When you’re managing dozens — or hundreds — of employees, shift scheduling goes from basic calendar management into complex operational territory. Even the most seasoned managers can find themselves grappling with scheduling issues that impact productivity and employee morale.
Modern workforces require modern solutions, especially when you’re orchestrating staff scheduling across multiple locations or managing large teams. This guide tackles nuanced shift planning challenges with equally advanced, real-world solutions.
Challenge #1: Staffing doesn’t match real-world demand
You’ve analysed historical data and scheduled according to predicted demand, but you still experience mismatches between staffing levels and actual customer flow. You’re either overstaffed during unexpected lulls or scrambling during surprise rushes.
The Fix
You need multi-variable demand forecasting that goes beyond the basics. Consider:
Integrating data that affects customer behavior, like local events and traffic patterns
Creating short-interval check-in points throughout shifts to assess if adjustments are needed
Developing a tiered staffing model with a core team plus on-call staff for when certain thresholds are reached
With smart shift work scheduling tools that incorporate these factors, labour costs can be significantly optimised without sacrificing service quality.
Challenge #2: One location is slammed while another is quiet
Your individual locations operate in silos, which creates scheduling inefficiencies across your business. One location struggles with understaffing and frequent call-outs, yet another nearby location has idle team members, but there’s no system for dynamically sharing resources.
The Fix
You need an interconnected shift scheduling ecosystem with:
A location-agnostic talent pool of employees willing to work across multiple sites
Geo-clustering in your scheduling approach that groups locations within specific distances
Inter-location shift notification systems that allow managers to “borrow” staff during coverage gaps
Sophisticated tracking systems provide visibility across your whole operation, not just individual locations.
Challenge #3: Different locations have different labour laws
Your business operates in multiple cities or states, creating compliance calamities when scheduling staff. One location requires strict meal break scheduling after 5 hours, while another mandates 10-hour minimum gaps between shifts.
The Fix
You need rule-based shift scheduling guardrails:
Location-specific rule sets that automatically flag potential violations
Automated break enforcement that sends notifications to employees and managers
Cross-border scheduling limits for different jurisdictions that prevent accidental violations
The right tools incorporate auto-scheduling that effortlessly builds these complex rule sets into your regular workflow, significantly simplifying compliance monitoring.
This is how Mud Bay reduced store closures due to staffing gaps by 85%, cut scheduling time in half, and simplified compliance across 60 different locations. See how Deputy made it happen.
Challenge #4: Shifts are imbalanced in terms of employee skills
You’re adequately staffed on paper, but your morning shift tends to disproportionately schedule employees with specialised skills. Certain shifts are heavily weighted with your most experienced staff, while others lack key capabilities.
The Fix
You need skill mapping and distribution beyond basic job titles:
Detailed skill matrices that identify specific training and certifications
Minimum skill threshold requirements based on operational needs
A rotation system that balances distribution of skills across all shifts
This ensures that every shift has the right mix of talents, not just the right number of people.
Challenge #5: New hires tend to get undesirable shifts
Scheduling staff shifts sometimes involves accommodating senior staff preferences, which can leave newer employees with the least convenient shifts. You see high turnover with newer team members, which is precisely the group you’re trying to develop and retain.
The Fix
You need an equity-based preference system that won’t unintentionally play favourites:
Preference limits that prevent any employee from monopolising desirable shifts
Rotation requirements that ensure all staff experience a mix of shift types
Regular schedule audits to identify potential bias patterns
With your oversight, automated scheduling tools won’t create unintended patterns of favouritism based on historical data, so your schedules are fairer and more transparent.
Challenge #6: Important information gets lost between shifts
Critical information doesn’t always get passed on during shift transitions, so your business faces operational disruptions, repeated work, or even missed tasks. Employees leaving their shifts forget to communicate updates to incoming staff.
The Fix
You need to formalise the handover process with:
Digital handover templates specific to each role or department
A mandatory overlap period dedicated to knowledge transfer
Automated task tracking that maintains continuity from shift to shift
This means incoming shifts won’t waste time getting up to speed, and information doesn’t fall through the cracks during shift changes.
Challenge #7: Business reality outpaces your schedule changes
Your shift scheduling system is too rigid to keep up with operational changes that occur during business hours. By the time formal changes are processed, the opportunity to optimise has already passed.
The Fix
You need an agile shift work scheduling system:
Real-time shift editing so managers can adjust staffing levels quickly
Voluntary shift extension/reduction protocols so employees can opt to adjust their hours
An instant shift marketplace where employees can claim or swap shifts
This empowers managers and employees alike to adapt to changing conditions and take ownership of operational success.
This intuitive approach worked for The Chocolate Spectrum — what used to require multiple weekly emails and manual calculations now happens automatically, while payroll takes just minutes. Read more about their success.
Overcome these shift planning challenges with advanced tools
Standard shift scheduling tactics fall short when you face unique, often complicated staffing challenges. The best solutions strike a healthy balance between operational needs, employee preferences, and local regulations. Instead of taking on this balancing act yourself, leverage purpose-built systems designed specifically to handle these complexities.
Take what was once your biggest operational headache and turn it into an operational strength. With Deputy, managers gain hours back into the week, and your business benefits from properly staffed locations at all times. Learn how you can streamline scheduling issues long term with Deputy’s powerful workforce management platform. Get started today!
