Custom Fields – the junk drawer of your employee scheduling database

Just ask anyone which drawer in the home is the most valuable, and you are likely to hear, “the junk drawer, of course!” That little eyeglass screwdriver, a paperclip, the mailbox key, and a replacement watch battery…all of these are really necessary exactly when you need them, and none of them has its own storage place, so we keep all of these vital tools in…the junk drawer! Let’s think of custom fields as the all-important junk drawer of your employee schedule.

Setting up your basic employee and shift data in Snap Schedule and Premium is a simple and straightforward process that yields an organized, efficient employee schedule. But you need more. You need to be able to store data that is specific to your organization-sensitive information about your employees, the shifts you create and the locations where your employees work. You need quick and easy access to Social Security numbers and locker combinations, asset serial numbers and security access codes. You might even need to organize and instantly retrieve sensitive employee documents like job applications, training certifications, and employee disciplinary actions.

The custom fields feature in Snap Schedule and Premium was designed to make the most efficient use of the information you can link to your employees, shifts, and work locations. Because your “custom” information is unique to you, Snap Schedule and Premium custom fields are not a one-size-fits-all feature. Just like the junk drawer in your kitchen does not have the same contents as your neighbor’s junk drawer, your custom fields will be set up and filled with information that is unique to your operation.

Employee Text fields: There are ten custom employee text fields in both Snap Schedule and Premium. Each custom text field can be created to retrieve information in one of five formats: email, file location, phone number, social security number and text. Because of the multiple formats, custom text fields allow for the most versatility of all of the custom fields. The uses are virtually endless. For example, you can keep all employee social security numbers in Custom Field #1, employee email addresses in Custom Field #2, all pre-employment documents like job applications, resumes and letters of recommendation in Custom Field #3, with training certifications and disciplinary write ups, commendations and annual appraisals in Custom Field #4. Then, simply click on Custom Employee field #4 to immediately access the file folder where employee Bob Brown’s previous year annual appraisal is located. Compare it to this year’s appraisal in order to quickly determine whether you’d like to promote Bob or offer a pay raise. More than ever before, your Snap Schedule or Premium database lets you enjoy a seamless interface that keeps all of your employee data at your fingertips.

Employee Date fields: There are five custom employee date fields in both Snap Schedule and Premium. Perhaps you would like to keep track of job promotion dates, as well as seniority dates. Or, maybe you have a collection of assets through which your employees must rotate quarterly. The employee custom text field is a perfect place for any information that is time and date sensitive.

Employee Number fields: There are five custom employee number fields in both Snap Schedule and Premium. The Custom Number fields can be set up for use in one of four formats: double, integer, money, and percent. Do you keep track of comp time, petty cash, percentage of volunteer shifts accepted, etc? The custom number fields provide plenty of options.

Employee Check Box fields: There are five custom employee check box fields in both Snap Schedule and Premium. Maintaining up-to-date information on whether your employees are covered under the preferred medical plan, or whether they have a security clearance, or even whether they have fulfilled their bi-monthly obligation to clean the break room or bring refreshments-this is the custom field that will meet your needs.

These options only address the custom fields for your employees. There is another collection of 25 custom fields for both your shifts and your work locations. Security key codes, asset management, even the date the smoke alarm batteries were last changed. You can keep company-wide useful information right at your fingertips by using the custom employee fields, custom shift fields and custom location fields in your Snap Schedule or Premium database. Your junk drawer never looked so good!