A restaurant’s schedule is its framework for success. It’s the key to creating a consistent experience every day, week, and month of the year — the essential structure for the restaurant’s operations.
Getting it right is critical for sustained success in the restaurant industry. But it isn’t simple.
Effective employee scheduling means finding the right mix of shifts and shift types for your business. It means understanding employee availability and managing employee requests for time off and even last-minute shift changes. And it means understanding the data and the trends so you can staff at the right levels — every time.
Scheduling employees is one of the most important tasks for any manager or business owner. Creating a well-organized schedule ensures you have the right people in place to handle the expected workload while also meeting the needs of your staff. Learning how to create effective schedules takes time and practice, but following some key tips can help you master this crucial management skill.
Plan Ahead for Your Staffing Needs
Don’t wait until the last minute to start building your schedule Take some time in advance to think about upcoming events, seasons, or other factors that may impact your staffing needs Look at last year’s schedules, sales trends, and visitor numbers to get an idea of what to expect. Planning ahead gives you time to adjust staff levels if needed and ensure you have adequate coverage.
Evaluate Staff Availability and Preferences
Before creating the schedule, check in with employees about their availability and preferences Some key things to find out
- Desired hours/shifts
- Unavailable dates
- Schedule requests
- Part-time staff who want more hours
Document this information so you can refer to it when building the schedule. Having a clear sense of when people can and want to work makes it easier to meet their needs and build an optimal schedule.
Maintain an “Extra Shift” List
Keep a list of workers who have said they are willing to cover extra shifts if needed. This gives you a pool of people to pull from if you end up short-staffed for a certain date and time. Offering extra hours to those who want them helps improve schedule flexibility and fills open slots.
Follow Applicable Labor Laws and Regulations
When constructing your schedule, be sure to follow any labor regulations such as:
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Minimum shift lengths – Many states require shifts to be a minimum of 3-4 hours to avoid employers scheduling lots of tiny shifts to avoid paying benefits.
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Mandatory break times – Most states require a 30-minute unpaid break for shifts over 5-6 hours and a short paid break for shorter shifts.
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Overtime rules – Federal law requires overtime pay (time and a half) for nonexempt employees working over 40 hours per week. Some states have stricter rules.
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Minimum rest periods – Many jurisdictions require a minimum of 8-11 hours rest between shifts.
Consult resources like your state’s labor department website to find and comply with applicable rules. This protects both you and your employees.
Publish Schedules Well in Advance
Post schedules at least 2 weeks prior whenever possible. This gives staff time to make arrangements for childcare, appointments, transportation and other obligations impacted by their work hours. Last minute schedule changes inconvenience your team and cause frustration.
Prominently display the schedule or use a scheduling app that allows workers to view their hours remotely. Make sure they know where and how to access it.
Communicate the Rationale Behind Scheduling Decisions
When you finalize and share the schedule, take a little time to explain how you made your decisions. For example:
- Which staff members were given priority for the best shifts and why (seniority, reliability etc.)
- How you aimed to accommodate common scheduling requests and preferences
- What factors limited your flexibility in setting the schedule
This type of transparency helps workers understand the logic behind the schedule. Even if they don’t love all their shifts, they will have more insight into how and why you constructed it the way you did.
Some Tips for Creating Effective Schedules
Keep these tips in mind as you build out your staffing schedule:
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Spread the pain – Rotate less desirable shifts evenly among staff. Don’t stick the same person with the late night and weekend shifts every week.
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Schedule consistently – Staff appreciate having a predictable, consistent schedule whenever possible. Keeping the same base schedule minimizes confusion.
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Allow adequate rest between closing and opening shifts – Avoid scheduling someone to close at night and then open the next morning. That doesn’t allow for enough rest in between.
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Give your best people the best shifts – Schedule your top performers for peak times so you have your a-team when it matters most. Reward good work with preferable hours.
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Avoid understaffing – Having too few staff leads to frustration, burnout and poor customer service. Overstaff a bit for peaks rather than understaff during busy times.
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Cross-train staff – Employees who are cross trained in multiple roles give you more flexibility in scheduling. You can move them around to fill different needs.
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Use scheduling software – Automated systems make building, adjusting, communicating and managing schedules much easier. They integrate availability, shift trades and time off requests.
Schedule Regularly and Be Flexible
Get into a reliable routine with your scheduling. But also be flexible and make reasonable accommodations for last minute needs as you are able. Employees have lives outside of work that sometimes intervene. Working with them on scheduling conflicts and requests goes a long way in building goodwill.
Creating schedules is a learning process. Pay attention to which approaches work well and where there is room for improvement. Survey your staff periodically for anonymous feedback on the schedule and make adjustments as needed. Keep refining your process, using the tips provided here, and you’ll master this key management skill with time. The end result will be a happier, better utilized workforce.
Free of any errors
Last, schedule accuracy makes a big impact. Details matter here, like getting names right (especially if you have multiple employees with the same first name) and including accurate, clear shift timings.
Don’t let ambiguity and errors negate the work you put into building a great schedule.
Using 7shifts to make scheduling employees simple
The right tools make all the difference, and 7shifts simplifies effective team scheduling, keeping you out of the weeds and focused on making your restaurant thrive.
7shifts streamlines the process of creating an effective employee work schedule, one that meets both your staffing needs and your employees’ expectations. Here’s how.
How to Create a Work Schedule – Project Management Training
How to Schedule employees effectively?
Many factors go into the scheduling process and creating the most effective schedule, including having the right expertise on your team, communicating with your frontline staff, and using the right employee scheduling software. Here’s exactly how to schedule employees effectively. 1. Understand the laws that govern schedules in your city or state
How do I schedule staff?
Here are some steps you can follow to schedule staff: 1. Identify level of demand The first step for accurately scheduling staff is to determine what the level of demand is for their work.
What makes a good employee schedule?
It means understanding employee availability and managing employee requests for time off and even last-minute shift changes. And it means understanding the data and the trends so you can staff at the right levels — every time. What makes a great employee schedule? What makes a great employee schedule? A great employee schedule doesn’t just happen.
How to create a successful employee scheduling system?
Effective communication is crucial for the success of any employee scheduling system. Share the schedule during meetings, double-checking that your team understands it and its purpose. Provide ample notice of upcoming schedules, explaining any deviations and the benefits to the organization.
