At Unifocus, we understand that the heartbeat of the hospitality sector is a remarkable guest experience This experience is propelled by our dedicated teams - individuals driven by a culture of empowerment, engagement, and a strong sense of ownership. As the landscape of the workforce transforms at a rapid pace, integrating adaptable scheduling and shift swapping abilities isn't just a tactic—it's an absolute necessity. Such strategies hold the potential to breathe new life into our teams, significantly influencing guest experiences and, ultimately, boosting our financial performance.
Change isn't just valuable—it's a strategic weapon. The modern workforce yearns for flexibility and independence. In order to attract and retain exceptional talent, we need to redefine our hospitality employee experience, starting with how we design shift schedules.
The era of set schedules is long gone. Today's employees desire a balance between work and life. Implementing flexible schedules sends a clear message that we identify and appreciate our employees as unique individuals. This cultivates loyalty, improves morale, and significantly enhances employee contentment. A fulfilled employee is a productive one, resulting in exceptional guest experiences.
An efficient shift swapping system underscores our commitment to employee engagement. By giving employees the ability to update their availability, pick up open shifts, swap a shift and visibility into who is scheduled for the day, we foster a culture of collaboration and accountability. Facilitating effortless shift swaps recognizes our employees' desire for flexibility and ownership over their schedules, accommodates their unique needs and acknowledges their obligations outside of work.
In our pursuit of continuous advancement, Unifocus expanded upon a client-favored tool that facilitates immediate coverage during employee absences. Launched in 2021, ShiftGenius extends shift swapping capabilities to include all open shifts, even before the schedule is published. ShiftGenius is smarter than a general shift notification blast. Managers can target who receives open shift notifications based on their own rankings or groupings (like seniority and skills) or cross-utilization within the property or across properties - all while providing visibility into availability, overtime, and other work rules. Real-time updates prevent employees from picking up shifts that violate work rules.
Investing in such technologies isn't merely about staying ahead of the curve; it's about amplifying the impact of our workforce strategies and ensuring they align with the expectations of the modern workforce.
As industry leaders, we stand at a pivotal moment, with the opportunity to redefine our operations. Schedule adaptability and shift swapping aren't passing trends; they're essential elements shaping the future of work. Let's seize this change and integrate it into our corporate DNA. By prioritizing the needs of our employees, we lay the foundation for a motivated, content workforce that will unquestionably shape the future of our industry.