The phrase “workforce management” has been used often in the workplace for a while. But what does “workforce management” actually mean? What role does it play in the workplace? These queries will be addressed throughout the article, which will also walk you through the procedures and actions required to install the system successfully. Additionally, we’ll go over the function of automation in workforce management and direct you to the top software programs available.
How does it work?
Workforce Management (WFM) is defined as a collection of procedures designed to increase an organization’s performance and competency. The term “workforce” refers to the total number of individuals who are employed by a certain business or who are engaged in a particular task, i.e., human resources.
The management of employees involves a variety of factors, and a typical WFM plan comprises the following:
Forecasting – Forecasting is the process of determining the number and kind of staff resources required for a specific project at a specific time of the year, such as during a peak season or a holiday. Budgeting involves determining how many employees a business can afford to keep on hand. WFM enables businesses to balance workload as labor demands vary and optimize staff deployment based on determined projections.
Staff scheduling – Scheduling is a crucial component of WFM since it enables businesses to automate staffing based on all operational factors, including absences, workload, vacations, and availability. Staff scheduling used to be carried out manually. This was time-consuming and ineffective and frequently resulted in understaffing for businesses at times of dire necessity.
Time and attendance – tracking with the aid of WFM tools and procedures reveals attendance patterns, aids businesses in better-anticipating demand changes, and facilitates the management of both scheduled and unplanned staff absences and/or leaves. Companies can identify possible coverage gaps, increase payroll accuracy, and deal with persistent tardiness and absence problems by evaluating WFM data.
Employee Engagement – Businesses can better focus on what motivates employee productivity by using employee performance management (WFM), which offers them a better grasp of employee engagement levels. Employers can recognize staff members who go above and beyond expectations in a way that is consistent with what they value most by having a thorough understanding of how each person works.
Compliance – One of the trickiest and potentially pricy aspects of WFM is compliance tracking. Fines and lawsuits brought by employees are possible outcomes of violating municipal, state, and federal employment laws. Other compliance concerns include keeping track of training and certificates needed for certain jobs, taking breaks when they should have been taken, and adhering to union agreements and labor rules.
Administration of payroll and benefits – WFM eliminates manual administration of payroll and benefits Payroll operations and inquiries are made quicker and simpler by the availability of audit-ready bespoke reports. The syncing of timesheets to payroll and end-of-shift payouts are two more rapid payment alternatives made possible by workforce management.
Leave Balance – WFM technologies and procedures enable businesses to monitor staffing numbers and electronically manage time-off requests and approvals. Companies can use WFM to manage and track leave balances, paid time off (PTO), absences, time-off calendars, schedule conflicts, and banked time through the use of automation and data analysis.
What is a Workforce management program?
A workforce management system is defined as an employee management technique that aids firms in gaining a complete understanding of their operations and key business KPIs. This implies that a systematic method must be used to accomplish workforce management within a corporation. The major goal of a WFM system is to streamline the procedures and phases for the best possible workforce management deployment. Successful implementation of the system ensures that companies stay on track with the required processes we’ve listed above — from real-time data collection to carrying out analytics.
What is the Workforce Management process?
Within the workforce management system, a process is an action or a method that accomplishes one of the two goals of monitoring employee activity and, in light of the data, enhancing overall corporate performance. Possibly a company’s most valuable asset is its human resources. Therefore, a strategic company strategy must make sure that the staff you choose for each assignment are suitable and compatible with their schedules and levels of competency.
Let’s now discuss the procedures that are present in the WFM system in more detail. You should carry out the workforce management operations in the correct order if you want the best results. It’s because some of the processes establish dependencies, which means that completion of those processes is necessary for the subsequent.
# Gather the DATA
Any form of measurement must begin with the collection of data. This much is obvious: without the necessary information, you cannot compare the productivity levels of your employees or analyze your company’s success.
So, for instance, you can monitor your working hours to make sure you can:
- Forecast your future workload with precision.
- Make recruits more effective at work delegation and scheduling where necessary
# Forecast the workload
You can develop estimates if you have all the necessary data about your projects and personnel. Estimates are essential for long-term planning and achieving the objectives of your business, whether on a monthly or annual basis. Making projections regarding the workload for the future also needs to take into account the probable requirement to increase your current personnel. This will be important for the next stage.
As an illustration, you can:
- Examine the data from your time-tracking application.
- Utilize it to forecast the workload that will befall you in the future.
# Calculate the staff recruitment
A company’s success or failure depends on how well the shifts of its employees are scheduled, particularly if it employs more than one 8-hour shift length. All people can be broadly divided into two types based on their level of energy and overall lifestyle: morning larks and night owls. There isn’t a set time when everyone will feel most productive, thus the calendar should take this into account.
Here are a few instances of how the outcomes of your time tracking might make it easier for you to make schedule and task assignments:
- You should primarily assign Sheila to work in the morning if she produces quicker outcomes of greater quality for a specific sort of activity during the morning shift. Sheila is a morning person, thus this is why this time of day is when she is most energetic and productive.
- On the other hand, if Mark proves to be the most efficient employee on a night shift, you should schedule him to work it in an emergency. According to our comparison, Mark explains that he is a night owl or someone more productive at night.
# Access everyone’s daily process
Higher-level employees typically focus on the big picture issues, making it challenging for them to stay on top of daily operations, particularly those specific to each person. Higher-level employees should use a workforce management system to evaluate employees’ performance to have more knowledge about their workforce.
The easiest way to complete this evaluation is to use the report’s hours of work to respond to the following queries:
- Are the chosen assignees performing those responsibilities so well?
- Does your staff as a whole provide excellent results?
- Do the new hires aid in your goal-setting?
Benefits of Workforce Management
- Make sure the appropriate individuals are assigned the appropriate duties at the appropriate times and locations. You’ll probably notice an increase in profitability and productivity within your business or organization as a result.
- Aids in your analysis of your company’s existing status. As a consequence, you’ll be able to make the most of your resources and cut labor costs without compromising the standard of your work.
- Keeps you in compliance with all applicable local, state, and union laws. You’ll maintain your company’s complete operational and legal status as a result.
- Gives people who provide services the knowledge they need to complete their tasks more quickly. You’ll boost client satisfaction as a result.
Importance of Workforce Management
Organizations can use WFM systems to acquire insights on business KPIs like the precise number of workers required at a given time of the day, week, or month to perform a specific job. The everyday performance of the workforce is also tracked. By projecting the number of transactions (calls, messages, or emails), for instance, a contact center can schedule the right number of agents with the necessary skills at the right time to manage the anticipated volume of transactions.
Responsibilities of Workforce Management Manager & Management Analytics
The workforce Manager is usually in charge of –
- Managing processes, or setting and carrying out the pertinent objectives, guidelines, and practices inside a business or organization.
- Managing finances is the act of planning, coordinating, and controlling all financial activities, including those involving project budgets.
- controlling the processes involved in creating things, or overseeing manufacturing.
- managing the activities involved in managing the supply of services.
- arranging the required meetings with teams, executives, and department heads to discuss the operations and objectives of the organization.
- conducting talks with clients and partners, that is, negotiating and approving all contracts with clients and partners.
- Managing the appointment process, including choosing and appointing team leaders and department heads
Workforce Management Analyst has a more particular role. Typically, they are in charge of –
- Gathering and organizing information about a specific problem that has to be solved is known as problem-solving.
- Information processing is often known as gathering and organizing data concerning a specific practice or policy that requires improvement.
- Assessing the current workforce to predict the kind of workforce that will be required in the future is known as personnel assessment.
- Making on-site observations to identify the equipment that will be required in the future is known as equipment assessment.
- Finance analysis, or carefully examining staff and equipment costs about revenue, is one way to identify areas for improvement.
- Finding replacements for outmoded methods, i.e. recommending fresh workflows, apps, and methods that the business might use to advance.
- monitoring the execution of modifications, i.e. ensuring that the approved changes are implemented by the schedule and producing the anticipated outcomes.
Workforce Management Software
WFM software, a mobile or desktop app that aids with employee scheduling, is typically used by businesses either as a standalone app or as a component of an integrated HR management suite. The main HR systems, which act as a major repository for workforce data, and third-party HR applications are frequently connected with workforce management software. Additionally, WFM software provides self-service features that let employees request time off or check their accrued paid time off without contacting HR, reducing paperwork and freeing up HR staff to engage in strategic initiatives.
It’s critical to remember that WFM is not a novel idea. Organizations have been automating workforce management activities for many years to produce better results; time and attendance monitoring was one of the first processes to be automated. The idea has changed dramatically over time, though, and is now utilized by tech-savvy businesses and HR divisions to track and boost labor productivity and efficiency.
Why do we use WFM Software?
Using software will improve your organizational performance regardless of the category by automating a variety of repetitive and non-repetitive duties. The daily tasks will also be made simpler by workforce management software, which will also give you useful data and insights into your current personnel.
Bottom Line
The purpose of workforce management is to help you maximize staff performance to accomplish the predetermined goals of your business.
This extensive method warns you to keep an eye on all significant facts in your company. As a result, it needs to be a standard in every business or organization that wants to improve efficiency, streamline business operations, maintain compliance, and satisfy consumers and clients.
