Flexibility in the workplace is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s a must. In the food retail sector in particular , it’s essential for supermarkets to schedule employees at the right time while taking their preferences into account. We’re therefore seeing a clear trend within the industry: Employees expect to have more say in how their time is scheduled, and technology makes it possible to respond to this in a smart way.
Retail workers—and especially young people and students—want to be able to balance their work with school, sports, and their social lives. Employers are finding that the traditional approach to scheduling is coming under pressure. Employees don’t expect to be able to plan their schedules entirely on their own, but they do expect to have a say in when and how often they work. Think about whether you can indicate your availability, swap shifts, or respond quickly to open shifts.
This is in line with the general trend in the labor market: Employees want to be heard. They don't necessarily want complete autonomy, but they do want a say in when and how often they work.
At R&R, we believe that flexibility works—for both employees and employers. That’s why we don’t support a model based entirely on self-scheduling; instead, we offer practical tools for this through the R&R Job App:
This creates a balance: Employees feel included and heard, while managers remain responsible for efficient and profitable planning.
The biggest challenge when it comes to increasing flexibility? Keeping track of everything. After all, when you have to deal with fluctuating staff availability, unexpected requests for schedule changes, and multiple locations or departments, you need more than just an Excel spreadsheet. With intelligent WFM software, supermarkets can plan flexibly without losing track of things.
➤ Do you want to keep labor costs and staff utilization under control while maintaining flexibility? Then read our blog post on how R&R Insights helps you create better work schedules for your supermarket.
Flexible work in the retail sector is an ongoing evolution—and technology plays a key role in this. Employees expect to have a say, and employers are looking for ways to make this possible without compromising efficiency. By striking the right balance between employee involvement and management control, you can use workforce management strategically.
