How to organise your workforce

The importance of workforce management

How to organise your workforce is a question most trade business owners ask themselves. Whatever your trade, you’ll want your company to stand out from the crowd. To do this, you’ll need an efficient workforce, no matter what size it may be.

One of the best ways to do this is by using workforce management software.

What is the best workforce management software?

The best workforce management software for you will depend on several factors. These include the size of your business and what you want to achieve with workforce management software.

Some popular workforce management software includes:

• monday.com – Great for projects, and often voted the best overall workforce management software
• Paycor – a good choice for larger trade companies
• Microsoft Teams – useful for video conferencing, storing files and arranging calendars
• Sage HR – a good choice for performance reviews
• Asana – popular with small to medium sized businesses

There are lots of workforce management programmes out there. Many offer companies a free trial so it’s worth trying them out before you commit.

Organising your workforce based on business size

The size of your trade business will have a big impact on how you organise your workforce.

The larger a company, the less personalised the approach and the more organised you’ll need to be.

How to organise your workforce in a larger enterprise

Using software such as monday.com and Paycor enables you to allocate work to different departments based on different platforms.

Jobs can be easily categorised, and workers will be able to edit information to provide live updates on job progress.

Most workforce management software also gives the opportunity to record working hours. This can then be directly linked to the company’s payroll.

Workforce management software is now an integral part of running a larger business. It can also be useful for organising small to medium sized businesses.

How to organise your workforce in a small to medium sized business

Although small to medium sized businesses won’t necessarily need to use all the elements of workforce management software, there are certain functionalities that are extremely useful.

Some workforce management tools that are helpful for small to medium sized business include:

• Job allocation
• Holiday/time off recording
• Onboarding and training
• Payroll

All these tools are an integral part of running a small to medium sized trade business.

They can also help you to keep track of contractor workers and managing a remote workforce.

Using workforce management tools

As mentioned above, workforce management tools are an essential part of any modern trade business.

This is especially the case when you employ contractors or a remote workforce.

Remote workers and contractors often feel disconnected from their employer.

Workforce management software can help to unite remote and contractor workers by providing information, scheduling work, and acting as an interface between team members.

Implementing CRM software

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is also an important part of running a modern trade business.

Using CRM platforms can help a company to manage, track, and store information related to existing or potential customers.

CRM software is often used as part of a company’s marketing strategy.

It is a powerful tool for gathering customer information and helps a company to target their marketing more directly.

The importance of goals, training, and rewards

Organising your workforce has many benefits. It can help your business to become more efficient and more profitable.

It can also help you to grow a better business ethos. By offering your employees training and rewards based on achievable goals, they will be more likely to stay with the company allowing you to nurture and utilise their skills.

Most workforce management software allows you to provide training and rewards via an online platform.

These systems are often interactive. Employees can see their progress and will feel more motivated to go the extra mile if they know they will be rewarded.

Balancing customer retention with workforce productivity

As a trade business owner, you need a good balance between happy customer and a happy team. Workforce management software can help you to connect with remote and contractor workers.

• Happy workers who feel valued will work harder
• This in turn equals more satisfied customers
• Make sure your workforce is motivated and fully engaged
• For permanent staff, this is often much easier

Your interactions with permanent employees will often be face to face and regular.

Managing a remote workforce or a team of contractors is often more challenging than a core team.

Feeling like an integral part of the team will equate to a more positive approach to customer relationships.

Using job allocation software

All workers want to know exactly what they need to do and by what date. This will help them to organise their work and meet all deadlines on time.

Job allocation software is the perfect way to keep your team engaged and hitting targets.

Whether you employ a core site-based team, a remote team, a team of contractors, or a combination of these, you’ll need all your workers to be fully aligned.

The larger your trade business, the more important this becomes. That’s where regular and systematic job allocation software is a great solution.

Job allocation software provides trade businesses with a platform where they can keep track of worker’s duties and hours.

Some features of job allocation software include:

• Interactive spreadsheets
• Time sheet recording
• Direct messaging
• Project briefs
• Project deadlines & customer information

Many job allocation tools are highly customisable. This means that you can use the functions you need for your trade business.

Boost your workforce profile as a Checkatrade member

We’ve seen that organising your workforce is a key part of trade business success. Whether that’s organising a team of plumbers, electricians, blind fitters, or any number of skilled tradespeople.

To run a successful  business, you’ll also need to build your reputation. One of the most effective ways to do this is by joining a respected trade database such as Checkatrade.

Checkatrade members are shown to be more trusted by consumers. As a Checkatrade member, you become part of one of the UK’s leading trade organisations. This highlights your business as a reputable and trusted trader.

• Get more work coming your way with expected lead volumes
• Save on business essentials, such as public liability insurance
• Enjoy discounts on tools, workwear and training
• Checkatrade will guarantee your work up to £1,000 for 12 months (T&Cs apply)
• Plus much more…

To start getting more leads today, sign up to the Checkatrade checks now!