In many sectors, such as industry, the planner has a traditional role: he is responsible for day-to-day planning, often arranges leave and is responsible for solving ad hoc issues such as illness and shifts. In many organizations with a strong shift culture, the lines between staff and the planner are short. It often happens that the planner himself also works in the team and “adds to the planning”. In many cases, these teams have been working with each other for many years and there is a strong bond between the employees and the planner. When an organization switches to a methodology such as self-scheduling, the role of the planner within the organization will change significantly.
Self-scheduling in practice
Self-roasting consists of three phases. In the first phase, the employees fill out the roster as they wish. In phase 2, the employees have to make the roster correct together (solving understaffing and overcrowding). Only in the 3rd phase will the planner actively assign or remove services from employees when the schedule does not yet meet the occupancy requirements. Adapting services requires objectivity and the planner will sometimes have to make difficult choices (for example, who to choose when a service still needs to be filled). This can be done, for example, by keeping an “objective list” that tracks how much understaffing and overcrowding someone has resolved in phase 2 of the process. In this way, it is possible to look objectively at who can be assigned a service when providing outstanding services (if this is possible under the Working Time Act).
New role of the planner
In self-scheduling, the planner makes the step from operational planner to tactical planner: the planner deals with capacity issues, optimizing occupancy requirements, contract mix and implementing an efficient planning process.
In addition, he focuses on specific tasks to keep the self-scheduling successful: guiding the employees in the 2nd phase in which they can shift with services to make the roster correct. It is essential that the planner encourages employees as much as possible to shift themselves with services. When employees have difficulty with this, it is essential to provide more guidance. This can be done, for example, by offering 1-to-1 guidance, but also by organizing group sessions. However, when a planner lingers too much in the traditional role and keeps making the roster changes for the employees, the employees are not sufficiently stimulated to take responsibility for the roster themselves.
Déhora offers a helping hand
Déhora can support this in two ways. Firstly, by guiding and advising the planner(s) in the transition process from the current methodology to self-scheduling. Secondly, at the Planning Service Center of Déhora, there are employees who can take over the self-scheduling process in phase 3 for your organization. In this way, it is easier to make objective choices in the awarding of services.
Also get started with self-scheduling? Please feel free to contact us!