What Is Shift Bidding and How Does It Work?

Are you having trouble with your existing staff scheduling methods? Do you believe the employee could make greater use of their time in the office while also being happier when they arrive?

Introducing staff bidding!

Shift bidding? What is it?

Shift bidding enables your employees to show their interest in working the shifts they want. It gives your employees more responsibility while still keeping control. This technique provides more flexibility, leading to employee satisfaction and increased productivity.

Small companies that only have a few employees can use shift bidding. Large organisations that employ a shared labour pool can also use it with some adjustment.

How does shift bidding work?

The scheduling manager of the organisation is in charge of creating a work schedule utilising a shift bidding system. This person constructs the foundation of the work schedule. In this stage, the scheduler specifies which days and times must be covered.

The scheduler might include the qualifications required to fill any given shift where appropriate. For example, if a specialist is needed to cover a shift, the scheduler can specify parameters for that particular shift. This prevents the system from booking a worker who is ineligible for the position.

The scheduler delivers an open schedule message once the schedule has been constructed and all eligibility parameters have been specified. In the notification, workers will only see the shifts on the schedule for which they are qualified. Each employee answers the message by saying which shifts they are keen on filling and which they cannot cover.

There are two possibilities for establishing the timetable at this point. The scheduling manager can create the final schedule manually or enable the system to do so on some platforms. Shifts that no one willingly selected can be manually planned by the scheduling manager or automatically filled by the system.

You can configure settings to ensure that every shift is filled by the highest qualified person who bids on the shift. You can also impose restrictions to decrease the amount of unneeded overtime scheduled. Because of its efficiency and thoroughness, the scheduling system helps save time and money.

Will shift bidding help my company?

The shift bidding system can be used in organisations with fixed or flexible schedules. It is ideal for industries with many shifts per day. Shift bidding is especially useful for businesses with varying shift patterns or rotating rosters.

Other businesses that would benefit from shift bidding scheduling systems include:

• Manufacturing/factory

• Healthcare

• Security

• In-home healthcare

• Hotel and catering

• Senior living facilities

• Call centres for customer service

• Bars and restaurants

Shift bidding's advantages for employees

Employees are happy because shift bidding gives them more control over their work schedule. They gain empowerment by taking an active role in determining when and how long they work.

Employees that use a shift bidding system take more ownership of their jobs because they get to choose the shift they work. As a result, the person takes greater initiative on the job. They also engage in more proactive behaviours.

Employees' personal lives benefit from having more control over their work schedules thanks to shift bidding.

When a shift bidding system is used, they are better positioned to plan events outside work. Employees are happier when they can schedule work around their lives rather than work around their lives.

Shift bidding's advantages for employers

Employers benefit greatly from employing a shift bidding schedule system. It removes the requirement for employees to provide their employer with schedule preferences and availability for each pay period. Managers no longer have to bother with employees contacting them after their schedules have run out, requesting a day off, and then attempting to get a replacement.

The shift bidding scheduling system eliminates the human error of scheduling an employee at two locations at the same time, as well as the errors of understaffing and overstaffing shifts.

Employee absenteeism has been reduced due to investing in a shift bidding scheduling system. Work schedule flexibility minimises work-related stress, anxiety, and burnout. It has also been shown to aid some employees with their tardiness.

In conclusion, an organisation is only as good as its employees! So, in today's environment, it's critical to consider strategies to give your employees more flexibility over the work/life balance they choose to pursue.

If you can achieve that while also increasing the efficiency of staff scheduling, it's a no-brainer to consider introducing a shift bidding system.

Remember, this gives the employee the ability to select their shifts. However, you will still be able to assign those same employees to positions to guarantee that all shifts are filled, and you can continue to develop your organisation to the heights you've always imagined.

Source: The Other Shift