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20 Things You Didn't Know about When I Work

working

If you are an employee that regularly participates in shift work, then you might have used a messaging app called When I Work. The same is true of employers who have a lot of employees working shifts. On the other hand, you might not have even heard of this app if you don't routinely engage in such activities. If that's the case, perhaps you want to know a little more about it. Fortunately, you've come to the right place because you can learn 20 things about this app that you might not have previously known.

1. You can get started in mere minutes

One of the best things about this app is that it doesn't take forever to learn how to use it, nor does it take a long time to use it on a daily basis. In fact, you can put in a new employee's information and start working on their schedule immediately. Typically, it only takes a few moments to get everything built into the system. If you're used to using some other apps that take longer or worse yet, building someone's schedule the old-fashioned way, using pencil and paper, this is so much better that it's practically like being in a different world altogether.

2. You can track employee hours with it

One of the unique features of the software is that it allows managers to track employee hours. For any manager who has ever been forced to keep overtime to a minimum, this particular feature can prove invaluable. In addition, it also works great for making sure that your most reliable workers are getting all of the hours that they can potentially get without being short changed to the point of having no recourse but to find a different job. In short, it gives you the opportunity to take care of the employees who take care of you.

3. The app allows you to post schedules for the whole staff to see

You can also post the schedule so that the entire staff can see it. Employees no longer have to physically come to the shop in order to look at the schedule, nor do they have to make a copy of said schedule and then worry about being off for a few days and coming back to find that several changes have been made to it. With this software, they can keep track of everything right on their smartphone and they can also be notified immediately if any changes do need to occur.

4. Some of the biggest companies around use the app

There are a lot of major companies that have seen the benefit of using this particular software when it comes to their own scheduling. Dunkin Donuts, Ben & Jerry's and Cabela's are just a few of those companies. Furthermore, every one of these corporations has discovered that by using the app, they have been able to fill schedules more consistently and cut down on missed shifts.

5. They incorporate special scheduling software that simplifies the process

There isn't a manager alive who has ever set down with pencil and paper to fill out a manual schedule who didn't feel like tearing their hair out by the time they were halfway through. The software used with this particular program works very well because it helps you fill in the slots so that you can complete a schedule from start to finish in a matter of minutes. It works great because you don't have to spend an entire afternoon working on the schedule. After all, who has three or four hours in their day to work on a single task? If you're like most managers, that simply won't get the job done. That's why the software is so popular.

6. The time clock and the schedule can be digitally integrated

Managers also have the opportunity to keep track of every hour worked because the time clock and the schedule can be digitally integrated. If you have someone that is supposed to start their shift at two in the afternoon and clocks in at 1:30, you are instantly notified. By the same token, you also get a notification if that same individual doesn't clock in until 2:15. The app lets you know in real-time about any gaps in scheduling and also helps you keep a better eye on what your employees are doing.

7. Employees always have access to their schedule

One of the biggest benefits is that employees always have access to their schedule. If you've ever had an employee tell you that they didn't show up to work because they didn't realize they were scheduled and now they can't find anyone to babysit their kids, you know how frustrating it can be when you're forced to find someone to work that shift at the very last minute. The app cuts down on all of that because no one can effectively say that they weren't aware of their schedule when they're using it. If you do need to fill a slot, the app gives you the capability of sending a message out to every employee in the department or in the entire company in a matter of seconds. It's much more effective than calling every person individually and it saves a ton of time.

8. You can also send messages to employees

If you have a message that you need to send to a specific employee, you can also use the software to do that. It works the same way if you have something that you need to tell an entire department. The use of the app actually cuts down on meetings because you don't have to spend your time holding meetings to say the same thing that you can say in the app in a matter of minutes. Fewer meetings are a good thing for both managers and employees, as no one has any time to simply stand around and listen to someone else talk all day long.

9. It works on your desktop or your phone

The software the company uses is versatile enough that it can be used on either your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. It gives you access to all of your scheduling information and puts it at your fingertips, no matter where you are or what type of technology you have at your fingertips.

10. New employees can be onboarded through the app

Aside from making schedules, onboarding a new employee is probably one of the most time-consuming and frustrating activities that any manager is ever likely to undertake. Fortunately, the app can help with that, too. As a matter of fact, all you have to do is spend a precious few minutes plugging in the new employee’s information and that's all there is to it. Everything else is automatically integrated, simplifying the process in ways that you can't even imagine unless you've been fortunate enough to use it yourself.

11. Managers can approve requests for time off

Managers also have the opportunity to approve requests for time off. This speeds up the process for both managers and employees because employees aren't forced to wait until they actually see the manager to ask about their schedule and managers aren't as likely to have someone requesting time off at the last minute.

12. They can also look at shift trades

A lot of the time, people have a tendency to trade shifts. That's all well and good, provided that the shift is fully covered with an employee of a comparable skill level. However, that isn't what always happens when someone wants to trade a shift. With the software, managers can look at shift trades to make sure that the person covering the shift is fully trained for the position and that the shift trade doesn't cause anyone to go into overtime. This is especially important for those companies that watch overtime. It also gives you, the manager, an opportunity to either approve or deny shift trade requests in a matter of seconds.

13. The app allows you to fill shifts in an instant

When you need to fill a shift, you obviously need to do it as quickly as possible. Here, you can fill shifts in an instant by simply putting a message out to the entire department that a shift needs to be filled and then fill the shift with the individual who steps forward in order to take it.

14. Employees can clock in and out on their mobile phone

The fact that employees can clock in and out on their mobile phone is probably one of the best features of the app, as far as the employees are concerned. Of course, managers have the ability to turn this function on or off. That way, if you're having problems with someone clocking in before they actually get there or leaving a few minutes early and then clocking out from their phone, you can eliminate that problem effectively without being forced to give up all of the other potential benefits that the app offers.

15. Staff members can even participate in group chats

Both managers and employees alike can participate in group chats. This not only fosters better communication, but it also helps to ensure that any issues that might potentially arise are dealt with sooner rather than later. That's a definite plus when you're talking about any type of work setting, as allowing problems to continue on unabated only makes the situation that much worse in the end.

16. Use the app to see which tasks need to be completed for the day

You can also put tasks into the app and attach that to each person's schedule so that they know exactly what you expect them to do for that day, even when you're not there to tell them personally.

17. Employees can track their progress for the day

By the same token, employees can track their progress for the day as they complete each task, ensuring that they are staying on track and that you know what type of progress they're making throughout the day.

18. They just raised $200 million

The company just raised $200 million in their latest round of funding. There are a couple of surprising things here. The first is that all of the money was put forth by a single entity, Bain Capital. The second is that this is more money than the company has ever raised in its entire existence. As a matter of fact, the company has been in business for 11 years now. During that time, they have raised approximately $24 million in funding, up until they raised their most recent funding that involved $200 million. That says a great deal about both the company’s staying power and their ability to grow and move forward, even as the workforce continues to change.

19. They plan to start moving into markets outside the United States in the near future

So far, they have been very active in the United States but they haven't been doing anything outside the country. With this most recent round of funding, they plan to change that by expanding their current operations and then taking things beyond those boundaries as they look at developing an app that can be used in other countries as well.

20. The app makes it easier for employees and managers to talk

Gone are the days when an employee wakes up feeling unwell and tries to call the manager, only to hear nothing but a ringing phone. This app makes it easy for staff members and managers alike to communicate effortlessly. One of the most important things in any type of business is effective communication. If employees can't speak with each other as well as their managers when they need to, everything else has a tendency to fall apart. Every manager alive knows that when the employees are not happy, nothing else flows well. Therefore, using this avenue to help improve communication is vitally important to the success of any business.

Allen Lee

Written by Allen Lee

Allen Lee is a Toronto-based freelance writer who studied business in school but has since turned to other pursuits. He spends more time than is perhaps wise with his eyes fixed on a screen either reading history books, keeping up with international news, or playing the latest releases on the Steam platform, which serve as the subject matter for much of his writing output. Currently, Lee is practicing the smidgen of Chinese that he picked up while visiting the Chinese mainland in hopes of someday being able to read certain historical texts in their original language.

Read more posts by Allen Lee

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