A guide to multi-site staff scheduling

Staff scheduling can be tricky and time-consuming, but with the right tips and tools, operational efficiency becomes more than manageable. For multi-location businesses, it’s a bit more of a juggling act, but with smart planning, it’s more than just manageable.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What is multi-location employee scheduling?
• Tackling multi-location employee scheduling challenges
• Optimising multi-location employee scheduling for growing businesses
• The benefits of efficient multi-location employee scheduling
• Multi-location employee scheduling in Hospitality and Healthcare
• Software to manage multi-location employee schedules
• How multi-location employee scheduling works
• How Dojo can help
• FAQs

Unlocking efficiency: What is multi-location employee scheduling?

Multi-location employee scheduling is all about efficiently managing work shifts for staff who operate across various sites. 

Imagine you have several branches of a cafe or retail store, and you need to ensure each location has the right number of staff with the right skills at the right time. With multi-location scheduling, businesses can coordinate and balance their workforce, avoid clashes, and ensure smooth operations across the board. 

Overcoming obstacles: Tackling multi-location employee scheduling challenges 

Creating a staff rota 

Balancing busy and quiet periods is key. Understaffing can hurt customer service while overstaffing raises labour costs. Predicting demand accurately in new locations can be challenging.

Communication

Lack of communication across sites can lead to scheduling conflicts, missed shifts, and low employee morale. Consistent communication becomes harder with the addition of new teams and locations.

Tracking and reporting 

Difficulty in tracking time and attendance across multiple locations can lead to inaccurate records and inefficiencies. Implementing a single system for all sites can be complicated and time consuming.

Organise shift tasks 

Failing to organise shift duties according to each location's specific needs can lead to poor customer service. Understanding and adjusting to this can be difficult.

Compliance

Overlooking local labour laws, such as overtime, breaks, and working hours, can lead to legal complications and fines. Dealing with different regulations in various regions makes compliance trickier.

Efficiency upgrades: Optimising multi-location employee scheduling for growing businesses 

As a business expands, having a robust system for multi-location employee scheduling is a must. Here are some key strategies:

Use insights: Virtual queues and booking software can help businesses understand customer trends.

Automate scheduling: Scheduling software for multiple employees saves time and reduces errors.

Simplify communication: Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols for effortless information flow.

Have a backup plan: Introduce a system for shift attendance and replacements.

Organise shift tasks: Tailor tasks to each location’s specific requirements when creating a staff rota.

Invest in staff training: Equip teams with the tools needed to manage specific locations effectively.

Ensure compliance: Create guidelines for handling overtime, part-time vs full-time staff, and any other legal requirements.

Why it matters: The benefits of efficient multi-location employee scheduling 

Smart staffing

By looking at data and trends, businesses can ensure they have the right number of staff at each location during busy and quiet times. An effective work rota ensures better customer service and lower labour costs.

Clear and connected communication

Setting up standard procedures and a centralised communication platform makes sure all employees are on the same page, wherever they are. This reduces the likelihood of miscommunication and scheduling conflicts.

Clear and accurate records

A centralised tracking system ensures accurate records and makes payroll processing easier. Real-time reporting tools offer insights into attendance patterns and highlight areas for improvement.

Tailored shift tasks 

Customising task lists based on customer needs, peak times, and local rules helps teams stay focused and prioritise the right tasks.

Staying compliant

Implementing a system to track and manage compliance across regions helps maintain legal and operational standards.

Real-word applications: Hospitality and Healthcare

Hospitality staff scheduling

Creating a staff rota in the hospitality industry, particularly for cafes, bars, and quick-service restaurants makes a difference – with a big impact on staff and customer satisfaction. Here are some ways to get the employee work schedule just right:

1. Plan with reservation trends: Keep an eye on when things get busy based on reservations, and ensure there’s enough staff scheduled to handle the rush.
2. Mix things up for everyone: To keep things fresh and avoid burnout, rotate teams between front-of-house and back-of-house roles. This can help balance the workload and keep staff happy.
3. Clean and fix during quiet times: Schedule cleaning and maintenance when it’s quieter to minimise disruptions for customers.
4. Align staff schedules with promotional events: Increase staff during events to handle the higher customer volume smoothly.
5. Listen to staff feedback for shift preferences: Incorporate employee preferences and availability to create better schedules.

Healthcare staff scheduling

1. Plan shifts around patient appointment patterns: Make sure staffing matches peak appointment times to reduce wait times for patients and prioritise emergencies.
2. Cover busy times like mornings and evenings: Increase staffing during the busiest hours to ensure timely and effective care.
3. Use staggered shifts to keep things flowing: By spreading out shifts, healthcare providers like dental services can maintain a steady workflow and reduce patient wait times.
4. Use real-time employee work scheduling software: This allows providers to adapt to changes in patient volume or staff availability.
5. Be ready for emergencies and unexpected absences: Have backup staff on-call to handle any sudden needs.

Get the tech: Staff scheduling programs

With the right tech, managing schedules across multiple locations and departments becomes much easier. Here's how staff scheduling programs can improve efficiency:

• Automated scheduling: Automatically generate schedules based on specific criteria and employee availability.

• Shift management: Easily assign, swap, or drop shifts and track changes in real time.

• Time tracking: Monitor employee hours and attendance for accurate payroll processing.

• Communication tools: Send notifications and updates to employees about their shifts and any changes.

• Reporting and analytics: Generate reports on scheduling patterns, labour costs, and employee performance.

The nuts and bolts: How multi-location employee scheduling works 

When a business grows from one location to two, having an effective employee scheduling system becomes essential. Multi-location scheduling can boost the overall experience and keep everything running smoothly. Here's how:

Optimised staffing levels 

By looking at data and trends, businesses can ensure they have the right number of staff at each location during busy and quiet times – leading to better customer service and lower labour costs.

Improve employee satisfaction 

A well-organised schedule that considers employees' preferences and availability makes for happier staff. Happy employees are more likely to stick around and provide excellent service.