Exclusive: Rotageek’s CEO on ‘the silver bullet’ for the future of flexible working
The early 2020s have been difficult for business leaders and employers. Not only have they needed to cope and adjust to unpredictable levels of customer demand, but they’ve also needed to to keep their teams going through the harsh uncertainties of lockdowns, pingdemics and furloughs.
These curveballs have forced businesses to accelerate the need to create more flexible workforces, which still allow them to react to change and cope with volatility.
Although Covid-19 may seem like a distant memory for some, the aftermath is still being felt.
The recent RMT rail strikes and the ongoing working turmoil of NHS staff, prove that businesses still have a long way to go before their workforces feel empowered, in control and content with their work-life balance.
Silver bullet
Most businesses understand they need to be responsive to the changing nature of work. However, as the needs of individuals often conflict with the needs of the business, this can be a difficult circle to square.
“It has left businesses searching for solutions that deliver for both managers and staff – along with customers and the business as a whole,” according to Dr Chris McCullough, the CEO of Rotageek, a creator of employee scheduling solutions, serving primarily retail, entertainment, hospitality and healthcare organisations.
McCullough told City PM today that “it seems we’re in need of a silver bullet – a way to optimise the workforce, support flexibility, be an employer of choice and bring back levels of stability lost during the pandemic.”
Role of tech
Optimising work patterns to drive operational efficiency has always been on the agenda to successfully meet customer demand and business KPIs.
But digitising these processes can also help organisations adapt to the future of work. We live in an age when anything, from finances to family holidays, can be managed via an app – so why would work schedules be any different?
“An optimised schedule also results in a happy workforce,” stressed McCullough.
“Digital tools that forecast and communicate schedules effectively can help employers reduce staff turnover, empower their employees and create a working culture where their employees feel valued.”
Chris McCullough, the CEO of Rotageek
“Smart scheduling allows businesses to react faster in a constantly changing world,” McCullough continued. “Matching employee availability and work preference to shifting consumer demand is great business. Happier employees perform better and the ability to balance work and home life is increasingly valued.”
“The corollary is that such businesses can better flex to meet the needs of their customers which, in such an uncertain world, can deliver a huge competitive advantage.”
Smart scheduling solutions are being recognised as the potential silver bullet, he argued.
Fresh cash
McCullough shared with City PM that his firm held a £3m funding round, led by Volution, Calculus Capital, and Gresham House Ventures.
“The investment will enable us to scale following several years of phenomenal growth, in which the company has signed large retail clients including Caffè Nero, McColl’s, White Stuff, and Charlotte Tilbury,” he explained.
“We also made traction in the healthcare sector, replacing long established rostering solutions in Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust,” McCullough said.
On the support of the investors, he concludedthat “this funding from our current investors enables us to accelerate our growth as we deliver more value for more and more clients. The combination of supportive and engaged investors with an incredible team at Rotageek ensures that we have an exciting few years ahead of us.”