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Author Topic: Scheduling Kevin Wale Expert Film Handler Posts: 167 From: Guymon, OK USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 11-08-2003 06:35 PM                     I'm curious how you guys schedule employees. Do you put up a schedule and they find thier own replacements if they can't work that day, or do you have them fill out availability sheets every week? Or something else entirely.  |  IP: Logged Chris Liczbinski Film Handler Posts: 33 From: US Registered: Oct 2003 posted 11-08-2003 07:02 PM                    At our 15 screen theater we post the weekly (Friday to Thursday) schedule the Monday before. Employees turn in avaliability sheets when the season changes (ie. back to school, christmas vacation, summer) If they need to request off we have forms always stacked in a file folder next to the schedule. Request off forms are to be turned in Sunday before noon so we can get the schedule done by Monday. It works out pretty well.  |  IP: Logged Franklin Armstrong Expert Film Handler Posts: 106 From: Orlando, FL, USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 11-08-2003 08:45 PM                     That is the same way I did it  |  IP: Logged Lance C. McFetridge Expert Film Handler Posts: 135 From: Penn Yan, New York Registered: Jul 99 posted 11-08-2003 09:47 PM                     I do a month at a time. Requests for time off in by the 17th, They have to get a replacement no matter what. Never a problem.  |  IP: Logged Marcial Feliciano Ramos Expert Film Handler Posts: 108 From: Puerto Rico Registered: Oct 2003 posted 11-08-2003 10:16 PM                     [ 11-13-2003, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: Rachel Gilardi ]  |  IP: Logged Marcial Feliciano Ramos Expert Film Handler Posts: 108 From: Puerto Rico Registered: Oct 2003 posted 11-08-2003 10:17 PM                     We first talk to each other to see if someone can do that day. If not, we have to talk with the manager one week early. Our schedule is made by season (high or low).  |  IP: Logged Blake Zaugg Film Handler Posts: 57 From: Lafayette, LA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 11-09-2003 12:13 AM                     We do the same as Chris in that we get their availability a few times durring the year. I try to have at least two weeks done up ahead of time. Much more than that and there are just too many changes for us. We run our schedule Sunday - Saturday.  |  IP: Logged Kevin Wale Expert Film Handler Posts: 167 From: Guymon, OK USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 11-09-2003 08:15 PM                     I wish I could schedule two weeks in advance, but we have parties during the day and I have no way of knowing when they will be that far in advance. At the theatre in Oklahoma I worked at, we just put up the schedule and they had to find thier own replacements if they needed off. It worked fairly well and certainly better than what is happening now. I'm going to try and talk the owner into letting me go to a combination of things I've read here and what we did there. The having to call everyone and hear all the "I can't work here or there... blah blah..." it's getting old and inevitably it always ends up one day where we are a person short because there aren't enough people to go around as much as they want off.  |  IP: Logged Blake Zaugg Film Handler Posts: 57 From: Lafayette, LA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 11-10-2003 02:00 AM                     We too often have parties in the daytime. We are fortunate to have a few employees who are very flexible and eager to come in whenever they are needed. For all the employees we require that they be available to work at least 2 of the three busy days (Tues, Fri Sat). That doesn't mean that they will always be scheduled those days, but the staff need to realize that the weekends are when we are busiest and that is when they are needed the most. If I ever start to feel the pinch that we might be short, then I know it is time to hire, most of the time, staff hear that I am going to hire and that realize that equals less shifts for them so then they weigh out that they need to suck it up and work.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 11-10-2003 04:36 PM                        Blake - you should never stop hiring - what happens if the perfect employee turned in an application while you were "not hiring." Then someone else gets that employee. If you are constantly hiring, in theory, your staff is constantly improving.  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 11-10-2003 04:43 PM                     Mike-although I understand what you are saying-that one should be constantly accepting and reviewing applications-I think what Blake meant by "...time to hire," is to actually start calling applicants for interviews. I mean, one shouldn't be constantly adding new staff, that assumes an unacceptable turnover rate. Before Haloween, before May, and possibly before September (depending on how many staff members you are losing to college/school obligations) are the only times of the year that major hiring needs to be done. If you are hiring more than one person a month outside of these periods I think its time to ask yourself why you have such a high turnover and try and correct the problem if possible.  |  IP: Logged Erika McCarty Film Handler Posts: 21 From: McKinney, TX/New Haven, CT Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-12-2003 08:31 PM                     We do our schedule the same way Chris does. Plus, I've seen many a good prospective employee get turned away by seasonal 'not hiring'...argh!  |  IP: Logged Blake Zaugg Film Handler Posts: 57 From: Lafayette, LA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 11-19-2003 03:33 PM                     Yes, Dustin that is exactly what I meant. We are always accepting resumes, but interviews are only done when we are needing to add someone. Having full a full complement of staff and then adding more just because they have good qualifications doesn't make sense to me. It rocks the boat realistically most of our hiring is for entry level jobs...selling pop and popcorn (it's not rocket science). I disagree with the constantly hiring = constant improving though. I would much rather keep a current trained employee than have to hire a new one and start from scratch. Training a new employee is time consuming, and expensive. If you are constantly adding a new staff member every month, the only reason they are improving is because they started out at 0 and can't get any less knowledgeable. 99% of our employees start out in the concession and then get moved around to other positions (tickets, usher, etc..) Is that what most everyone else does too?  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 11-30-2003 03:24 PM                     quote: I'm curious how you guys schedule employees. Do you put up a schedule and they find their own replacements if they can't work that day, That's what happens where I work. Then on each morning a rota is put up detailing where each member of staff will be working for the day (concessions, box office, ticket check etc).  |  IP: Logged R. Andrew Diercks Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere) Registered: May 2003 posted 11-30-2003 11:37 PM                     I schedule 2 weeks in advance. If there are days requested off it is mentioned to me and I write it on the calendar. If too many try to request the same day off, I say no. If they don't come in, they are gone. I am very flexible with changing schedules, my staff is very well trained and all will do fine on a given shift. They find they're own replacements and I never say no to that. I expect the same flexibility in return when someone is sick or I need extra help for parties, etc. I haven't had a problem yet. If someone is a problem they no longer work for me. I always take applications but only hire if I need someone. I have had many wait or leave another job when I finally did need someone. I guess we have built a good reputation as a place to work. I suppose the above sounds a bit strict, but I praise the hell out of my great staff and try my best to take care of them. Bottom line, we have a fun business and a fun job if the employees like to be there, if they don't go work at McDonald's.  |  IP: Logged

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