Do you have any tips & tricks for roster managers and their staff? We sure do! 


When making a roster, keeping your employees happy and satisfied is essential since this will translate to higher productivity and better customer service, which will result in an overall good customer experience.


If you are curious about how you can achieve this, here are some tips for your roster managers and staff: 


1. Allow Shift-changes


Nothing beats a job that provides a flexible and convenient schedule. When making a schedule for your employees, always consider your people's time and ensure that you arrange their schedule appropriately relative to whether they are working full-time or part-time. You should also arrange a system where changing shifts within a certain period is allowed.


2. Take the Preferences of your Employees into Account


You can ensure that your employees remain happy and satisfied when you respect their preferences. Being considerate about the preferences of your staff will have a considerable impact. As a roster manager, you will want to avoid putting staff in a schedule where they are unavailable. It means a lot to your employees when they see that you are taking their preferences into account.


3. Match the Shifts with the Right Skill Sets


When you assign an employee to a shift, you must ensure that it fits them perfectly in terms of their role and skill level. This will guarantee that your employee will work efficiently. Aside from the job working smoothly, you will not stress your staff since they will not be doing anything alien to them, allowing them to work confidently.


3. Let your Staff Members Take a Breather


Avoid burning out your employees and let them take a break from working all day. Allow your staff to refresh by giving them time to take a breather so they will be prepared for their next hours on their shift again. Letting your staff take a break is an excellent way to keep them feeling satisfied and happy.


4. Unbiased Scheduling


When plotting your staff's schedule, it is crucial to avoid favouritism. Yes, friendship at work is encouraged because this will promote a good working environment to promote higher employee happiness, better job performance, and team unity. However, this can lead to some bias when creating schedules, especially since it is inevitable that a roster manager gets closer to a shift worker than the other. Avoid making your employees feel left out and unhappy by ensuring an impartial schedule creation.


5. No to "Clopening"


"Clopening" is when you expect to close the shop for the night and return the following day to open the shop. 


Clopen shifts happen when a trained employee does tasks at closing and opening times, like counting and locking cash at night and then putting it back in the morning. However, this kind of shift will result in a lack of sleep, which can lead to fatigue and stress, and that is why you must avoid clopening shifts at all costs.


6. Keep a Consistent Schedule


Your employees should have a regular schedule to avoid uncertainty, leading to work-family conflict and stress. In addition, they should be informed about their schedule ahead of time, so make sure to release their schedule early and minimize changes. This will help maintain high levels of satisfaction and happiness.


7. Stay Prepared for the Busy Hours 


You must be aware of your peak and off-peak hours to find the right balance between your employees' schedules. You should avoid putting the same stress of the peak hours on the same employees if you do not want them to feel burnt out and unhappy.


There you have it. Some of our best tips and tricks for effective rostering. Follow these, and both your business and employees will thank you. 

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