Understanding Shift View vs. Staff View (And When to Use Other Views)

 

1. Shift View: Schedule by Coverage Needs

Shift View focuses on the schedule from the perspective of the work that needs to be covered.

In this view, you:

• Build shifts based on duties and required duty quantities
• Define staffing levels, ratios, and coverage needs
• Review how well staffing levels meet operational or compliance needs
• Assign users to duties when you’re ready (or later in Staff View)

Shift View is ideal if you want to start with:

• Required coverage
• Staffing ratios
• CMS labor code needs

• Duty-based or template-driven scheduling

Shift View answers the question: “What work needs to be completed, and who will fill it?”

2. Staff View: Schedule by Person

Staff View focuses on the schedule from the perspective of the people working.

In this view, you:

• See staff listed in the first column
• Assign shifts user by user in a grid
• Easily compare workloads across staff
• Balance hours and distribute shifts fairly

Staff View is ideal if you prefer starting with:

• Who is working
• Staff availability
• Fair shift distribution
• Reviewing hours by individual staff members

Staff View answers the question: “Who is working, and what shifts will they work?”

Choosing the Right View (Important!)

You do not need to use every view in the system.

Many clients feel overwhelmed when they first see multiple scheduling views—but the good news is:

• All views follow the same Shift vs. Staff concept
• You can choose the view (or two) that works best for your workflow

Common approaches:

• Start in Shift View to build coverage, then switch to Staff View to assign people
• Use Staff View only and never touch the others
• Use additional views for reviewing, not scheduling

There is no wrong choice. Use what feels most comfortable and keeps your workflow simple.

How the Additional Views Fit In

The remaining scheduling views follow the same core concepts:

Monthly View (Staff-Based)

• Follows the Staff View concept
• Displays one user’s schedule across an entire month
• Ideal for reviewing or building schedules for individual staff members

Day View (Shift-Based)

• Follows the Shift View concept
• Shows coverage for a single day
• Useful for daily staffing adjustments and quick edits

Timeline View (Shift-Based)

• Also follows the Shift View concept
• Displays shifts visually across a timeline for a single day
• Helpful for identifying overlaps, gaps, and coverage issues

Key Takeaway

If you remember just one thing, remember this:

• Shift View = Work and coverage first
• Staff View = People and assignments first

Once you understand this difference, you already understand the foundation of SchedulePop scheduling. Choose the views that work best for you and keep your process simple.