At Rotageek, we create scheduling technology. Importantly, we’re trying to figure out how to make shift work fairer for employees (which will benefit employers, too!). In this article, I take a deeper look into what schedule fairness truly means. I also speak to Dan Chamberlain, Rotageek’s Head of Data Science, because really, fairness in scheduling is a delicate balance of logic and humanity, held together by data science.

With almost three million workers, the retail industry is the UK’s largest private sector employer. But retailers face a number of challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best staff.

Experience is everything in retail right now. Online shopping offers the ultimate in convenience, meaning brands are using their bricks and mortar stores to provide a spectacular, immersive experience.

Flexible working* is trendy. There are countless articles telling employers that, if they want to attract millennials, they need to offer them flexibility. The reality is more nuanced. Stability is just as important for some members of staff.

Creating, editing and disseminating schedules can often feel like a time-consuming, hurried and reactive process. However, by utilising data-driven scheduling you can accurately forecast far into the future; empower employees to have greater input into their schedules; and be proactive in making important business strategy decisions.

The first step to productivity is efficiency. But so many businesses are held back by outdated processes and systems.

How can employee scheduling help? While it used to be simply a task on the to-do list of individual stores, today it’s a function that brings together a multitude of factors.

In-store retail is no longer solely about sales. That’s what online is for - convenient, effortless, simple. In-store, however, is about brand immersion, experience, and customer service. And who delivers all of this? Well, in the first instance, it’s your store teams.

The way we shop is changing. Just a few years ago, same-day delivery seemed like an impossible feat — but these days it’s not only possible but you can even receive popcorn in 13 minutes… if you live near an Amazon distribution centre and have a large garden. Who knows what the face of retail might look like in a decade — but, right now, retailers need to juggle meeting the expectations of shoppers who enjoy the flexibility of online shopping, but still love the experience of a physical store.

We’re delighted to announce: Rotageek has become a Silver Partner of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN).