Availability refers to the dates and times during which an employee is available and willing to work.
When it comes to employee availability, one of the leading interview questions asked by hiring managers during the initial job interview concerns the employee’s ideal working hours. However, once they begin working, each employee’s availability for work hours is subject to change.
Some employees may be available to work longer hours, so overtime hours pose no issue. Others may prefer to only work regular hours. Some employees may be available for weekends while personal commitments may mean others are only available from Monday through Friday. Similarly, an employee who starts on night shifts may eventually want to work evenings or days. This can quickly create business challenges for companies with large numbers of employees.
Facilitate Employee Availability Management With Workforce Management Systems
It is important to have a clear understanding of your employee’s availability to avoid schedule conflicts and maximize productivity. Obtaining accurate data on employee availability is a key enabler of a WFM system’s employee schedule management module. By accurately collecting and managing employee availability data, you can create employee schedules that are both productive and fair.
This data collection process ensures you create your employee schedules with employee availability in mind. This will mak the scheduling process more efficient and effective. Your workforce management system can also help ensure your employees are not scheduled for more hours than they are available to work and avoid scheduling conflicts, avoiding employee burnout.
