The medical field gets a lot of attention when it comes to employee burnout. Healthcare workers drew the headlines during and after the pandemic, but the truth is, the problem is widespread across different industries. According to one report, burnout among Americans in the workplace is at a seven-year high, with heavy workloads being the top driver of stress in the workplace.
Data can play a big part in tackling this problem. Even if it can’t bring about an immediate solution, analytics can help identify exactly where the issues lie and help lay out a plan to address them. Here are some examples of where data is used when it comes to the workforce and how an analytics solution can help turn that data into action.
How is data used for scheduling?
Analytics can help with day-to-day planning. It can be used to optimize scheduling, making sure that the busiest times of day are the ones that are best staffed. This helps ensure that shifts aren’t “wasted,” where too many people are scheduled at a time when they are not needed, for example. It also helps to make sure a facility isn’t understaffed during a busy time, which can ease that feeling of burnout for people who are doing too much at one time. This is true for the medical field, using analytics to make sure the busiest patient times are well-staffed; however, it can transfer to other fields such as retail as well.
Some organizations use data from their staff to inform their scheduling too. Frequently checking in and gathering information about who is willing to work overtime or who is feeling particularly stressed can provide more data to analyze when scheduling shifts. In addition to scheduling, analytics can help focus on workflow, and make sure that workers are using their time in the most beneficial way while they are at work. These types of efficiencies can also make people happier in their jobs.
What can data reveal about staffing?
Analytics can also help an organization understand its overall staffing needs. The firefighters union in Framingham, Massachusetts recently commissioned a study using all city data from 2019 through 2023 including information such as the number of calls, their location, the response times, and how many firefighters were at the scene. Those numbers were then compared to national standards, and the findings showed the department is understaffed.
The study presented much of the data using a map of the city, and it shared its findings with the public on social media. As part of the study, the union is proposing a three-phase system that will increase staffing and necessary equipment.
How can a business intelligence solution bring about positive changes?
Organizations need a comprehensive business intelligence solution in order to get the most complete picture to inform their decision-making. In addition to the amount of staff needed during different situations or different hours of the day, decisions could include factors such as payroll or the available space in a facility. Many colleges and hospitals make staffing decisions based around what areas are available at a given time. One flexible analytics solution can take all of these aspects into account rather than looking at individual results from individual systems.
The right analytics solution can bring together all of the data from these disparate sources to produce one single version of the truth. It can then also offer the types of visualizations the firefighters used to illustrate their findings, making it easier to present the results. Whatever format you choose for your reports, the end results can be trusted to include all of the relevant data points to improve the way you handle your workforce.
Analytics can allow you to look at today’s performance and understand what will happen down the road. A flexible solution not only allows you to address the workforce you have today, but it can grow with your organization and continue to produce effective results even as your business changes in the future.
There are many factors that can lead to employee burnout, which is only one of the causes of high turnover within an organization. Other workforce issues organizations face can include appropriate staffing throughout the day, productivity, and payroll. The best analytics solutions can help your organization address all these issues and more, allowing decision-makers to bring about results that can benefit the bottom line while also making sure that the people helping to bring about that success are kept happy.
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