Labor planning is one of the trickiest balancing acts for any shift-based business. Schedule too many people and you’re burning payroll. Schedule too few and your team burns out—while your customers feel the impact.
The solution? Smarter forecasting. When managers learn to predict labor needs more accurately, they save money, reduce turnover, and improve customer experiences. It’s not about guesswork—it’s about strategy, tools, and habits that make scheduling easier and more effective.
Here are some practical tips to help you forecast smarter and plan your labor with confidence.
Before you buy any new software or tools, start by looking at the information you already collect. Past schedules, sales data, and traffic patterns are goldmines for forecasting.
Ask yourself:
Looking backward helps you plan forward. Even simple trends can prevent overstaffing and understaffing.
Labor planning isn’t just about coverage—it should connect directly to your organization’s bigger objectives. If your goal is to improve guest experience, you may need extra staff during peak hours. If your focus is on reducing costs, you might tighten staffing during slower periods and cross-train employees for flexibility.
When labor planning is aligned with strategy, every shift is designed to move your business closer to its goals.
Manual scheduling eats up time and often leads to errors. Tools like ShiftForce make it easier to forecast labor needs by pulling in data, accounting for employee availability, and even flagging overtime risks before they happen.
Smart scheduling software can help managers:
That’s not just good for operations—it’s a proven way to boost employee retention.
Forecasting isn’t just about the business—it’s about the people behind the shifts. When employees have more control over their schedules, they’re less likely to burn out or quit.
As we share in Make Scheduling Employees Easier, open communication is key. Forecasting becomes more accurate when you understand not just when you need coverage, but also when your team is available and at their best.
Even the best forecast isn’t perfect. Weather, call-outs, or sudden demand changes can throw a wrench in your plans. The key is to create flexibility within your schedule.
That might mean:
Flexibility ensures you can adapt quickly without overworking your team.
Forecasting isn’t “set it and forget it.” It’s a habit. After each scheduling cycle, review what worked, what didn’t, and where you could improve. Did you overstaff? Were certain shifts consistently under-covered?
Regular check-ins make your forecasts sharper over time. The more you refine, the less you’ll rely on gut instincts—and the more you’ll rely on proven data.
Smarter forecasting is the difference between surviving and thriving in shift-based businesses. By using the data you already have, aligning staffing with business goals, leveraging scheduling tools, and keeping flexibility in mind, you can build schedules that serve both your team and your bottom line.
Labor planning doesn’t have to be stressful. With the right approach, it can actually become one of your greatest advantages.