Time is money. đź’°
It is also one of the biggest resource crunches that small businesses face.
In a fast-paced business environment, it’s crucial for small businesses—especially those with non-desk workers—to efficiently schedule work to optimize time and resources.
In this post, we will discuss how creating daily or weekly schedules can help small businesses, such as yours, keep track of projects, maximize productivity, and meet deadlines.
Commonly used weekly schedule templates
Weekly schedule templates help businesses, especially with non-desk workers, streamline operations, manage worker availability, incorporate accountability, and reduce downtime.
To easily implement schedules and track work progress, businesses may consider choosing from, or using a combination of, templates described below:
- Basic Weekly Schedule Template: The simplest form of weekly schedule template, it features columns and rows defining each day of the week and hours or time slot, respectively.
- Shift Schedule Template: If you have rotating shifts, you can use a color-code sheet to differentiate between shifts. This weekly schedule template included employee names, shift times, and the assigned tasks.
- Employee Availability Template: Useful for managers to plan their work week, this weekly schedule template can be used to capture worker availability for appropriate work allocation.
- Project Schedule Template: Track the progress of projects with this weekly schedule template that outlines key tasks and milestones for each day of the week, as well as the deadlines and the team members responsible for a specific task.
- Hourly Schedule Template: For businesses that track work hours, this weekly schedule template provides a means for detailed time management and planning specific tasks by breaking each day into hourly segments.
- Task-Based Schedule Template: Especially useful for non-desk workers assigned to various assignments, this weekly schedule template helps capture specific tasks that must be completed each day of the week.
Here are some free but manual weekly schedule templates to check out:
- Canva: https://www.canva.com/planners/templates/weekly-schedule/
- Microsoft: https://create.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/schedules
- Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/in/express/create/schedule/weekly
How to create a weekly schedule template for unique business needs
There are several ways businesses can schedule work, such as using daily or weekly schedule templates. The easiest method to create your own weekly schedule template is as described below:
- Determine the format, digital or printable, for your weekly schedule template. For digital templates, use software like Excel, Google Sheets, or scheduling apps. For printable weekly schedule templates, word processors or a design software available on the internet, can be used.
- Create the structure or the grid of the template, with the columns denoting days of the week, and rows showing the time slots.
- Label every column with the corresponding day of the week and each row with specific time intervals. You can make the template more granular by adding employee names, tasks, or shifts, as needed.
- Personalize your weekly schedule template by incorporating specific details according to your business needs, such as color-coding for different shifts, remarks, employee availability, and so forth.
- Share the weekly schedule templates with the workers at the start of the week to maintain clarity on the tasks and the outcomes.
Best practices for scheduling work for non-desk workers
Weekly schedule templates are a great way to maximize the productivity of your non-desk workers. However, being mindful of the best practices for scheduling work can promote job satisfaction and avoid conflicts.
It is recommended that weekly work scheduling be done in consonance with workers’ availability and preferences, while leaving room to accommodate unforeseen changes. Updating and adjusting schedules will not only help maintain flexibility and efficiency, but also provide workers with adequate rest periods to avoid overloading or burnout.
Lastly, consider using digital tools or apps to ensure clear communication and accessibility of schedules.
Skip all the manual work with Fingercheck
Businesses with non-desk workers must consider using digital tools that help create and save custom scheduling templates tailored to specific business needs.
With the drag-and-drop functionality Fingercheck helps businesses move shifts around to accommodate changes, ensure all time slots are adequately covered, and respect employees’ availability and preferences. Real-time updates notify both managers and employees of any modifications to schedules, reducing the possibility of any misunderstanding or missed shifts.
The in-built reporting tools provide managers with the insights into scheduling patterns, labor costs, and employee hours, enabling them to optimize schedules, reduce overtime, and improve overall workforce efficiency.
So why wait?
Skip all the manual work and discover the power of Fingercheck Scheduling today!