’re genuinely keen on growing your company, you should explore new approaches to enhance operators’ productivity.

Here are 5 intriguing ideas that will assist you in increasing your call centre employees’ efficiency by at least 10%.

1. 15-minute vouchers

Are there any operators who would turn down the opportunity to finish work 15 minutes early without losing pay?

Many call centres aim to encourage their employees with various bonuses (such as sweet treats or movie tickets). Nevertheless, in every company, there will be staff who don’t enjoy sweets and prefer the theatre. But nearly everyone wishes to leave work early!

15-minute vouchers for the top-performing call centre employees can be an excellent motivator for better work. This solution allows you to encourage nearly any operator.

2. Collecting acknowledgements

Many call centre operators resent that while all customer complaints are logged, formalised, and forwarded to management, compliments and appreciation often go unrecorded.

Meanwhile, gathering and sharing feedback from grateful customers can significantly boost the motivation of call centre employees. Try distributing last week’s recorded thank you messages weekly to the operators who received them.

This provides a fantastic opportunity for all other employees to understand the significance of their work. And staff who receive gratitude will feel valued by the company.

3. Call of the month

The toughest calls from the most demanding clients shouldn’t be overlooked, either.

It’s beneficial if your call centre engages in call record analysis regularly. This way, you can efficiently select the call of the month by gathering feedback from managers and supervisors.

Once you’ve identified an exemplary instance of a particularly challenging or stressful situation that occurred during a call, you can identify the most effective behavioural strategies for those situations. Such an analysis can serve not only as recognition for the operator-hero of the call but also as an additional motivation for employees who handle such calls successfully.

4. Daytime vitality

It’s no secret that between the afternoon and the end of the working day, a significant dip in workers’ productivity often occurs. But here’s a quick and easy way to prevent this!

Consider asking your call centre employees to stand up, rather than sit down, for an hour after lunch! This approach prevents a drop in activity and makes operators’ voices sound more energetic and engaging.

Of course, such an innovation should be implemented only voluntarily. Moreover, workers with disabilities or back problems, etc., should be warned of potential health issues.

5. Schedule flexibility

A constant challenge for call centre managers is ensuring enough employees are available for a given project. A shortage of operators significantly impacts the working conditions of the entire team and naturally reduces productivity.

A competent manager always strives to be accommodating to the requests of employees who need to adjust their schedules. For instance, many parents will want to take leave during school holidays, and students will want time off during a college exam period.

Only a well-designed scheduling tool allows you to create a call centre timetable that meets all employees’ needs. This will aid management in achieving its goals and bring financial benefits to the company in the long run.

How do you consider each employee’s personal issues while simultaneously complying with all labour law requirements? We’ve got a solution!

Conclusion

The Shifton online service will assist you in quickly and efficiently creating and editing the company’s work schedule and employee rosters using convenient templates, as well as confirming requests for leave or sick leave with a single click. Additionally, operators can swap shifts independently, reducing the burden on call centre managers.

If you’re not using Shifton for your business yet, now’s the time to start! Register and try all the features of the online application for free throughout the entire trial period!

Top 5 Cloud Call Centre Software in 2021-2022

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

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

Optimisation of business processes is also important: the ability to monitor the performance of operators in particular and departments in general, analyse key performance indicators and monitor the work of the call centre in real-time mode.

When choosing call centre 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
• Centralised data collection
• Reduced costs
• Increased sales and customer satisfaction
• Enhanced data security
• Multichannel support

5 Best Cloud Call Centre Programmes in 2021-2022

1. Shifton
   Manual scheduling shifts for operators takes too much time and effort for call centre managers. The Shifton online app optimises 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 centre. 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 centre customers.
2. CloudTalk
   This innovative cloud-based software provides several unique tools for call centres. 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 centre with all available devices from anywhere in the world while maintaining local presence with local phone numbers. In addition, this call centre software offers hundreds of integrations with CRM, e-commerce, tech support, shopping carts, Zapier and APIs.
3. Avaya
   Avaya Contact Centre 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 Centre 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 centre software offers engagement recording, voice analytics, and automated scheduling features.
4. MyOperator
   MyOperator call centre software allows you to manage multiple calls without spending too much time and effort. The benefit of using this call centre 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
   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 centre software helps improve efficiency, productivity and customer service. We choose the Shifton online service since it is the perfect application for efficient call centre 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 centre reporting

Telemarketing and statistics analysis is one of the most important activities in a call centre. 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 centre 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 centre 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 centre statistical reports

When evaluating the work of a call centre, 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 analysing 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 centre 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 centre 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 centre 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 optimise processes in the company in time.

Forecasts and reports obtained using the Shifton cloud service allow additional optimisation of the call centre 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 centre

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

When choosing a call centre 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 centre 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 centre 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 centre 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 centre 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 optimise processes in the company right in time.

Perfect integration

Call centre 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 centre 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 Centre 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 centre 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, boost 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 changing needs, create transparency, connect collaboratively, and put an end to manual work.

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

Free of charge individual plan includes 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 for both team and 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 functionality. 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 the “Tasks” module. The module allows for managing tasks and related customer data, assigning tasks to employees or allowing them to take them on their own, establishing deadlines for execution and completion of tasks, and attaching lists that employees fill in after the tasks are completed. Shifton is available for free for 2 months. After that, the monthly payment for the “Tasks” module will be $0.5 per person.

The above list of software developers for managing team resources is by no means complete, but now you know where to start!

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

Usually, those managers who deal with scheduling for teams and departments face a tricky task. They need to have the schedules created whilst considering all employees and their personal circumstances, sick leave, days off, monthly and weekly work hours.

If you still compile schedules and shifts on paper or using an Excel file, it can take hours to make all the necessary updates. Various scheduling apps do take the burden off staff scheduling. They significantly reduce managers’ time and effort, improve teamwork and maximise uptime.

We know that the Shifton online app is an excellent alternative to all popular equivalents. Let’s compare Shifton’s features with WhenIWork’s functionality and be sure about it.

Free Trial Period	1 month	2 weeks
Min.cost	R1 per user per month	R2 per user per month
Support	Personal account manager	Chatbot
Automated Scheduling	yes	yes
Shifts Swapping	yes	yes
Breaks Swapping	yes	no
Payroll Calculation	yes	no
Tasks	yes	yes
Checklists	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 – such as a personal account manager and an “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 the 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 labour 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 leaders 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 digitising 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 optimise work schedules.
• The system automatically adjusts shifts based on time-off requests and workforce demand.
• Minimise 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 Optimisation

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 labour 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)

Analyse 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 optimise labour 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 leave requests
• Market trends that could affect customer demand

By predicting future needs, managers can schedule staff proactively, avoiding last-minute staffing shortages and ensuring an efficient work 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 remain 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 minimises 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.

Choosing the right staff scheduling process helps businesses optimise labour costs while ensuring efficient employee scheduling.

Step 6: Optimise Shift Schedules Based on Busy Hours

To maximise 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 labour 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: Minimise 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 minimising 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 finalised, 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 analyse 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 optimise staff schedules.

Step 15: Comply with Legal Requirements

Businesses must follow labour 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 labour 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 ought to be easily accessible to all staff members. Scheduling software improves communication by:

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

With improved 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.
• Allowing 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-organised 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 labour costs.

5. Scale Business Growth

As businesses expand, managing staff schedules manually becomes unsustainable. Workforce automation aids in scaling 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.

Optimising Scheduling with Shifton

Shifton is a powerful employee scheduling solution designed to help businesses manage employee schedules, optimise 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 labour 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 optimise shift planning for long-term success.

Final Thoughts on Employee Scheduling

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

Key Takeaways:

• Plan ahead by analysing 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, cut costs, and create a more efficient work environment.

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

Shifton is a cutting-edge online tool made for planning the work of employees in a company. Shifton offers access to a wide range of useful features: customizable work schedules, shift templates, easier shift swapping, integrated compliance with labour laws and many other helpful modules that enable you to swiftly and effectively 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 gives all employees the opportunity to choose tasks within their competence.

For instance, waiters in a restaurant can send each other requests for shift swaps. Depending on the schedule settings, such swaps can occur without involving the senior manager, or they can be sent to the manager for confirmation. Hence, the restaurant owner will never find themselves in a situation where there is not enough staff on shifts. Moreover, the system automatically updates the schedule and all this information is stored in one place.

Smart payroll

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

Since different countries have different laws, Shifton helps companies with remote employees located in various countries to comply with all labour 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 moving between company offices with a Wi-Fi network and static IP address, the Shifton system can be configured to accept events only from specific static IP addresses, ensuring that the employee is at the workplace.

How Shifton can enhance bank workflow management

The seamless operation of the bank is impossible without well-coordinated work of all its branches and a suitably crafted work schedule. Nowadays, both commercial and state-owned banks have been considering operating not only on regular working days but also on public holidays. Additionally, the present circumstance with lockdowns also necessitates flexible adjustments to fit the realities of life.

Shifton online application is a real asset for any bank

Maximum automation of the workflow helps to make the life of the bank owner easier. Shifton online app assists in allocating employees to departments, keeping track of their working hours, and managing work schedules.

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

Using Shifton, the bank manager can add an unlimited number of employees, assign them various tasks, and provide them with different access levels. Shifton’s “Departments, Projects” module enables instant transfers of employees from one department to another if needed. Shifton also offers the opportunity to efficiently coordinate staff work and compare statistics and monthly metrics.

Another handy feature of the application is the ability to transfer and save all the necessary documentation in 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 swiftly make alterations to already established schedules.

For instance, if a bank closes earlier than usual on public holidays, the schedule can be adjusted to the required hour. Furthermore, thanks to the “Bonuses and Penalties” module, you can assign additional bonuses to employees who work their shifts on holidays.

Having a smart work schedule is crucial for establishing a stable workflow in a bank. However, the schedule should be adaptable. Any employee can be absent for various reasons: sick leave, family matters, hospitalisation, etc. For such situations, the “Open shifts” option will be beneficial, allowing the bank to operate as planned regardless of how long one or another employee is away.

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