Without question, today’s HR landscape has been changing rapidly and dramatically. Technologies are now being introduced specifically for the purpose of improving the engagement and management of a company’s greatest asset: its employees.
To stay ahead of competition and improve employee engagement, business owners and HR managers across all industries understand they need to leverage employee management technology. However, the main question is which software to evaluate and how HR professionals can implement it in order to improve employee productivity, engagement, and retention.
When it comes to industries that involve hourly paid employees, businesses are often further behind. Due to time and budgetary constraints, many companies are using a manually-driven Excel spreadsheet or a legacy software system with poor usability, deployable only by a desktop computer.
While every industry would benefit from replacing their current legacy system or dated employee management process, here are three industries that desperately need to make the switch to a new timesheet management process.
Retail and Hospitality
While giants like Walmart and Target often get the spotlight, the truth is that small businesses dominate the retail industry. In fact, over 98 percent of all retailers in the United States are small operations with fewer than 50 employees, according to the National Retail Federation. Together, these small businesses provide about 42 million jobs across the country. In addition, the hospitality industry is largely made up of small coffee shops and restaurants, as well as mom-and-pop lodging accommodations.
Yet, for all the jobs provided by employers in this industry, too many rely on woefully outdated technology to manage their employees. For the small boutique or coffee shop, having an employee show up late — or not at all — can bring productivity to a halt. Business owners who rely on simply calling around to find a replacement for the day lose valuable time and may have to cover the shift themselves.
When owners operate multiple locations, matters become even more complex. Business owners must be able to manage employee scheduling from virtually anywhere, and a manual spreadsheet on their work computer simply doesn’t allow for such versatility.
Healthcare
In the healthcare industry, having the right staff on duty could literally be a matter of life and death. Nurses and doctors may specialize in different areas of practice, such as oncology or pediatrics. Ensuring you have the right staff scheduled for the right specialty is absolutely vital. On the other hand, having too many nurses scheduled at once can be a massive waste of resources, and most healthcare facilities are already stretched thin as it is. This is such a prevalent issue that the “nurse scheduling problem” has become a common algorithm used across a variety of industries. Both of these issues can be solved with easy-to-use employee scheduling software.
On top of less-than-optimal scheduling, the healthcare industry is constantly being bombarded with new regulations, new equipment and even new codes for health insurance. Seamless communication between healthcare professionals via employee scheduling software can alleviate many of these issues.
Training days can be scheduled to ensure doctors and nurses are up-to-date on new rules and technology/machinery. If a nurse or doctor calls out sick, getting the shift covered can be as simple as a few taps of a finger. And if there is a particularly difficult patient, notes can be left for the next nurse who comes in to take care of them to ensure there is no gap in providing care.
Manufacturing and Construction
The manufacturing and construction industry is somewhat unique in that nearly every single project is based on a strict timeline. In order for part B of the project to start, part A must be completely finished. This timeline is often set by the client. Missing any deadline or milestone could cost you the entire project. For example, a custom motorcycle shop may have the chief welder out sick with no replacement for the day, which sets the entire project back.
On construction sites, you may be managing contractors who have their own subcontractors, and even those subcontractors may have their own subcontractors. Keeping up with all of these different workers can be a nightmare without the proper scheduling software. Without enough qualified workers on your construction or manufacturing site, you may waste half a day scrambling to fill the holes in your crew.
As the manager, you may spend more time away from the jobsite than on it. Having the right employee scheduling software allows you to manage workers from anywhere, keeping projects moving and ensuring deadlines are met. In addition, having software with mobile geolocation capability can be used to ensure your employees are where they should be, even when you are away — thus cutting down on time theft.
Boost Your Productivity with Employee Scheduling Software
Without question, for companies with hourly paid employees, it’s either innovate or risk being left behind. Whether you’re operating a coffee shop, manufacturing plant or urgent care center, if you manage hourly paid employees, you must not overlook the immediate value employee scheduling software can bring to your business.
Did you know that Deputy recently ranked No. 1 in Workforce Management and Employee Scheduling in GetApp Quarterly Report? We’re helping thousands of companies better manage employees and grow their business — and we can help you too. Visit www.deputy.com today to start your free 30 day trial.
