Happier employees create happier customers, and next-gen workforce management has become one of the hospitality industry’s greatest opportunities for optimal employee engagement.

Top quality service is the key to strong competition, and it all starts with what goes on behind the scenes that impacts employee satisfaction. Restaurant Technology News calls modern workforce management a “strategic imperative,” and we could not agree more. There have been so many exciting changes in the workforce management space lately, and so much for restaurant operators to gain.

Unifying Administration from Back of House to Front

While restaurants used to rely on many separate solutions for timekeeping, employee on-boarding and more, today’s workforce management offerings have consolidated many key operations into fully integrated platforms. This simplification of admin infrastructure offers something everyone from table bussers and servers to managers and HR can appreciate.

On the front end, workforce management software’s have become a single destination for employees to manage time sheets, modify scheduling, elect benefits, and monitor career development. Behind the scenes, managers and HR have gained a clearer, concise picture of performance, productivity through data rich dashboards that help identify paths for improved employee engagement.

These feats were a far greater challenge when workforce data lived across multiple platforms. Cutting back on redundant record keeping and endless username/password combinations alone is enough to invite a sigh of relief.

Taking the Pressure Out of Predictive Scheduling

Many regions now require by law the practice of predictive scheduling, but it’s a becoming recognized as a beneficial practice even where not required. When employees know their schedules in advance, they find greater stability and satisfaction in their jobs. Where today’s latest workforce management solutions up the ante is in automated scheduling capabilities, assisting managers in balancing labor costs with customer demand.

Solutions like the Kronos Workforce offerings we service analyze and identify customer traffic trends and construct schedules based off of available skill levels and their typical scheduling preferences. These systems also help employers offer greater flexibility by giving employees access to self-service modules and automating oversight of shift swaps and time off requests, making sure everyone’s needs are met (all within local compliance). And managers can also be pleased watching their estimated 4-5% labor cost savings add up, according to some reports.