My Favorite Feature: Shift Trades

I began working in restaurants and retail when I was a kid. My goal was always to save as much money as I could for college and beyond. This usually meant juggling at least two jobs, two schedules, and two sets of colleagues who were often looking for shift coverage of their own.

Once I got to college, class schedules and exams were also thrown into the mix. But I still wanted those shifts, because more shifts equals more money. 

Figuring out how to shift swap, cover requests and find available shifts was always hard. 

I’m a product manager, so I’ll map out the process here:

My shift swap summary

• 7 phone calls
• 1 frantic employee
• 2 hustling employees
• 1 employee sent home

The emotional toll of manual shift swaps is real too. 

Rachel spent a few hours frantically wondering if her job was in jeopardy.

The manager was interrupted to figure out if this coverage was workable. 

Darcy had no idea if Rachel was expecting her to cover the shift. She was conscientious and showed up to the shift only to be disappointed. 

Annie and Sydney were probably a bit irritated to be interrupted before their shifts. 

And Rosie (okay, me) had to hustle to get ready for the 5 PM shift that she really wanted. 

It’s been a few years since I pulled a shift as a server, but this scenario plays out thousands of times a day in businesses around the country. Group texting helps, but doesn’t solve the stress and frustration that a disjointed process induces. 

That’s why Shift Cover/Trade is my favorite feature on the Homebase scheduling app. It takes the stress and uncertainty out of the process. When I can’t work a certain shift, I can request a shift swap with a colleague. 

Homebase makes it easy for employees to track and swap shifts

I can check my schedule, filter out colleagues who are not scheduled, send a request to one or several colleagues, and get an answer in minutes. And it all happens with just a few taps on my phone. 

With Homebase scheduling, my manager can quickly understand if the coverage request is right for the shift, and approve or deny shift swaps right from their mobile app.  

My coworkers can I can also use the team communication feature to speed up the process of finding an someone to cover shifts for us, making the shift swap process easy and efficient

And Homebase messaging + notifications make sure that everyone can make quick decisions. 

By placing schedules, time clocks, messaging and easy workflows in one place, the app makes juggling schedules, finding coverage and trading shifts simple, even if I work more than one job. 

_____

If you’re tired of juggling multiple jobs, schedules, and colleagues, check out the Homebase scheduling app. It’s a game-changer. With just a few taps on your phone, you can request a shift swap or find coverage. 

Plus, your manager can easily approve or deny shift swaps from their mobile app, making the process super efficient. Homebase streamlines the process and reduces the emotional toll that manual shift swaps can take. So, whether you’re a student or a seasoned employee, give Homebase a try and maximize your earning potential.