What exactly is self-scheduling?
Before we dive into the questions, let's take a closer look at the concept of self-scheduling. There are several forms of self-scheduling, but the most common one is the Swedish Model (see image), consisting of multiple rounds in which employees work together to address understaffing and overstaffing.
If employees manage to resolve all understaffing and overstaffing issues in Round 2, no Round 3 is needed. Conversely, if many issues remain after Round 2, an optimizer is often used in Round 3 to solve the remaining complexities.
There are multiple different variations of and extensions to the Swedish model, such as jokers that let employees fix certain parts of the schedule for Round 3 and a points system in Round 2 to reward ‘good behavior’, which are then factored in in Round 3. Another variation consists of multiple rounds for different groups, e.g. an initial round for permanent staff, followed by a round for all other workers, or a round for a particular department first.
In other variations, different methods are used in different months of the year or for certain types of shift, such as night shifts.
It is crucial that your software solution has the necessary flexibility to handle all these hybrid rounds and variations. And it’s just as important to accurately forecast staffing requirements, so you can rest assured that you’re deploying the right number of people with the requisite skills.
1. Is self-scheduling the future?
Only time will tell! While it’s most commonly known as self-scheduling, team-scheduling would perhaps be a more apt name. After all, you have to coordinate the schedule together as a team, which requires some “give and take”. Even if 90% of employees have their wishes met in Round 3, the remaining 10% may still be left feeling uneasy.
Self-scheduling can also be designed to cover 80% of shifts in a team and 20% of shifts at a higher level of aggregation (site, district, cluster, etc.).
The shift to self-scheduling is a big change. Younger generations tend to like self-scheduling because they have a greater need for control than older generations, who often prefer predictability instead. This makes change management very important, as well as being honest about the pros and cons.
2. What about data and rules?
For self-scheduling to be effective, it is important to set clear rules from day 1, including staffing and qualification requirements. These rules can differ per workplace and shift, but must be accurate and complete. What’s more, the software should be able to support the combination of self-scheduling and workplace planning, if applicable.
Employees also need to know whether they have complete freedom in creating their own schedule, or whether they are required to pick a certain minimum number of evening, night and/or weekend shifts. In a nutshell, people need to know the exact rules.
We recommend starting off with relatively few rules, and gradually setting more when the situation calls for it. Avoid the pitfall of assuming what employees want and have employees decide for themselves. Schedulers normally avoid solitary days (day off, work, day off), for example, while employees regularly do go for these options when given the choice.
When announcing the rules, make sure to tell employees whether they can use jokers to indicate their preferences. In another version, “good behavior” in round 2 is rewarded with points, which are factored in in round 3. The points system, possibly combined with an optimizer in round 3, helps create the fairest schedule possible. In an ideal situation, the demand and supply sides can be matched in the first two rounds, doing justice to the needs and wishes of all involved without far-reaching changes in round 3, which will ultimately become redundant.
3. Can I combine smart scheduling with self-scheduling?
It won’t be long before the employee figures out which shifts are popular, and which are less popular. As a result, the employees can use this information to select those shifts in Round 1 and 2, which are more preferred by them than others. If you have a team with complementary interests, they can help each other create a workable schedule. Resolving all issues in Round 2 generally produces the most satisfactory result, as not everyone will have their wishes respected in Round 3.
Should it prove impossible to finalize the schedule in Round 2, you could use an optimizer in Round 3 to resolve any remaining issues. An optimizer is honest and objective, but also comes up with solutions that human schedulers wouldn’t, as the puzzle can be very complex. In addition, it is advisable to store and analyze historical data. They can teach you a lot (with the assistance of Machine Learning) and can help you come up with better Round 1 proposals or analyze changes between Round 1 and the final schedule and distil actionable findings from the differences. AI/ML-driven tools can help employees create more efficient and balanced schedules based on patterns and trends, with much less need for change, resulting in higher employee satisfaction.
4. Is self-scheduling compatible with cyclical schedules and a fixed bonus for unsociable hours?
Self-scheduling works a treat with irregular, varying shifts, as is the case in healthcare. Various other industries use cyclical schedules, which give everyone the same number of irregular shifts over a certain period and pay out a fixed bonus for unsociable hours. More flexible bonuses for unsociable hours can have undesirable consequences, as employees may not be able to use that income when applying for a mortgage. The simplest solution is to allow everyone to pick their own shifts, while requiring everyone to work the same number of irregular shifts. This does limit your options and people may get bogged down in looking back to the past, rather than seeing the opportunities moving forwards. Employees, especially older ones, who are used to preferential scheduling may feel that self-scheduling is a step backwards. Paying attention to individual employees and fostering team spirit - how do your sacrifices benefit the team? - is therefore very important. One option is to have employees choose between a cyclical schedule or self-scheduling themselves, to gradually get used to self-scheduling. Naturally, this only works if combining both yields satisfactory results.
5. How do you engage employees?
Over time, we have learned several lessons:
- Start small with a pilot in a representative department. Explain that it is a pilot and that the actual system may be very different, instead of trying to be perfect right away. Listen carefully to employee feedback to see if more or different ground rules are needed.
- Tell employees (not your scheduler!) about your objective and methods and explain how they can make their personal preferences known, e.g. by having an employee explain how the system works in a video.
- Explain that the schedule can still be changed after it is published by means of an effective shift swapping system (e.g. an app). This gives employees more control over the schedule, even if they are not given all the shifts they wanted. Make sure the software solution comes with a user-friendly app so that employees can easily and efficiently swap shifts.
Conclusion
Given the growing need for autonomy among younger generations, self-scheduling is expected to become even more popular in the coming years. It has already been adopted by about 50% of all healthcare organizations, who use it for 50% of their staff. As we mentioned above, however, there are also drawbacks. Creating a suitable schedule is often easier with larger, more diverse teams, but it does come at the cost of team spirit. In addition, aligning supply and demand in earlier rounds helps minimize drastic changes in Round 3. Ultimately, the conclusion has to be that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that any solution must be tailored to client specifics. Besides the right tools, the most important thing is to carefully examine staffing requirements and qualifications beforehand to determine whether they are aligned with current staff, their contracts and requirements. If this balance is off, it will always be difficult to find a satisfactory solution.
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