Managing a team is a challenge. There is much to consider, from trading hours to staff routines to factoring in the needs of your business.The best way to get a handle on things is to build a Restaurant Schedule – we have put together 10 tips for building a solid schedule for your team.
10 Restaurant Scheduling Tips
1) Set a Day & Time
When putting together your restaurant schedule – think about when you want to send it out. Ideally, you want all your schedules to go out on the same day at the same time every week.
Setting yourself a deadline like this will ensure you have a consistent process for schedule creation. It also helps your employees to know what to expect and to plan their schedules. They know they have until a certain day to inform you of their schedules and that they can rely on the fact that the new schedule will always be released at the same time.
2) Schedule According to Your Business Needs
The goal of any restaurant schedule should be to put your best people in during your busier times. Look at your employee’s strengths when preparing your schedule.
3) Allow Everyone to Work a Peak Shift
It is a known fact that certain shifts make more money than others. Your employees know this too. Make sure that everyone, even your newest employees, have a chance to work these high earning shifts at least once per week.
This way of scheduling has two benefits – Firstly it keeps the employees happy and performing when they know they can count on a big payday if they do their best. Secondly, it allows everyone to learn how to work during peak hours.
4) Everyone Should Work a Day Shift
Day shifts are vital for ensuring a solid customer experience, by putting your most skilled staff on a day shift to maximise customer satisfaction can boost sales. It is also an excellent way to train newer employees when shadowing a senior employee that knows all the ins and outs.
5) Schedule Busy Shifts First
There are many ways to begin a schedule, however, this tip will help ensure your most skilled employees are available when they are needed the most. Our Point-of-Sale solution has a reporting feature to help you identify your busiest times when working on your schedule.
Once you have your busiest periods, you can work your way down to the quieter days.
6) Approve All Scheduling Changes
Even the most well-laid plans have a few hitches and, try as you might, schedule changes will happen.
Encourage your employees to find their replacement, where possible, but make it a point that all changes must go through you. This helps avoid overtime whenever possible and ensures that all shifts are covered according to the needs of the business.
7) Factor in Downtime in Your Restaurant Scheduling
Avoid back-to-back shifts. Working a closing shift is hard enough, but then having to come back in to open-up can be tough on an employee’s morale when they know that they must work back-to-back shifts. Allowing your staff to recharge their batteries between shifts will mean that they are more energised when they come into work.
8) Schedule Two Successive Days off Where Possible
While on the topic of productivity – giving each employee two days off in a row during any given workweek can benefit you in several ways:
- Increased motivation,
- Better ability to concentrate,
- More innovative thinking,
- Improved efficiency,
- Streamlined decision-making,
- Heightened immune system,
For a restaurant that operates seven days a week, scheduling a traditional weekend is difficult. But as long as your employees get two days off in a row they will reap the benefits that accompanies extended rest and downtime.
9) Regularly Re-evaluate Your Schedule
Periodically re-evaluate your schedule and your process to see where you can improve it.
Look at it from a different perspective by asking your employees for suggestions. Ask how they would improve the schedule, the posting process, or any other aspect and then implement the best ideas.
Even relatively minor tweaks can have a significant effect on how your team works.
10) Make the Schedule Easy to Read
Your employees should be able to look at the schedule and figure out the day, the hours, and the job they will do in just a few seconds.
