56% or over half of global companies offer remote work perks to their employees. After the global pandemic, when most governments worldwide imposed strict lockdowns, about 88% of businesses encouraged their employees to work from home to limit the spread of the virus. The work environment in the 21st century is dynamic, and companies are increasingly focusing on a blend of part-time and full-time employees to meet their operational needs efficiently.
While managing diverse workforces spread across multiple locations can be daunting, project managers, businesses, and CEOs can bring workforce management software into the big picture. Having a powerful workforce or employee management software can streamline scheduling, enhance communication, and ensure that the right amount of resources are available for the right project.
The Need for a Workforce Management Tool
If an organization has a mix of part-time and full-time employees, managing them together can be challenging for a myriad of reasons.
- Scheduling Disparities: For one, reconciling scheduling disparities is hectic. While part-time workers often have varied abilities due to external commitments, full-time employees work on fixed schedules. Hence, organizations struggle to create cohesive schedules that meet operational needs.
- Resource Allocation: Another hurdle faced by organizations with a diverse workforce is simplifying resource allocation. While part-time employees have limited availability, allocating full-time employees for different tasks is no breeze either. This leads to gaps in coverage during peak hours, staff shortages, and planning errors when client demands fluctuate.
- Communication Gaps: The communication gaps between part-time and full-time employees can also impede operational efficiency and collaboration in an organization. Often part-time workers may feel disconnected from the core in-house team, leading to delays and misunderstandings in task completion. Similarly, full-time employees may perceive part-timers as less committed and this can affect morale and team dynamics.
- Performance Evaluation: Evaluating the performance of part-time and full-time employees accurately can be hectic. While part-time workers have limited opportunities for skill development, assessing the productivity and contributions of full-time employees amidst varying workload demands can also be hectic, and this can lead to performance gaps.
How Can Workforce Management Software Help?
There are several ways in which workforce management software can effectively help in managing part-time and full-time employees. Some of them are listed as follows:
- Efficient Scheduling:
Having state-of-the-art workforce management software with sophisticated scheduling capabilities can cater to the unique needs of part-time and full-time employees alike. For part-time workers, flexible scheduling options can enable them to balance work with other commitments effortlessly, while for full-time employees, the software can ensure adherence to regular shifts while optimizing staffing levels to prevent over or under-scheduling.
- Resource Optimization:
Balancing the workforce composition between part-time and full-time employees is essential for driving operational efficiency. Workforce management software can aid project managers in analyzing historical data, demand forecasts, and employee availability to optimize staffing levels. Businesses can match the right resources with workload demands to minimize costs while maintaining service quality.
- Enhanced Communication:
When organizations face siloed communication channels, disputes and disparities can often arise. Having workforce management software can provide centralized communication channels that can facilitate seamless interaction between managers, part-time employees, and full-time staff. Whether we are talking shift changes, policy updates, or task assignments, the software can ensure timely dissemination of information for a culture of transparency and collaboration.
- Performance Monitoring:
In addition, having workforce management software is essential for driving productivity and identifying areas of improvement with performance monitoring. Having an automated solution can offer robust performance monitoring features, so managers can track key metrics, such as attendance, punctuality, and task completion rates, and this data-driven approach can facilitate objective performance assessments for both part-time and full-time employees for a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
- Adaptive Forecasting:
Workforce management software leverages advanced forecasting algorithms to predict demand fluctuations accurately. Organizations can use this software to analyze historical trends, seasonal patterns, and external factors, such as market dynamics. The software helps businesses proactively adjust staffing levels, for optimal resource allocation and operational resilience. In addition, workforce management software can also automate compliance tracking, ensuring adherence to labor laws, union agreements, and internal policies.
Conclusion
By 2025, it is expected that remote work will become the new norm, and if you are an organization that’s waiting to embrace remote or hybrid work principles, having resource management software by your side is more vital than ever. Whether it is about streamlining cluttered workforces, reducing burnout, or making workload distribution even, employee management software can be an excellent tool to promote efficiency and productivity in the long run for both full-time and part-time employees.
Looking for workforce management software that can help you manage workforces regardless of their location? Check out the features offered by eResource Scheduler now!
