Thanks to computers, the days of creating employee work schedules with pen and paper are over. And thanks to the Internet, there are also easier ways to distribute schedules to staff. Cloud-based spreadsheets, such as Google Docs employee schedule template, are one obvious method for creating staff schedules.
If you’ve never used spreadsheets to create a schedule, we’ll be showing you the basics. Here’s how to create a basic 8-hour shift schedule for 5 days a week in a spreadsheet.
Creating an 8-hour shift schedule in Excel or Sheets
The most popular tool for creating spreadsheets over the years has been Microsoft’s Excel program. However, not everyone has access to it, since Microsoft Office is not available for free. There are, however, many excellent alternatives free of charge.
Probably the best free alternative at the moment is Google Docs’ Sheets. One of the main advantages over other spreadsheet programs is the fact that Google Docs works entirely in the cloud. Everything that you create is already stored online and therefore easier to distribute.
If you have Microsoft Excel, you can create the schedule in that program. However, it would still be a better option to transfer the spreadsheet into Google Docs, because it makes sharing and distributing the schedule with your staff much easier.
Creating a staff schedule using employee scheduling software
Using Microsoft Excel or Google Docs employee schedule template to create and distribute schedules is certainly a serious step up compared to pen and paper. However, there are more specialized and advanced options available. Cloud-based employee scheduling platforms have revolutionized the process and made it easier than ever to create and distribute accurate work schedules to employees.
With an employee scheduling software, you can create and distribute a weekly employee work schedule in about five clicks and no more than 15 seconds. Moreover, you can upgrade your scheduling process further by proactively planning for upcoming business demands.
