How to Schedule Part Time or Volunteer Employees with Open Shifts

This guide and the embedded video below walk you through the process of using Open Shifts in Hero Schedule to efficiently staff your part-time, paid-on-call, or volunteer positions.

This method allows your employees to express interest in available shifts, giving administrators a clear view of who wants to work when.

1. Setting Up the Open Shifts

The most effective way to manage part-time scheduling is by creating recurring Open Shifts that your employees can sign up for.

Create the First Open Shift

1. Navigate to the Open Shift Creation: Go to your scheduling interface and select the option to Create Open Shift.
2. Set Dates and Recurrence:
   • Select a Start Date.
   • Check the Recurring box and pick an End Date.
   • Set the repetition (e.g., daily, only weekends, or a specific pattern).
3. Define the Shift Details (Day Shift Example):
   • Activity/Position: Select the required activity, such as Firefighter EMT.
   • Shift Times: Define the specific shift duration (e.g., 0700 to 1900 for a 12-hour shift).
   • Positions Needed: Enter the number of part-time spots you need to fill (e.g., 2).

Configure Invitation and Approval

4. Invite the Correct Pool: Select the group (e.g., part-time personnel).
5. Require Supervisor Approval:
   • Leave Checked (Recommended): An administrator reviews and approves the assignment.
   • Uncheck: If you need shifts filled quickly with no review needed.
6. Notifications:
   • Send Invite Notifications: Leave checked to notify the pool.
   • Send Responses to Me: Uncheck this box to avoid excessive response emails.
7. Save: Click Save to generate all the recurring open shifts.

2. Creating the Night Shift (Repeat Process)

To cover a 24-hour period, repeat the process to create the second 12-hour shift:

• Shift Times: Set the second shift from 1900 to 0700.
• All other settings (recurrence, pool, positions, approval) can remain the same.
• Click Save.

3. Employee View: Showing Interest

Employees have two main ways to view and show interest in open shifts:

A. The "Open Shifts" Alert

Employees will see an alert number at the top of their screen. Clicking the alert shows a list of available shifts. They can click "I'm Interested" and add a note if desired.

B. Calendar Mode (Recommended for Employees)

1. Click the gear icon and switch to the Calendar Mode view.
2. Switch to the Month View and set the filter to "Only Show Me."
3. The calendar displays all opportunities; click on a shift and select the thumbs up icon to quickly add interest.

4. Administrator View: Filling the Shifts

As an administrator, return to the Open Shifts tab to review and approve requests.

1. Review Responses: On the list, view the columns for Interested, Declined, and No Answer.
2. Filter for Interested Employees: Click on an open shift, then click the filter icon to show only those who have responded positively.
3. Approve Assignments:
   • Review the interested employees (using seniority or rotation tracking if available).
   • Click Approve next to the employee's name.
   • Strategy Tip: Focus on filling shifts with the fewest number of interested people first.
4. Result: The shift is now filled and appears on the main schedule.

5. Viewing the Filled Schedule

• Employee View: Assigned shifts are added to their personal schedule.
• Administrator View (Employee View): Filter the schedule to only show the Part-Time group to see filled shifts.
• Administrator View (Activity View): Switch to Activity View to see full-time staff and part-time open shift staff listed together by role (e.g., Firefighter EMT), ensuring all roles are covered.

? What if the Shifts Don't Get Filled?

If not enough part-time employees show interest, you can broaden the invitation pool:

1. Find the Unfilled Open Shift.
2. Click Invite More Pools.
3. Select a different group (e.g., Full-Time Firefighters) to invite them to fill the remaining spot.