In today’s fast-paced world of logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing, reliable workforce management is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s essential. But what happens when everything isn’t running smoothly?
We’ll get into the most common workforce management issues, how to spot them early, and which metrics will give you the clearest picture of how your workforce is really performing. One metric in particular is often overlooked – and it could be the reason your operations keep hitting the same roadblocks. Let’s break it all down.
What is workforce management?
Before we dig into metrics and challenges, let’s start with a quick definition. Workforce management (WFM) refers to the set of processes companies use to optimize the productivity, reliability, and satisfaction of their workforce. This includes:
Workforce planning
Shift scheduling
Attendance tracking
Payroll and compliance
Performance measurement
Real-time workforce data and insights
Tools like Job&Talent Business are designed specifically to solve these workforce management issues in essential work industries, using technology to make operations smoother and more reliable.
The most common workforce management challenges
If you're struggling with employee management issues, you're not alone. These challenges affect companies of every size. Here are the most frequent ones we see:
1. Last-minute absenteeism: When workers call out with little notice, it causes a ripple effect across shifts, output, and morale.
2. Poor visibility into attendance and performance: If you can’t track who showed up and how they performed, you can’t optimize shift planning or workforce performance.
3. Inflexible scheduling systems: Manual or outdated scheduling tools make it hard to adapt to last-minute changes or preferences.
4. Communication breakdowns: Workers may not receive updates in real time, causing confusion or missed shifts.
5. Low engagement and high churn: Lack of feedback mechanisms, career development, or reliable scheduling can drive workers away.
6. Compliance and payroll errors: Getting time and pay wrong leads to legal risks and unhappy employees.
7. Talent shortage: When there aren’t enough skilled workers to meet demand, operations suffer. This is especially challenging in peak seasons or in competitive job markets.
8. Onboarding and compliance: Bringing new workers up to speed quickly and ensuring compliance with labor laws can be complex and time-consuming, especially without streamlined processes.
These workforce planning issues can quickly snowball without the right tools to monitor and manage them.
Metrics that matter: how to measure workforce performance
Understanding where things go wrong is only possible if you’re tracking the right data. These are the key metrics every operations leader should monitor.
Attendance rate shows you how reliably workers are showing up for scheduled shifts, while the fill rate tells you how many open shifts are actually being covered.
A high turnover rate can flag issues with job satisfaction or working conditions.
Time to fill reveals how quickly you're able to respond to new staffing needs, and schedule adherence tracks whether employees are sticking to their assigned start and end times.
Productivity per shift helps assess whether workers are hitting expected output levels, and shift satisfaction scores provide valuable feedback from the workforce itself.
These metrics together form a clear picture of your workforce performance and help pinpoint where improvements are needed.
Digging deeper: metrics to anticipate future problems
Many companies only track what’s already happened. But the best metrics help you see problems before they arise.
Forecast accuracy
If your workforce planning is off, you’ll either overstaff (and waste money) or understaff (and miss targets). Comparing forecasted vs. actual staffing needs can reveal how reliable your planning process really is.
Shift volatility index
This tracks how often shifts are added, cancelled, or changed last-minute. High volatility means higher stress for planners and workers alike.
Engagement trends over time
Instead of only measuring satisfaction after a shift, look at engagement levels across weeks or months. Drops can indicate brewing employee management issues.
How Job&Talent Business helps tackle these challenges
Job&Talent Business is built to solve the most pressing workforce management issues in real time. Here’s how:
Live attendance tracking ensures you always know who’s on-site.
Smart scheduling tools make it easy to adapt shifts based on preferences and availability.
Worker feedback after every shift gives you actionable data to improve conditions.
AI-assisted forecasting helps plan staffing more accurately.
Custom dashboards show workforce performance metrics at a glance.
The result? Fewer no-shows, better retention, and smoother operations.
Best practices to improve workforce performance
Knowing your metrics is step one. Here’s how to act on them:
1. Use shift satisfaction to prioritize improvements
If workers rate a shift poorly, dig into the causes. Were conditions off? Was the team understaffed? Use the data to make real changes.
2. Monitor absenteeism patterns
Track attendance not just by site, but by team, shift, or day of the week. You might spot trends that explain high absenteeism. In this article, we share with you the 3 most impactful ways to reduce absenteeism.
3. Incentivize schedule adherence
Reward workers who consistently show up and complete shifts on time. A small bonus or recognition system can go a long way.
4. Automate where possible
Manual tracking creates room for error. Automate attendance, scheduling, and performance tracking to stay ahead of workforce planning issues.
5. Keep communication open
Two-way communication tools – like in-app updates or real-time alerts – reduce no-shows and improve worker experience.
Want to learn how we’re revolutionizing workforce management? We’ve got the tools and insights to help you build a more reliable, high-performing team.
