Shift pattern
The term ‘shift pattern’ refers to the way that shifts are scheduled for employees or members of a team. Shift patterns can vary greatly from business to business, and are determined by everything from the total number of staff, to the length of time each shift covers, to how often the shift pattern repeats or rotates and when.
Shift patterns are usually designed to meet the needs of a business, ensuring streamlined operations — as well as sufficient staffing in order to maximise profits and provide a high level of customer service in customer-facing organisations.
Types of shift patterns
There’s a near-infinite number of shift patterns that rota managers can make use of. But there are also several tried-and-tested shift patterns that can be particularly useful for certain industries.
For example:
The shift pattern you choose will depend on the needs of your business, hours of operation, and the number of staff you have on your team.
Modern staff scheduling software like RotaCloud can make the process of building staff rotas quick and easy by providing managers with a simple, drag-and-drop interface and automating processes for common tasks like sharing rotas and recording annual leave.
