As a business grows, it can be difficult to pinpoint when it's time to upgrade. Is it when you hire your first employee or your tenth? Should you embrace more technology after your first million or when you've built up a substantial nest egg? Often, businesses find themselves using outdated technology well past when they should have upgraded because they just can't find the right time. These three signs are just a few reasons it may be time to take a step back and upgrade to workforce management software.
Your Managers Spend More Time on the Floor Than Managing
In the early days of a business, managers wear a lot of hats. They spearhead customer service issues, they make phone calls, they fill in for employees' time off, and they manage on top of it all. Once you've established a business, your managers need to step back from day-to-day tasks and focus on managing their employees to reach their full potential and best productivity.
A workforce management software system allows managers to take a more active approach in managing rather than performing front-line duties by allowing consistent schedules and organizing managerial duties. Workforce management software can be used not only to ensure adequate scheduling, but also allow managers to check in with employees to set goals and increase productivity.
Your Employees' Schedule is Constantly Changing
There's something to be said for being flexible, but many businesses' schedules are a moving target which negatively effects productivity and employee morale. One of the signs that you need workforce management software is your business' inability to create a consistent schedule. If managers are scrambling to cover shifts and you are consistently caught off guard by a vacation request from months ago, it's time for a change.
Workforce management software can help businesses stay on the pulse of their schedule, allowing employees to request time off and management to immediately change the schedule accordingly. Rather than each manager relying on a spreadsheet or calendar, everyone has access to the same system for time off and can track where employees are working on each specific day. This ensures adequate coverage and much needed time off for employees without burdening the business.
Your Default to Problems is Hiring
Hiring is a sign of prosperity, but it has the potential to also be a burden when times are lean. Extra employees contribute to ongoing costs and many times, the answer to more work isn't new employees but a new system. If you answer all your productivity issues with more staff, it may be time to purchase a workforce management system.
Workforce management software doesn't just allow managers to work more effectively, it also allows them to do more with their current workforce. Managers can build a more effective schedule based on productivity and customer needs. They can communicate better with employees through an online portal to relay important information and education without taking up valuable time. Managers can also get a better sense of cost from the cost of attaining a customer to the cost of hiring an employee to cover a slow shift. Workforce management software helps managers build a stronger business to support growth and increase hiring when the time is right.
If you've encountered these three problems in your workplace, don't rush to the job boards to post a new position. Instead, consider what workforce management software can do to support and grow your business.
