The key to easy scheduling is tracking availability automatically
Flexible working patterns have really taken off over recent years – and they aren’t going anywhere any time soon. From shift workers to part-time employees to staff on zero-hours contracts, flexibility is highly-prized by employers and employees alike.
Zero-hours contracts have been under scrutiny for some time now, with ongoing government consultations looking to ensure that contracts are fair for both parties. That’s all well and good and we welcome it... but the extensive media coverage can overshadow good news.
Research by the CIPD found that most employees on zero-hours contracts report that the benefits outweigh the downsides (CIPD: ‘Zero-hours contracts – Evolution and current status’). And it’s not difficult to understand why. With the flexibility to work for more than one employer and to arrange work around other commitments such as childcare, ZHC workers actually report higher levels of wellbeing than other types of workers.
Employers, of course, also benefit hugely from recruiting ZHC staff. From the hospitality industry to the entertainment, leisure, service and healthcare sectors, they’re the cost-effective answer to numerous staffing issues. Whether you’re dealing with the ebb and flow of fluctuating demand or covering absences, ZHC workers will often be your first port of call.
But despite the benefits, there’s no denying that managing a complex workforce including ZHC staff can be extremely challenging.
Demanding, time-consuming and stressful
When people think of the qualities that make a great manager, they usually cite examples like leadership skills, good communication and hands-on experience. But being a whizz at scheduling rotas? Not so much.
Unfortunately, it’s often the case that scheduling takes a big chunk out of the time you’d rather spend looking after your team and your customers. Trying to avoid costly mistakes makes it one of the jobs managers find very stressful, too.
Depending on the size of the team you’re managing, it can be virtually impossible to accurately track who can – and who cannot - work at specific times on specific days. And if you can’t track your team’s availability accurately, in real-time, then sooner or later you’ll have to deal with problems arising from a gap in your schedule.
In addition to availability, you’ll almost certainly have other scheduling factors to consider, too. Here’s what Suzanne had to say about scheduling shift changes, drawing on her long experience in the care sector.
“In the care sector, it’s notoriously difficult to stay on top of rotas. You don’t just have to juggle who works what hours on which days, you have to juggle job types as well. You also have to provide as much continuity for patients as possible. So if I need a replacement for Susan Smith who was due to visit Mrs Jones, for example, I need to find someone who (a) knows Mrs Jones, (b) is qualified to the same or a higher level as Susan, (c) has extensive experience with dementia, (d) is available on Tuesday afternoons, (e) is happy to do home visits, (f) is local to Leeds, and (g) is on a suitable pay grade. With hundreds of scheduling problems like this arising every day, it would be impossible to solve them all without the help of intelligent, automated software like Nextra’s.”
- Suzanne Wilson, Care Consultant
So if scheduling is such a headache, what’s the answer?
Nextra has a wide range of software solutions on offer, but our Time and Attendance module and our Rostering module are both key to solving most ZHC scheduling problems.
With these two modules, you can see live displays of staff availability, segmented as you see fit. So you can view real-time availability by teams, departments, skill-sets, pay-grades, qualifications... or any other defining factor you want us to build into your software.
What’s more, at the same time as solving your scheduling problems, our automated software takes care of other ZHC headaches like calculating holiday allowances and providing audit-ready compliance reports.
Our modules track actual hours worked, which means that payroll and holiday accruals are recorded automatically. So whereas confusion or disputes often arise for ZHC staff over holiday pay, for instance, with Nextra all qualifying hours are clearly documented. And as a bonus, accurate tracking of hours worked also makes compliance reporting a breeze.
To summarise, the benefits of these two modules alone include:
Software packages start from just £2250 p.a
As already mentioned, Nextra’s software is modular. So you only ever pay for the modules you need, adding and subtracting other options as your needs change over time. That makes it extremely cost-effective, with prices starting at just £2,250 p.a.
It may be, of course, that you’d prefer an all-bells-and-whistles solution to managing your workforce efficiently. No problem. With nine modules and over 70 platforms and apps to choose from, we can design, build and implement the perfect software system for your unique requirements.
Calling time on manual scheduling for Rhymney Brewery
Our market-leading Time and Attendance software transformed workforce management practices for Rhymney Brewery.
With nine pubs across different locations, a dispersed workforce with varied shift patterns and multi-skilled workers, Rhymney Brewery’s manual processes for tracking hours, scheduling shifts and tracking payroll were no longer fit for purpose.
By automating timesheets and leveraging geolocation for clocking in and out, we helped Rhymney Brewery overcome the challenges of manual processes, varied shift patterns and multi-location management. What’s more, by empowering employees with our user-friendly interface, we increased employee satisfaction at the same time.
You can read more about how our market-leading software solution transformed Rhymney Brewery’s workforce management practices here.
“We were using pen and paper to manage our multiple sites, roles and responsibilities - and it wasn’t working. We needed a system that could manage all our sites and employees, along with their shifts and pay rates. Nextra stood out instantly as our preferred partner. Their Time and Attendance system catered for all our requirements, driving significant efficiencies for our business. They delivered confidently, and even built us a pilot system as a proof of concept when we requested one. Within days, we were hooked on the solution. It’s not just about the system; the whole Nextra team worked together to deliver a solution that meets and exceeds our needs.”
- Stephen Baker, Regional Manager, Rhymney Brewery Ltd
Book your free demo today
To find out how easy it could be to manage your staff schedules by tracking availability automatically,
call 01992 939 940 and book your free demo.
