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Venkat_Iyengar
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert
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In this guest blog post, Lisa Rowan, Research Vice President for IDC responsible for global research on human capital and talent management software and services discusses the importance of being able to find the right employee, available and skilled for the job at hand and the considerations for scheduling applications in today’s day and age.


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The Right Person for the Job at the Right Time




  • Guest IDC Blogger: Lisa Rowan, VP Modern HR Strategies

  • Date: November 2022 

  • Sponsored By: SAP


The very present threat of high turnover along with the need for maintaining high employee productivity were cited among the topmost pressing workforce challenges by HR decision-makers in IDC’s 2022 HR buyer survey. Nearly every business sector has been touched by unexpected resignations, and levels of job abandonment are at all-time highs. At the same time, the U.S. unemployment rate was reported at 3.7% in October 2022. There is an overall lack of talent to fill key roles. As a result, companies are worried they will be unable to achieve corporate objectives through the necessary employee productivity thresholds.


The Importance of Agile Scheduling in a Dynamic Work Environment


Given the current work environment with high turnover and battles for scarce talent, companies have to make the most out of the existing workforce. Employers need to ensure they have the right person for the right job at the right time to meet business requirements. Agile scheduling to optimize labor is necessary to support this dynamic environment.


Organizations first must understand their employees’ skills and competencies. Applying an overall skills ontology and doing a skills census become key. Employers can then tap the census knowledge when scheduling the workforce using availability information from time management. By doing so, scheduling ends up being personalized based on skill or role-based “fit” for the job at hand.


Taking intelligent scheduling even further, innovative companies are able to build even more efficiency by requiring employees to meet certain prerequisites to be eligible for particular shifts or tasks. Prerequisites can be achieved through specific training and certifications. By embracing intelligent scheduling, supervisors and HR departments are better able to plan for scheduled absences, support peak requirements, and to accurately locate resources to backfill when needed.


Overall objectives for an agile scheduling and time management system include the ability to:




  • Control workforce costs

  • Make smart personnel decisions that improve business execution

  • Manage complex workforce policy concerns including adherence to local and union regulations for fatigue management and other issues

  • Maximize performance with accurate labor forecasts


The benefits of an agile scheduling and time management system include the power to:




  • Enhance strategic management of workforce costs through insight into employee labor activities

  • Improve pay-process accuracy and organizational efficiency through automated time and attendance management

  • Boost employee engagement with greater transparency and improved communications


 


Considering the Employee Experience


In addition to the aforementioned benefits, it is important to provide a positive employee experience. With turnover high, companies need to offer their workers options, transparency, and overall support. Employers should seek solutions that give employees greater visibility into their work experience by providing them with real-time visibility into their data. Visibility and control enable employees to plan, adjust, and make requests to find a balance between their work and personal obligations while also reducing administrative overhead.


With advanced visibility into schedules -- along with flexible self-service request capabilities that enable shift swapping and indicate shift preferences/availability -- employees can proactively manage their time for improved work/life balance and well-being.


Employees who have options to influence their schedule based on their skills, qualifications, desires, and availability report and execute work happily, leading to greater satisfaction and achievement of company goals.


For more information


If you would like more information on Workforce Forecasting and Scheduling applications visit our SAP Workforce Forecasting and Scheduling by WorkForce Software site.


About Lisa Rowan


Lisa Rowan is Research Vice President for IDC responsible for global research on human capital and talent management software and services. Ms. Rowan provides expert analysis focused on both the business services and software used to address HR and talent-related dimensions. Her research addresses developments in human capital and talent management applications, human resources consulting, and HR outsourcing services.