Definition - What does Staffing and Scheduling mean?
Staffing and scheduling are human resource allocations that select and assign employees to tasks within an organization, and specify when and for how long those tasks should be performed. In this context, an individual employee is a member of the staff and that staff member is assigned a specific schedule of work hours. By properly managing staffing and scheduling an employer can help to increase employee satisfaction and reduce safety risks.
SureHire explains Staffing and Scheduling
Staffing and scheduling, at its most basic, is assigning an employee to each workplace task for a specific period of time. However, staffing and scheduling is more complex than merely setting tasks and times.
When staffing an entire organization, each job and task must be matched with an appropriate number of qualified employees. Adequate staffing must be maintained on an ongoing basis to ensure the organization's continued operation and safety risks are minimized from fatigue. Scheduling is the tool used to make sure that qualified staff are assigned in appropriate numbers at appropriate times to maintain the organization's workflow, and ensure that tasks are completed.
When making staffing and scheduling decisions, a human resource manager should take steps to ensure that heavier workloads are distributed evenly among employees and that the work schedule allows for adequate rest and recovery time to prevent workplace accidents and injuries. Appropriate staffing and scheduling also contributes to worker job satisfaction and improves overall organizational productivity.
