Workforce Scheduling - Definition

What is workforce scheduling? Definition and meaning

In workforce scheduling, employees are specifically assigned to positions within the company. The qualifications of the employee and their available time capacity are important factors for scheduling.

Qualitative scheduling:

Based on employee qualifications, the HR department can decide whether

new employees need to be hired,
employees need to be dismissed,
employees need to be transferred, or
employees need to receive further training

Time-based scheduling:

Since some companies need more or fewer staff depending on the season, for example, the question arises as to whether workforce scheduling should be carried out on a short-, medium- or long-term basis.

Short-term scheduling refers to the creation of shift plans, for example.
With medium- or long-term planning, the time frame is not yet known.

Frequently asked questions

What does workforce scheduling mean?

In workforce scheduling, employees are specifically assigned to positions within the company. The decisive factors are the employee’s qualifications and their available time capacity.

What does qualitative scheduling cover?

Based on employee qualifications, the HR department decides whether employees need to be newly hired, dismissed, transferred or given further training.

How is time-based scheduling carried out?

Depending on demand, for example seasonally, workforce scheduling is carried out on a short-, medium- or long-term basis; short-term, for instance, when drawing up shift plans. With software support, this is easy with the personnel planning from projectfacts.