Whether you manage 4 or 400 employees, establishing a schedule is one of the most important aspects of a running and managing a successful company. Many things have to be taken into consideration when deciding when and how long an employee will be working. All employee schedules are subject to change. Put together a work schedule of tasks that need to be completed per each job description. Estimate the demand of work flow to help determine an efficient schedule.
Step 1
Locate a calendar. Choose one with plenty of space to write in tentative employee dates and times. Acknowledge notes and time-off requests from employees. Fill in dates that employees will not be able to work. Consider part-time and full-time employees---do not schedule them for more additional hours unless necessary. This could lead to overtime.
Step 2
Evaluate job descriptions. Place employees with the heaviest workload at the beginning of the month or week depending on how long it is estimated for them to complete their job tasks. Determine what days and hours are the most productive for employees to meet their individual quota or deadlines. Pencil in these times and appropriate dates.
Step 3
Recognize project deadlines. Projects or quotas that must be complete by a specific time should be scheduled in advance. This is used as a precaution in case employees are terminated or get sick. Allow a 1- to 2-week time frame for completion by scheduling in team players to work at their available hours. Discourage having them work different shifts or longer hours to prevent employee burnout and lack of productivity.
Step 4
Create the employee schedule final draft. This can be done on a computer spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel. List the schedule for the next 7 to 14 days. Place the employee's names on the left of the draft. To the right, fill in the employee's hours they are scheduled to work under the days of the week.
Step 5
Create reinforcements. Make a list of employees who have volunteered to work extra hours or overtime. List by seniority. This will provide a quick reference point if someone calls in sick or walks off the job. Have a contract with a temporary agency to call on if employee reinforcements are not available. This is important so productivity is not halted.
Tips and Warnings
- For smaller corporations, an employee schedule can be written out on a calendar or ledger paper. Larger corporations may wish to utilize a computerized generated system. Office staff schedules can be similar to large-scale manufacturing schedules even if the same job tasks are completed daily.
Things You'll Need
- Calendar
- Employee list
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