Key Mobile Enhancements for Employee Scheduling Software
8 billion times per day—the number of times U.S. citizens look at their phone according to a recent report by Deloitte. If every citizen had a mobile phone, that’s more than 24 times per day! It’s no wonder that HR departments leveraging mobile tools reach 51% more employees when they invest in self-service, mobile, and help desk solutions.
In light of this, how can HR leverage the rising trend in mobile usage to make a simpler and more user friendly experience when it comes to employee scheduling? This blog will highlight a few ways in which mobile employee scheduling tools are increasing employee engagement and reducing the cost of employee scheduling.
How is Mobile Enhancing the Employee Scheduling Experience?
Mobile employee scheduling tools give employees greater control and flexibility over when they work. Key mobile features include:
- Mobile Shift Swapping Means More Work Flexibility: Employees have the ability to request a shift-swap with a specific employee, or put the request out to all qualified employees. Through shift constraints, employee shift swap requests can be set to extend only to those employees that have the qualifications to fill the shift, or only those employees that could fill the shift without achieving overtime.
- Mobile Shift Requests Give Greater Control Over Schedule: Employees have the ability to request or sign up for open shifts as they become available, meaning building their work schedule around their life.
- Mobile Notifications Give Instant Updates: Employees get instant SMS notifications on their mobile devices when a new schedule has been posted, open shifts are made available, or when colleagues request a shift swap or coverage. That means faster coverage for unexpected gaps.
Providing employees with greater control over when they work helps with retention and talent acquisition, especially in high turnover industries, like retail.
How is Mobile Enhancing HR’s Scheduling Experience?
From an administrator standpoint, mobile scheduling tools are simplifying the way HR meets labor demands while putting the right employees in the right shifts. Key mobile features include:
- Quick Communications and Less Calling: Send immediate notifications to specific employees, or a group of employees when a schedule has been posted or updated, or when a last-minute coverage gap emerges. This minimizes the time spent maintaining call lists and calling employees.
- Employee-Driven Changes Reduce Admin Time: Rather than an employee contacting HR to request a shift swap or to work open shifts, employees can initiate and complete the process themselves. Some technologies allow HR to track how reliable employees are by the number of shifts they decline or accept.
- Improved Compliance Reduces Call-In Pay Penalties: With increasing regulations, such as NY State’s proposed call-in pay mandate, that penalize employers for imposing last-minute changes to employee schedules, mobile scheduling tools can help employers avoid mandatory call-in pay by providing simple ways for employees to voluntarily request or accept open shifts.
By harnessing the momentum of a mobile-trending culture, employers gain the ability to reduce the burden of scheduling employers while creating a favorable and engaging experience for their employees.
To learn more about the types of questions to be asking when considering employee scheduling software, read our article 10 Questions to Consider When Reviewing Employee Scheduling Software.
