The new trends in human resources focus on balancing the balance between productivity and job satisfaction of employees since it has been shown that a happy worker is much more beneficial for the company than one who is not committed. with your company. Just a few years ago, it was thought that financial remuneration was enough for people to feel self-fulfilled and aligned with the business objective, but, nothing could be further from the truth, there are many other factors, apart from salary, that make an employee proactive and loyal to your company. To achieve this, there are various methodologies, and in this post, specifically, we want to talk to you about workforce management, a set of strategies aimed at increasing efficiency and productivity in work teams.
To manage something, we first need to know what it is and to do this, we are going to define the term “workforce” and where it comes from. This refers to the mental and/or physical capacity to carry out a task necessary for the activity of an organization and, in turn, that workforce is classified into two types: qualified workforce and unskilled workforce.
The qualified workforce is made up of those employees with the technical knowledge and experience necessary to perform a specific job, while the unskilled workforce refers to those people who do not have the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge.
The concept “labour force” was coined by the thinker Karl Marx, and was key to developing his doctrine on capitalism and his work Capital, published for the first time in 1867. It proposed the theory of “work-value”, which consisted of valuing a good or service in relation to the amount of effort necessary to produce it, and not by the utility that this good can offer to its consumer or owner.
In a workforce management (WFM) system, various strategies are implemented with the goal of optimizing employee productivity and efficiency.
The three most important objectives pursued with any type of WFM system are optimization of human and material resources, improved productivity, increased employee satisfaction and loyalty to the company they belong to. Below are some strategies for workforce management:
This involves determining how many employees are needed on each shift and in each area of the company to meet demand and production objectives. Factors such as seasonality, market trends and required skills must be taken into account.
Schedules are developed that meet staffing requirements, considering employee preferences, labour laws, and union agreements, if any.
Monitoring employee punctuality and attendance, recording hours worked and managing absences and leaves. This may involve the use of time and attendance recording systems.
High employee turnover is avoided by identifying and resolving issues that may be affecting workforce satisfaction and retention.
Development of employee performance monitoring plans to provide feedback to HR and thus establish goals and offer professional development and training opportunities.
It is very important that tasks and projects are distributed equally among employees to ensure a balanced workload and avoid burnout. In addition, we will also ensure equal conditions between employees of the same rank and avoid conflicts in the work environment.
Digital transformation has also reached team management and we can now implement tools and technologies that improve work efficiency, such as automation software, project management systems and communication tools.
Design training and development programs that help employees acquire new skills and advance their careers.
The use of data and metrics will be the best ally to evaluate the performance of the workforce, identify trends and make informed decisions for continuous improvement.
Ensure that all labour laws and regulations related to employment are followed, including work hours, breaks, wages and working conditions.
To enjoy the advantages of labour management systems, prior planning is necessary, a deep knowledge of the company’s objectives and how each team works, since what works for one does not have to work for another. Once all these factors have been analyzed, the benefits of carrying out WFM are several:
Optimization of labour costs: thanks to the planning and programming of employee schedules, you will reduce the cost of unnecessary overtime and guarantee an efficient allocation of human resources.
Productivity improvement: Workforce optimization and equitable distribution of tasks contribute to an increase in overall productivity.
Reduction of errors and absences: Keeping track of attendance and schedules helps minimize errors and delays at work, as well as reduce work absenteeism.
Employee satisfaction: A better work-life balance significantly improves job satisfaction and contributes to talent retention.
Regulatory Compliance: These systems help ensure that labour regulations and regulations on working hours, wages, breaks and other legal aspects are met, reducing the risk of fines and legal sanctions.
Improved Decision-Making: Collecting and analyzing workforce-related data provides valuable information for strategic decision-making.
Increased operational flexibility: A workforce management system allows companies to adapt to fluctuations in demand and changing customer needs more agilely.
Improved quality of customer service: By having well-scheduled and motivated employees, businesses can provide better customer service, leading to an improved reputation.
Reducing labour disputes: Fair and equitable scheduling, as well as transparency in the assignment of tasks and schedules, contribute to reducing labour conflicts and improving relations between employees and management.
Do you want to know more about the new labour market, its latest developments and most disruptive changes? Stay reading the Educa.Pro blog with us!