Open Shift Scheduling

Applies to: Scheduling Managers

What is open shift scheduling

Open shift scheduling is a popular feature in CoverageFinder™. It is designed to help hotels fill schedules with the people that already work in your hotels. 

An open shift is a work shift that has not been filled or assigned to any hotel associate. Open shifts can be picked up by qualified associates at your hotel or from affiliated hotels in your account. To pick up open shifts, home hotel managers must assign positions to employees that are qualified to work at the home hotel or affiliated hotels. Once the positions are added to employee profiles, hotel associates will receive open shift notifications and can pick up the shifts in our MyHotelTeam^® mobile app.

How to add open shifts

1. Select Scheduler in the left main menu in Hotel Effectiveness.
2. Click Schedule Employees on the Schedule Home page.
3. Click +Add Open Shifts.

NOTE: When you are in the Schedule Employees page (Step 2 in Scheduler), the default is to view by position. If you switch to view by employee, you won't see the link to add open shifts. 

You can add open shifts using the existing shift templates. If you do not see the shift template you need, review the Scheduler User Guide for information on creating additional shift templates.

You can add one or more open shifts to meet your staffing needs.

Employee view in MyHotelTeam

You must publish open shifts for qualified associates from your hotel or other properties to view and pick up the shifts in MyHotelTeam^®.

Open shift notifications

Qualified employees at home hotel
When you publish the schedule with open shifts, qualified associates at your hotel will receive open shift notifications via MyHotelTeam immediately. Associates can manage their notification preferences inside the app.

Qualified employees from other hotels
When your open shifts are published, qualified associates from other hotels can view and pick up the shifts in MyHotelTeam. However, they may not receive open shift notifications depending on your employee sharing setup in Advance Scheduler Settings: 

• If your property allows other hotels to schedule your employees at any time, then qualified associates from other hotels will receive open shift notifications right away when your schedule is published. 
   
• If you set a limit to when other hotels are allowed to schedule your employees (for example, three days before the start of your work week) and you publish the schedule five days before your work week starts, then their associates will not receive open shift notifications. If you want them to be notified, you must republish the schedule three day before the start of your work week.
   

NOTE: Although associates from other hotels may not be notified of your open shifts, they can always go to MyHotelTeam to check if any open shifts are available.

Please contact your Hotel Settings Administrator if you have questions about the employee sharing settings of your hotel.

Printable open shift sign-up page

In addition to MyHotelTeam, you can also print and post the open shift sign-up page in your back of house to increase the pickup, such as the wall next to your time clock, employee break room (or locker room), hotel bulletin board, etc.

1. Click on Scheduler in the left main menu.
2. Click Open Shifts on the top menu.
3. Select the hotel from the dropdown menu if you manage multiple properties.
4. Select a department if desired.
5. Select a work week.
6. Mouse over Export on the upper right and select PDF.
7. Print the PDF and post the page in your back of house areas for associates to pick up Open Shifts.
    

Open shift email alert

Open Shifts Remaining (Group) is an automated email alert designed for busy scheduling managers. This daily alert will keep you informed of the remaining Open Shifts for the next 14 days so you can be proactive in finding coverage. 

Pro Tip

Here are some ideas to fill your Open Shifts:

• Forward the Open Shifts email alert to your temp or contract labor agency and have them find labor to pick up the shifts.
• Add your temp or contract labor agency as a user in Hotel Effectiveness. Sign them up to receive the Open Shifts email alert.
• Add your temp or contract labor agency as an hourly contractor in Hotel Effectiveness. Invite them to activate MyHotelTeam so they can pick up the shifts in MyHotelTeam app.  
• Talk to associates within your hotel to pick up Open Shifts.
• Contact neighboring affiliated hotels to borrow their employees.