What is a waitlist?
A waitlist is an optional feature when creating the number of signup spots for a shift or event. You can check a box called 'Waitlist' to activate the waitlist. This will allow you to collect a list of people interested in this opportunity if a spot becomes available. Once all spots are filled, the button volunteers see will change to Waitlist so it's clear what they are signing up for.
Control How the Waitlist Works and Fill Available Spots
The default for the waitlist is to 'Manually assign waitlist.' This means you will want to keep an eye on who cancels or if you open up more spots to move people from the waitlist to a confirmed status. The benefit is that you are in complete control if you review all shift requests for schedules. The cons with manually assigning are that it is more work, and if someone cancels before you can move them onto a waitlist, the shift will appear for volunteers to sign up and allow them to jump ahead of people on a waitlist.
To automate the waitlist, go to Settings, and across the top, click on Preferences. Scroll to the Waitlist section and change to 'Automatically assign next in line.' Then press Save at the bottom of the page for the changes to reflect. This setting affects all events and shifts, so please make sure you decide as an organization how you wish for the waitlist to work so there are no surprises. This simplifies who fills a waitlist spot and makes it fairer, as it relies on first come, first served. If you automate the waitlist, Timecounts will automatically move the next person on the Waitlist into the Confirmed status and send them a Confirmation Email.
Set a Waitlist Limit
The default for a waitlist is 100 (or unlimited), but you can change this to reflect your organization's requirements better. You may only want to allow a few people on a waitlist, or volunteers may not sign up for other opportunities requiring help. They may also get frustrated if they sign up for a waitlist and never get a spot. Like when a shift is full, we will hide the available shift if the waitlist becomes full. If it is an event, we update the button to say the event is Full.