How should associates schedule labor hours?

Scheduling labor hours using recommended hours relevant to the sales forecast is essential for optimizing efficiency and meeting customer demand. This approach ensures that the workforce aligns with expected sales volume, allowing for adequate staffing during busy periods while avoiding overstaffing during slower times. By following the sales forecast, associates can efficiently allocate their labor resources, which helps manage operating costs and enhances customer service.

In contrast, random assignments of hours do not consider customer traffic patterns and can lead to resource mismanagement. Scheduling based solely on employee preferences may prioritize individual desires over business needs, potentially resulting in insufficient coverage during peak times. Focusing solely on peak hours ignores the necessity of having adequate staffing during other times, which could lead to underperformance during periods that may not be classified as peak but are still significant for overall operations.