Easy as ABC: How to Get the Most Out of shiftNOW

Onboarding new software and training team members on how to use it can seem like a daunting task. The reality is, this technology is designed to make your life easier—a little learning is required along the way to get there.

Aside from learning how to use shiftNOW, you’ll want to understand how to make shiftNOW work for you. While it may seem like a lot to learn, we’ve made it as easy as ABC—literally! 

Check out our tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your shiftNOW accounts and meet your workforce needs with success.

The ABCs of shiftNOW

Accept Shifters with enough notice

Many Shifters earn their living through gig apps, like shiftNOW. It’s important for them to plan out their schedules and ensure that they have enough work lined up to hit their earning goals. Leaving applications in limbo for too long can result in Shifters withdrawing their application from the shift, potentially leaving you with slim options that aren’t a fit.

Once you’ve identified a Shifter who’s a fit for your posting, accept them right away.

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Boost shifts to generate interest

Businesses have the option to boost a shift, which offers the accepted Shifter(s) a bonus payment in addition to their payout. Boosted shifts are also bumped to the top of the shift board and will be the first opportunity Shifters see when searching for work in their area.

Keep in mind that a boosted shift bonus is offered to all accepted applicants. 

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Check-in and check-out help manage multiple workers

When you have multiple Shifters working a shift, it can be difficult to keep track of who showed up, who was on time, and who might’ve stayed longer to help out. Our check-in and check-out feature makes it easier to reconcile Shifter payment and performance at the end of the shift. 

Upon arrival, Shifters will be prompted to scan a QR code that will check them in for the shift. Once they have reached the end of the scheduled shift time, they’ll scan the QR code to clock out. 

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Dress code requirements should be noted

Be sure to highlight any dress code requirements in the dress code section of your shift posting. This helps prevent accepted Shifters from showing up unprepared for the environment they will be working in. 

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Establish a point of contact

For any shift, but especially larger-scale events, you should establish a point of contact for Shifters to report to. This information should be noted in the shift description, and this individual should be accessible throughout the shift to assist with any questions or concerns.

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Full-time hiring is available

Although shiftNOW started as an on-demand solution for your last-minute needs, we’ve evolved into a comprehensive hospitality hiring platform. Whether you need to hire across the front-of-house, back-of-house, or managerial positions, we can assist you with your workforce needs. Check out our Hired plan to learn more.

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Give your post enough time to accumulate applications

We understand that last-minute needs will arise, but to guarantee you find the help you need, it’s best to post at least two weeks in advance. As mentioned, Shifters like to plan their schedules ahead of time and lock in opportunities sooner rather than later. 

Posting in advance will enable you to accumulate a higher volume of quality applicants. 

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Highly rated businesses attract applicants

Keep in mind that Shifters are prompted to review your business upon completing a shift. Your business’s average rating appears next to your posting and helps Shifters understand the type of environment they will work in. 

The environment your business fosters matters to Shifters and can affect how many applicants your future postings receive.

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Invite back your favorite workers

When paying out and reviewing a Shifter, you will also be asked whether you’d like to invite this individual back for future shifts. This makes it easy to notify your favorite Shifters of future shifts and gives them first dibs on any new postings from your business.

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Jobs of all types can be posted on shiftNOW

The shiftNOW platform offers more than 40 role types across the front-of-house, back-of-house, events, general labor, and managerial positions. Whether you have a one-time, part-time, or full-time need, our platform’s network of pre-vetted workers can help.

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Keep track of your favorite Shifters

Our platform offers several features that help you keep track of your favorite Shifters for future shifts, including invites, rosters, and notes. In the event there’s a Shifter you do not want to work with again due to poor performance or bad actions, you can block this individual from all future shifts.

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Looking to Hire badge

If you have a full-time need for a role type you’ve posted a shift for, use the Looking to Hire badge. This badge will let Shifters know that a shift has the potential to turn into a full-time opportunity and will attract applicants who are in the market for permanent positions.

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Multi-shift makes posting simpler 

When you need multiple workers for the same shift type, use mult-shift to make the posting process easier. For example, if you need four event bartenders, the multi-shift feature lets you create one job post that accepts multiple applicants—instead of creating four separate posts.

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Notes on Shifters provide further insights

After a Shifter has worked with your business, you have the ability to leave notes on the individual. These notes are only visible to your account’s users and come in handy when someone else is looking to accept applicants for a shift.

It’s helpful to provide specific feedback in these notes, such as “They are not a fit for FOH roles but do an amazing job on the line.”.

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Occupational accident insurance coverage

The Shifters on our platform are 1099 contractors, meaning that they do not receive the same benefits as the full-time employees hired by hospitality businesses. However, every Shifter is covered by occupational accident insurance (OAI) in the event of an accident during a shift.

A nominal OAI fee of $0.38 is deducted from a Shifter’s payout for each shift to provide this coverage.

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Profile videos help with applicant selection

Every worker on the shiftNOW platform creates a profile video to introduce themselves and share more about their relevant experience. These videos are designed to make applicant selection simpler by allowing you to “meet” Shifters before they work with your business.

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Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out

We understand that it can take some time to feel comfortable learning new software. That’s why we’re here to help. Our team is available for product walkthroughs at your convenience or quick support questions via call, email, text, or in-app messaging.

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Rosters open up your applicant pool

Rosters allow you to create customized lists of Shifters you'd like to invite to future shifts.

With Rosters, you can invite a top-rated Shifter to your shift even if they have not worked with your business before. Rosters expand your talent pool, making new, highly-rated Shifters accessible by invitation.

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Suggested hourly rate makes your shift competitive

When posting a shift, you’ll notice a payout suggestion scale. This scale is intended to help businesses post competitive rates to attract quality applicants.

Rates in the green are competitive and likely to attract the highest number of quality applicants. Rates in the yellow are below average and may not attract as many applicants, while rates in the red are low and might make it difficult to fill the shift.

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Tips can be offered through the platform

When posting a shift, you can denote that tips are included in the shift payout to help attract applicants. When it's time to payout a Shifter, you can select a tip amount between $0 to $500.

 If you do not denote that tips are included when you post a shift, you still have the option to provide a tip when facilitating payout. This is a great way to reward excellent work if you're satisfied with a Shifter's performance.

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Unfilled shifts can be reposted

Recently unfilled shifts are displayed on your account’s overview page. This allows you to repost an unfilled shift easily and edit the time if necessary. 

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View complete shift history with our Premium subscription

A Shifter’s complete shift history is available to Premium plan subscribers. With this feature, you can see a complete list of the businesses an individual has worked for, the shift types they have completed, and the ratings they received from the business for their work.

These insights allow you to understand whether a worker has experience relevant to your business and if they would be a good fit.

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We’re here to support you!

The shiftNOW Support Team is available seven days a week via in-app messaging, email, and phone. We are committed to your success and are proud to offer around-the-clock white glove service to our customers. 

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X-factor matters

When reviewing applicants, be on the lookout for Shifters whose skills and experience set them apart. Whether it’s a certification they possess or how they’ve shown off their skills in their profile video, look for applicants who demonstrate that they have the X-factor and are willing to go above and beyond to provide great service.

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Your ratings matter

How you rate a Shifter influences the shifts they work in the future. It’s important to always rate Shifters honestly based on their performance, professionalism, attitude, and punctuality. This not only helps other businesses select better applicants, but it also helps high-performing Shifters stand out.

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Zero staffing headaches

Remember, shiftNOW is here to help make hiring easier, whether you need help on a one-time, part-time, or full-time basis. Keep these tips and tricks in mind to eliminate the hassle of hiring and those pesky staffing headaches.

Staff Your Business for Success

Every business is different, and so are its needs. 

Regardless of whether you manage a large banquet hall or a local sports bar, or whether you need a seasonal bartender or a full-time dishwasher, shiftNOW is dedicated to your success. Our platform is designed to meet you where your workforce needs are and as they evolve. 

As you use the shiftNOW platform, keep these tips in mind to set your business–and our Shifters–up for a successful shift.

Have questions? Schedule a platform walkthrough with a member of our team.