Managing the Pieces of the Workforce Puzzle

We've all heard the phrase, "The world is short-staffed. Please be kind to those who showed up." I couldn't agree more. A recent study by Forrester Research commissioned by WorkJam and released in January found that 63 percent of retailers are currently short frontline staff.

Convenience stores are short-staffed — although how people can afford not to work is beyond me — and those employees who do show up deserve the same respect and kindness they show to their customers. Those who do show up also deserve access to tools that not only enable them do their jobs, but also achieve the life-work balance everyone so desperately craves and needs these days.

This is where c-store operators need to step in with a solid workforce management (WFM) system. Moving past punch clocks and calendars tacked up in a break room, today's WFM solutions can help create a seamless and efficient way of managing attendance, tasks and communication. Think access to training online or the ability to swap shifts, or even pick up extra shifts, through a mobile app.

A WFM system frees up store managers to handle bigger tasks, too. Instead of spending hours in the backroom penciling out how many employees are needed per shift, figuring out peak times and which employees are available when, the pieces of the workforce puzzle become much clearer when moved online.

I think at times, the convenience store industry gets so caught up with embracing the best that technology has to offer for customers. But as has been said before, your employees should be considered your first customers.