What is Market Rate Guidance (MRG)?
Market rate guidance (MRG) is our latest feature that offers real-time information about hourly rates. This information helps employers establish the best hourly rate, enhancing the likelihood of a shift being successfully booked.
Using data on similar shifts in the area, our system estimates the average market rate at which shifts are being booked. Employers can then use this to help choose the rate they set to increase the chance of the shift being filled. This could be adjusting the shift rate up or down.
✅ Key Features
📊 Market Rate Guidance on Shifts Page
Each open shift now displays how its hourly rate compares to the market average.
You’ll see clear percentage indicators:
Below Market Rate (e.g., "-7%")
Above Market Rate (e.g., "+12%")
Shifts on market rate show no label for a cleaner experience.
Booked shifts do not display market rate comparison.
🔍 New Filter: Market Rate Status (Shifts Page)
A new multi-select filter allows you to quickly find shifts based on how they compare to market rates:
Below Market Rate
On Market Rate
Above Market Rate
📅 Market Rate Guidance on Rota Page
Market rate indicators also appear on open shifts across all rota views:
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
5-Week View
Booked shifts and on-market shifts are excluded from this display.
📐 How Market Rate Guidance is Calculated
Market Rate Guidance (MRG) offers employers a suggested hourly rate informed by current market conditions, helping them set a price that improves the likelihood of a shift being booked.
Calculation Logic:
We identify 50 similar shifts by job type, using a 15-day window before and after the shift date.
A radius search is expanded in 1-mile increments until 50 relevant shifts are found.
We only consider shifts that were booked or worked, to reflect real pricing.
Significant dates (e.g., Christmas Day) are treated differently to avoid skewed data:
For those, we only compare shifts on the same significant day and reduce the required shift pool to 15.
Market rate = average of those similar shifts' hourly rates.
Your shift's rate is compared against this average to generate the percentage shown.
Design:
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Does this affect how shifts are booked?
A: No — it only provides guidance. Shifts are still bookable regardless of how they compare to market rate.
Q: Why don’t I see market rate guidance on some shifts?
A: Guidance only appears for open shifts. If a shift is booked, or if no suitable market data is available, no guidance will be shown. We also need enough data to calculate.
Q: What if I disagree with the market rate shown?
A: The market rate is based on the average of recent comparable shifts. You can always set your own rate, but this helps inform your decision with real data.
Q: Is this feature available for all job types?
A: Yes — as long as we have enough data to calculate guidance. If the system can’t find enough similar shifts, no indicator will be shown.
Q: Will this be used for automatic pricing in the future?
A: Not at this time. However, it lays the foundation for future smart pricing features.