Introducing Microsoft Shifts

Microsoft 365 users have access to a plethora of applications that are designed to help your organisation become more productive and collaborative. Most of these applications were created with common workplace challenges in mind. A lot of you will be familiar with applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneDrive.  These tools and many others are associated with workplace collaboration and sharing. Calendar allows you to synchronise schedules and arrange meetings. Microsoft Teams, as we discussed previously in part 1, allows organisations to build team culture, hold board meetings and get valuable face-to-face time no matter the geographical makeup of the office. A feature that you might not be familiar with however, and one we did not mention in the previous article, is Shifts. Previously StaffHub, now integrated into Microsoft Teams, Shifts will be of great interest to Credit Unions as it helps tackles challenges that many branches have faced in the past.

Microsoft’s Answer to the Challenges of Firstline Rostering

Managing employee rosters and scheduling is a major headache for Credit Unions. It is difficult to manage the workday in an efficient way. Many branches still use very manual, arduous and low-tech means of organising rosters. The whole process often relies on old ways of doing things: paper schedules, bulletin boards for announcing the schedule, phone calls, and emails for implementing changes. Within the entire process, levels of visibility and flexibility are often very low. With Shifts, Microsoft has created an application that overcomes many of the challenges associated with workplace rostering.

Shifts was designed with both management and shift workers in mind. With Shifts, management post schedules online, usually from a laptop or desktop. Workers, who typically access from their mobile device, can view daily schedules and request changes if desired. The entire process affords the worker more flexibility and visibility. Management, who have the final say on all requests, relinquish none of the control but reduce a lot of the burden.

The Three Components of Shifts

  1. Staff Scheduling – Shifts makes it easy for Credit Union managers to create, update and manage shift schedules for their team, streamlining what has traditionally been regarded as a labour-intensive process. On their home screen, employees can see their upcoming schedule at a glance and any important notes. When employees need to rearrange their schedules, Microsoft Shifts makes it easy to swap a shift or offer a shift to someone else. Requests are always routed to the manager for approval, and the team are automatically updated on all changes.
  2. Communications and Collaboration – It is natural for employees to consult their roster (Shifts) daily to confirm their schedule. With Shifts integrated in the Microsoft Teams platform, it becomes the perfect space for sharing information such as company policies or daily announcements. With the Teams messaging system, management can send quick messages or assign tasks to team members.
  3. Ongoing Training – As mentioned, Shifts is integrated with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and other Microsoft applications. Share key guides, instructional videos and training videos.

The Digital Age of Employee Rostering

With Shifts, Credit Unions can tackle the challenges of rostering and scheduling within a platform befitting the sector’s digital revolution. Management are given a more efficient means organise schedules and communicate with their team. At the other end of the spectrum, workers are granted more flexibility and ownership of their time. This much improved scheduling system, along with the many communication and collaboration benefits within Microsoft Teams, creates an altogether more cohesive and harmonious work environment.

Shifts is only one of a number of ways that Microsoft 365 can enhance the Credit Union work environment.  Discover how Microsoft Teams is being used to bolster team unity, especially against the rising trend of Credit Union mergers and multi-branch institutions.

Want to know more how Microsoft 365 can enhance your organisation? Speak to one of our team at https://actionpoint.ie/contact/

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