You can let volunteers pick or prefer their own shifts in the portal. It saves you from assigning every shift by hand. Here you can see what needs to be switched on, what the volunteer sees and what happens next, so you can help when a volunteer asks.
Pick or prefer?
Each schedule works in one of two ways:
Direct shift selection: The volunteer signs up for shifts themselves. The shift is theirs straight away, first come, first served.
Shift preferences: The volunteer marks the shifts they can do. Nothing is reserved. You then assign the shifts based on the preferences.
An event can use both, on different schedules.
What needs to be switched on
On the event: A Super Admin goes to Settings > General settings > Schedules and switches on Shift selection allowed (direct selection) and/or Shift preferences allowed (preferences).
On the schedule: Open the schedule, click Edit settings, and under Shift selection choose either Enable shift selection directly or Enable selection of preferred shifts. Team leaders can do this themselves on their team's schedules.
The schedule is published: Published must be ticked in the same window.
The volunteer belongs to the schedule: The volunteer must be on the team that owns the schedule, or on a team inside the team group that owns it. A schedule with no team or team group applies to everyone in the event.
The volunteer is ready: The volunteer is not on the waiting list and hasn't already accepted their shifts.
Only shifts in the future that aren't marked Hidden can be picked.
Note: If you can't see Shift selection (or the hour fields) in the window at all, the event setting (step 1) isn't switched on.
Where does the volunteer find it?
The volunteer clicks Find shifts in the portal menu. The menu item is there when the volunteer belongs to a schedule with shift selection. The volunteer can also go to My shifts and click Update Shifts at the top. As long as the volunteer hasn't picked enough, the top of the portal also says "You have not yet choosen all your shifts!" with the link Click here to do it now.
Shifts can't be picked or preferred in the Crewstack app. The app only shows the shifts the volunteer has been given, under Shifts. Ask the volunteer to use the portal in a browser.
What does the volunteer see?
On the left is Available Shifts as a list or a calendar. Hide ineligible shifts removes the shifts the volunteer can't take.
Each shift has Select shift (direct selection) or Prefer shift (preferences). For shift bundles, it's Select shifts or Prefer shifts. A picked shift can be removed again with Remove shift.
Every click is saved straight away. There is no save button.
On the right, Selected shifts shows what the volunteer has picked and the rules for each schedule where at least one shift is picked, for example "You must work at least 12 hours on this schedule." For shift grades, it shows how many have been picked out of the number required.
Preferences are listed under Preferred shifts with the text "N.B: Shifts on this list are not confirmed yet, only preferred."
If a shift can't be picked, the button explains why:
The volunteer sees | What it means |
|---|---|
"The shift is locked." | You assigned the shift on a schedule without direct shift selection. |
"No more available spots, or you don't fulfill the requirements." | The shift is full, or the volunteer doesn't meet the shift's requirements. |
"This shift overlaps with one or more of your already selected shifts." | The volunteer is already on a shift at the same time. |
"You don't have enough hours left for this shift." | The shift would take the volunteer over the maximum. |
"You cannot select more shifts of this type." | The maximum for the shift grade has been reached. |
Limits
Hours: Under Edit settings on the schedule, you set Minimum hours and (for direct selection) Maximum hours for each member type. If the field is empty, Minimum shift hours and Maximum shift hours from the member type are used (Settings > Member types > edit > Limits). For Minimum hours, 0 means no requirement. If you don't want an upper limit, leave Maximum hours (and Maximum shift hours on the member type) empty. 0 means no hours can be picked at all.
Shift grades: A shift grade can require a Minimum shifts count and allow a Maximum shifts count per member type. See Vagtklasser.
Shift bundles: Shifts in a bundle can only be taken together. See Vagtpakker.
Registration requirements: A shift can require something of the volunteer, for example an age. Spots with requirements can only be taken by volunteers who meet them.
The maximum stops the volunteer from picking more. The minimum stops the volunteer from accepting until they've picked enough.
Tip: When you open the schedule, Shift selection warnings tells you if the requirements can't be met, for example when the minimum hours are higher than the total hours on the schedule.
What happens next?
With direct selection: Once the volunteer has picked enough, it says "You have shifts awaiting your approval.", and the volunteer accepts under My shifts. After that, the shifts are locked and the volunteer can't pick shifts any more. See Accept af vagter.
With preferences: You assign the shifts in the schedule planner. Open a shift and look at the Suggested members tab to see who preferred it. Until then, the volunteer sees their preferences under Preferred Shifts on My shifts. Once you've assigned the shifts, the volunteer accepts them as usual.
Shift exchange: If Shift exchange open is switched on for the event and shift exchange is enabled on the schedule, the volunteer can still swap shifts under Shift Exchange after accepting. See Vagtbytte - for holdledere.
Pitfalls
The schedule isn't published: The volunteer sees neither the button nor the shifts.
The volunteer accepted too early: Then they can't pick again. Click Withdraw acceptance of shifts on their profile.
Shifts you assigned can be removed: On a schedule with direct selection, the volunteer can remove a shift you put them on, until their shifts are accepted.
A new shift on a published schedule for a volunteer who has accepted: The volunteer can pick shifts again until the new shift is accepted.
You change the hours after people have accepted: Crewstack asks whether to reset acceptance for those who no longer meet the requirements. See Accept af vagter.
The minimum can't be reached: If there are too few shifts or hours to meet the minimum, nobody can accept. Check Shift selection warnings.