“Planning is both an art and a science”—that could be the motto for anyone involved in workforce planning. As a WFM expert at R&R WFM, I encounter both the challenges and the pitfalls of workforce planning every day. In this blog post, I’ll discuss five common pitfalls and explain how to avoid them.
The Trap of Time Constraints: Planning for the sake of planning may sound paradoxical, but it’s the key to successful workforce planning. We often see that too little time is devoted to careful planning. The result? Employees not deployed optimally, too many premium shifts, and overtime piling up. Effective planning takes time and attention. Think you can put together a plan in 15 minutes? Think again! Instead, take more time for your planning. Well-thought-out planning that takes all variables into account will ultimately ensure that you get the most out of your team and your budget, and that your business delivers the best possible service to your customers.
The Lack of a Solid Forecast: A good forecast is the backbone of any schedule. Without an accurate forecast—for example, of customer traffic and sales volumes—your schedule lacks a solid foundation. At R&R WFM, we use advanced techniques to create realistic forecasts. This ensures that your plan is firmly grounded in reality, as budgets—such as hours and labor costs—are correctly allocated to the departments. This way, you won’t encounter any unpleasant surprises.
Using a Standard Schedule: Don’t get me wrong. For many companies, a standard schedule works well. But do you have an organization with fluctuating customer traffic, a mix of permanent and flexible employees, and do seasonal factors, for example, affect your staffing levels? If so, flexibility is the key to effective workforce planning. If you always schedule the same employees for the same shifts, you’re not making the most of your team’s diversity and may be deploying more staff than necessary. After all, you want to have the right employees on the job at the right time. This pitfall is particularly insidious because it feels easy and convenient, but convenience doesn’t always lead to efficiency.
Recommended Reading: “Efficient WFM in Supermarkets During the Holidays”
Don’t underestimate vacation management: It’s a delicate balance. On the one hand, you have employees who don’t take their vacation, which can have negative financial consequences in the long run—for example, through salary increases. On the other hand, you want to avoid both overstaffing and understaffing. At R&R WFM, we advocate a proactive approach to vacation management. If you have insight into vacation schedules early in the planning process, you can plan more efficiently and fairly. By keeping track of vacation usage, you can grant time off in a timely manner and—if staffing levels allow—by mutual agreement.
Time Tracking: Incorrect time tracking leads to a domino effect of problems. Incorrect pay, dissatisfied employees, and increased administrative burden. This problem can be easily solved by giving employees the ability to track their own hours. With R&R, employees can clock in digitally via the employee app or using a fingerprint scanner and hardware controller. This method of time tracking ensures accuracy and simplifies the process.
Staff scheduling is a profession in its own right. If you avoid these pitfalls, you’ll create a schedule that’s not only efficient and cost-effective but also contributes to the satisfaction of your employees and customers. And let’s be honest: Satisfied employees are the driving force behind every successful business.
