What is a schedule, and when should it be used in Timecounts?
While the term "schedule" may seem straightforward, understanding its purpose in Timecounts can help ensure you post the correct format for your opportunities.
In Timecounts, a schedule is an ongoing calendar where you can directly add shifts for specific dates. This feature allows you to manage positions and easily create recurring schedules weekly or monthly.
You can use the schedule to set up a simple shift signup page or to associate applications with specific positions that require additional qualifications. This flexibility helps you tailor your scheduling process to meet your organization's needs.
Schedules work best for organizations with a consistent roster of shifts each week or for large-scale events like festivals. By creating multiple schedules, you can effectively communicate different signup opportunities or locations.
Let’s walk through setting up a new schedule together!
Setting the positions for your schedule.
Before adding shifts to your schedule, you must set up a list of positions. A position refers to the role name and location volunteers choose when signing up.
If you start with a new schedule, you’ll see a + Add Position button. From then on, you can organize the positions for your schedule by clicking the Manage Positions button with blue text.
Start typing the position name and select it from the dropdown as it appears. If the position name has been used previously or is already in your master Positions list under Settings, it will show up as an option.
Click the circle on the right to customize each position with a color. This color coding is only visible to organizers, but it’s a fun way to group locations, position types, or departments on your schedule—or just pick a color you like!
Each position requires a location to be saved to your list. Start typing the location name in the field, and options from Google Maps will pop up. If your location doesn’t appear or if you want to specify it further, just click the Create New Location link in blue within the dropdown. This will open a popup where you can enter the details, including a Location Name. This is especially useful if your schedule is at the same venue but in a different area or floor.
If you're unsure about the exact location, you can list the city name instead. Just remember that this is what volunteers will see and receive as confirmation for their signups.
If your position is online, use the Switch to Online button on the right to add the URL volunteers should use to join, like a Zoom call.
While optional, you may want to add a description or skills to the position. The description will be visible to volunteers on the signup page, and they can expand it to read more. Skills will appear in the Track tab, allowing you to validate them when crediting time for this position.
If you're on the Pro Plan, you'll see an option to associate an application with this position, restricting signups to qualified individuals. You can learn more about this in the Applications section.
Reordering positions in your schedule.
Now that you've created positions in your schedule, let’s review and ensure everything is set up the way you want. Click Manage Positions to open the list. If you'd like to change the order of the positions, simply use the drag icon next to the position name to move it up or down. This will automatically update the order as it appears in your schedule.
Keep in mind that this won’t affect how volunteers see the positions, as their view is organized by date. However, as the organizer, it gives you more control over grouping positions or prioritizing the more active ones at the top, making it easier to manage and build your schedule.
Adding shifts to your schedule.
It's time to start adding shifts to your schedule!
To begin, use the Add Shift button in the top left corner of the toolbar. While this method isn't the quickest way to create your shifts, it's a straightforward option if you prefer it.
The best way to build out your schedule is by clicking directly on the dates in the calendar. If a position has no shifts, it will be hidden by default, providing you with a more streamlined view for day-to-day management. To make everything visible while building your schedule, switch from Scheduled to All Positions view using the option on the left side panel. Once you do this, you'll see a natural grid on your calendar that you can click into to create one or multiple shifts.
You should now see that the shifts view of your schedule looks like a grid, making adding shifts super easy. To add a shift, move your cursor into the box across from the position you want to add a shift for and under the appropriate day of the week. If you have a shift that repeats that week, start at the beginning of the week, as you can add the other days simultaneously.
Clicking on the schedule to create a shift will automatically pre-fill the position and date, saving you valuable time. Here’s what you need to do next:
Add start and end times: Type into the fields to narrow the exact time, using options in quarter-hour increments.
Decide how many volunteers you need: Specify the available spots for this shift.
Enable waitlist: Choose whether to turn on a waitlist for this shift.
Add an optional reference: Use this field to distinguish individual shifts with standalone text that volunteers will see when they sign up.
Apply to future days: If your Monday shift repeats on Wednesday and Friday, simply click those days and press the Add Shift button.
Once you add the shifts, they’ll appear on your schedule. You can continue adding shifts for the rest of the week. Your schedule isn’t visible to volunteers for sign-up just yet, but you can still start using it. Click on any shift to edit or assign it to volunteers from your directory using the shift card.
Copying shifts to future weeks.
Once you’ve added all the shifts for this week, you can use the Copy button to make those shifts recur in future weeks. To do this, make sure you’re on the week you want to copy, then click the Copy icon in the toolbar. A popup will open, allowing you to choose which positions to copy and which weeks to copy them to.
You can copy shifts up to 12 weeks into the future, as anything more isn’t advisable for the volunteer experience. If you need to copy shifts for a more extended period, you can go to the last week and copy again. It may take a few minutes for all shifts to appear, so please avoid copying it again immediately.
If your schedule varies from week to week, feel free to skip ahead using the date picker at the top and add your shifts to the calendar as needed. Shifts that appear in white with a colored line mean it is currently private or in draft view.
Publishing your schedule.
Once you’ve built out all the shifts you want to make available, the final step is to publish your schedule and let your volunteers know they can start signing up. To publish, click the yellow button in the top right corner. This will open a popup where you can finalize your publishing options.
To keep things simple, there’s only one publishing window or time frame for your shifts. We do this because most customers prefer to announce their new schedules at regular intervals each month. Enter the start and end dates you want to make visible to volunteers, ensuring that the start date is in the future.
As an optional feature, you can send an announcement email to volunteers, letting them know that new shifts are available for signup. If you’d prefer to customize this email, select Do Not Notify and send a general email with a link to the schedule after it’s published.
Once ready, click either the Publish or Publish and Notify button to complete the action.
Here's what the New Shifts Available email will look like to volunteers featuring your brand colors.
View your published schedule.
When your schedule is published, the shifts in the selected time frame will appear in solid color. You can also click the down arrow on the Published button to double-check the status.
You can also see what the volunteer experience looks like by clicking the View button in the top right corner. This will take you directly to the schedule view in your hub. Here’s an example of what volunteers will see:
Congratulations! You’ve just published your first schedule! You’ve set a solid foundation for future scheduling, making it much easier from here on out.
Check your schedule settings.
Timecounts provides default schedule settings that work for most organizations, but you may want to customize them for your specific needs. Open your schedule and click on the Details page across the top.
The two key settings to consider are visibility and shift confirmations.
Visibility determines who can see the available shifts. By default, it’s set to Public, meaning anyone can view the shifts but still needs permission to sign up, as you would have determined in your initial organization setup for onboarding.
Shift Confirmations are set to Review and Confirm by default, but you can change this to Auto-Accept if you’re comfortable with who is signing up.
You can read more about these settings in the help center.
You may also want to rename your schedule to something more personal than “Shift Schedule.” Choose a name that resonates with your volunteers. Additionally, uploading an image in the Hub Editor > Opportunities page is important. Schedules have their own category on the Find Opportunities page, which makes it easier for volunteers to find and recognize them.
