Best Employee Scheduling Software Of 2024

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Why We Picked TimeForge

TimeForge is a labor management platform offering various features to streamline hiring, scheduling, payroll and workforce tracking. Our experience with the software has been mixed, with both strengths and weaknesses.

Setting up TimeForge was straightforward, with a user-friendly setup wizard guiding me through each step. The platform's intuitive interface made it easy to create schedules using the drag-and-drop editor. I appreciated the ability to customize intricate settings, such as pay rates, payment options, employee roles, permission groups and custom fields.

While the user interface felt somewhat outdated compared to some competitors, it was still functional and easy to navigate. One of my favorite things was how organized the platform was, providing separate dashboards for tracking shift confirmations, swaps, templates, work periods and messages. You can also create custom dashboards to track key performance indicators specific to your business.

TimeForge significantly improves the employee experience as well. Staff members can access their schedules, chat with colleagues and easily swap shifts. The platform's automatic prevention of early clock-ins and late punch-outs helps avoid time theft and ensure compliance. Additionally, the integration of staff surveys allows managers to gather feedback and improve the overall employee experience.

However, there are some limitations to consider. The mobile app, while functional, is not as robust as those offered by competitors like Deputy, 7shifts and Sling. The lack of GPS tracking can make it challenging to verify employee locations during clock-ins and clock-outs. Additionally, the inability to create schedules offline and publish them later can be inconvenient.

Also, TimeForge's integration capabilities are limited. It doesn’t integrate with popular sales and accounting solutions like QuickBooks and HubSpot. This requires you to manually enter sales, payroll and employee data, opening the door for errors and mistakes.

Overall, TimeForge is a solid option for businesses of all sizes, but it’s important to weigh its strengths and weaknesses to see if it meets your specific needs. If mobile scheduling and extensive integrations are a priority, you may want to explore other options. However, if you’re looking for a user-friendly platform that can streamline processes and provide valuable insights, TimeForge is worth considering.

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Pros & Cons

Time-Saving: Reviews mentioned that TimeForge significantly reduces the time spent on scheduling, payroll and other HR tasks.
Comprehensive Functionality: The platform offers a wide range of key HR tools out of the box. You don’t need to spend resources on integrating with external solutions.
Customization: TimeForge allows for a high level of customization to meet specific business needs, particularly in reporting and scheduling.
Customer Support: Users frequently praise the responsiveness and helpfulness of the customer support team during implementation and ongoing use.
Real-Time Data: The ability to access and manage real-time data remotely through the web-based platform is a significant advantage.

Limited Mobile Access: Many users complained about the mobile app lacking essential features such as geofencing, customizable push notifications and offline scheduling.
Integration Issues: The lack of integration with certain systems like QuickBooks or sales programs limits the platform’s scope.
User Interface Challenges: Some users experienced minor issues with the user interface, such as fields being too narrow to view all information or the system refreshing and pulling users away from the section they were working on.
Complexity of Reports: The platform has a clunky and outdated reporting and analytics interface, which involves a steep learning curve.
Cost Concerns: The platform cost was a concern for some users, especially those from smaller or rural businesses.

Key Features

Employee Management: Track candidates before they even become employees, seamlessly transferring information over to HR files. It can monitor the progress and completion of forms, exams and training, as well as notify employees of forms they need to complete before they even clock in for a shift.
Employee Self-Service: Provide employees with access to the system as soon as they accept an offer, allowing the new employee to enter all of their information into the database and freeing up managers to focus on other essential onboarding tasks.
Communication Tools: Send texts and alerts to individual employees or groups of staff members. Managers can send communications as necessary or enable the system to automatically send notifications regarding things like schedule changes or open shifts.
Mobile Access: Log into the platform from any internet-connected device, allowing managers and employees alike to complete essential tasks, such as clocking in for work or requesting a shift change. Mobile apps are available for both Android and iOS, with specific apps for employees and managers.
HR Types: Create, customize, categorize and track various types of files, including employee information sheets and tax forms. Managers and employees can both upload relevant documents and files, allowing for centralized storage and organization.
Learning and Development: Develop HR Activities and send them to employees for completion. Activities can include everything from collecting employee information to assigning training courses to employees.

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Deputy

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^$2.50

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Why We Picked Deputy

Deputy is a valuable asset for businesses looking to streamline their scheduling operations and enhance employee productivity. During my research, I found it to be a highly effective and centralized tool for hiring, training and scheduling employees. Users consistently praise its performance, with many giving it a 4.5-star rating.

One of Deputy's standout features is its AI-powered automation, which can significantly improve scheduling and shift break compliance. However, it may require some initial setup and learning to function optimally. The touchless facial recognition clock-in feature is particularly valuable in today's post-pandemic world.

I appreciate Deputy's commitment to employee empowerment. Its accountability measures, such as GPS tracking and facial recognition, effectively prevent time theft without compromising employee autonomy. The Shift Pulse feature is another valuable tool that fosters open communication between employees and management.

While Deputy is a powerful solution, it's not without its flaws. I encountered bugs and glitches that occasionally disrupted the user experience. Slow performance, particularly for mobile app users and non-desk staff, can be frustrating. Additionally, GPS challenges can be problematic for businesses with multiple locations as the platform doesn’t support multiple time zones.

The HR functionality is also limited, but I believe it has the potential to expand over time. Adding more languages to the interface would also make it more inclusive. Overall, I recommend Deputy to small to mid-sized organizations seeking a reliable and feature-rich scheduling solution that also offers basic HR functionalities.

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Pros & Cons

User-Friendly Interface: Users appreciate the intuitive design, which makes it accessible for both managers and employees and easy to adopt with minimal training.
Robust Remote Workability: The mobile app is highly praised for allowing employees to clock in/out, manage shifts and receive notifications, making it convenient for on-the-go use.
Greater Flexibility and Accessibility: Deputy offers flexible shift management, allowing employees to swap or pick up shifts and work across multiple locations. Cloud-based hosting ensures access from anywhere with an internet connection.
Employee Empowerment: The software gives employees more control over their schedules, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for time management.
Streamline Scheduling: Deputy effectively manages scheduling, time tracking and attendance, reducing errors and improving overall efficiency. Reviews highlight valuable features like preventing early clock-ins and integrating with payroll systems.

Support and Customer Service Issues: Several users reported poor customer service experiences, especially when dealing with technical support or canceling the service. The vendor primarily offers support via email, which some users found inadequate.
Performance and Speed: Some users experienced lag when accepting shifts or clocking in and out, causing delays and frustration.
Challenges With Multi-Location Tracking: For organizations with employees across multiple locations or states, keeping track of everyone’s whereabouts could be challenging as the platform doesn’t support multiple time zones across geographies.
Syncing Issues: Users noted that the inability to sync with external calendars (like Google or Apple Calendar) was a significant drawback.

Key Features

Scheduling: Create, manage and optimize schedules with AI. Use drag-and-drop scheduling tools while considering availability, skills and preferences to create partial, pre-assigned or open shifts.
Time Tracking: Turn staff phones into a time tracking solution using the mobile app or connect the platform to a POS system to allow employees to punch in and out of work. The platform sends alerts for break hours, overtime and budgetary conflicts. It also offers geofencing to help avoid time theft and buddy punching.
Mobile App: Managers can access their profiles from anywhere, create schedules, approve time off requests, communicate with team members and track task progress. Employees can view schedules, request PTO, chat with colleagues, swap shifts and bid on open shifts.
Demand Forecasting: Access your business’s historical sales data and seasonal trends on a centralized dashboard to make informed staffing decisions. Define business logic and benchmarks with demand-based rules to ensure minimum coverage while considering your budget. You can pull real-time wage-to-sales data on the mobile app to make scheduling adjustments on the go.
Shift Pulse: Send feedback forms and questionnaires to employees after every shift. Minimize staff fatigue by automating schedule assignments based on worked hours and overtime. Employees can express their work satisfaction using a staff sentiment bar and tracker.
Compliance Tools: Deputy helps comply with fair workweek regulations by providing tools to manage overtime, minimum rest periods and other labor laws. It also assists with reporting, managing employee records and ensuring adherence to minimum wage laws.
Leave Management: Employees can submit time-off requests directly through the platform, and managers can review and approve or deny them. You can also track leave balances and generate leave reports.
Document Management: The platform offers a centralized repository for storing and organizing employee documents, such as contracts, performance reviews and training certificates. Its search and filtering capabilities make it easy to find specific documents when needed.
Hiring: Post openings on online job forums and track their traction from within the software interface. You can track applicants, schedule interviews, send questions and receive applicant feedback.
Training and Onboarding: Design branded onboarding workflows for trainees and manage employee training programs by tracking attendance, assigning tasks and monitoring progress.

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Pricing

License/Subscription Cost	Cost is included in the subscription fee Subscription-based pricing model Pricing is based on monthly or annual users Discounts are offered for annual subscription plans
Maintenance Cost	The cost is included in the subscription fee Unlimited 24/7 support is available to all users Enterprise users have access to a dedicated support team
Installation/Implementation Cost	Included in the subscription fee
Customization Cost	This costs is additional to the subscription fee Dependent on the functional requirements and the specific needs of the organization
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost	Cost varies depending on the current software, amount of data to be migrated, the complexity of the data fields, level of automation and data migration tools to be utilized for the transfer of data from the old to the new software.

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Humanity

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^$3

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Why We Picked Humanity

Humanity's intuitive interface, coupled with guided onboarding and data migration assistance, makes it easy for organizations to get started with scheduling. The simple drag-and-drop tools and embedded training tips help you start scheduling within minutes.

Its compliance management toolkit is a standout feature, ensuring adherence to labor laws, internal policies, regulations and CBAs. It provides a set of default rules and offers you the freedom to write custom ones. The platform also sends conflict alerts and maintains historical records and audit logs, contributing to a secure and compliant environment.

Humanity's mobile app is another significant advantage. It offers managers the same functionality as the desktop version, enabling them to create schedules, work offline and set up automation. Employees can view schedules, receive shift reminders, track work hours and even pick up open shifts with a single tap. The app's compatibility with the Apple Watch provides added convenience for managing schedules on the go.

It’s an end-to-end platform catering to the needs of various stakeholders in frontline worker scheduling. Chief financial officers can track budgets and control labor costs, HR offices can ensure compliance and enhance employee experiences, frontline managers can manage schedules and coverage, and employees can have greater control over their work hours.

While Humanity is well-suited for midsized companies, it isn’t ideal for large organizations. Users have reported slow performance and loading times, particularly when dealing with extensive schedules or performing complex tasks. Integration challenges with third-party ERP and HCM solutions can also be a concern. Additionally, users have encountered bugs and UI issues, ranging from instability to unexpected template malfunctions.

Overall, Humanity is a great tool for managing employee schedules. It's easy to use and can help you improve your business's efficiency. However, it's important to be aware of the potential drawbacks before making a decision.

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Pros & Cons

User-Friendly Interface: The interface is easy for both managers and employees to navigate. Despite some initial learning curves, users appreciate its simplicity, which can eliminate the need for extensive tutorials or training.
Robust Mobile App: It provides quick and convenient access to scheduling and clocking functionalities. Despite occasional issues like freezing, the app streamlines clock-in/out processes and enables on-the-go schedule management.
Customization and Flexibility: The platform offers customizable views and filters, enabling users to tailor schedules to their specific needs. Additionally, features like Open Shifts empower employees to pick up available shifts based on their preferences, enhancing scheduling flexibility.
Responsive Customer Support: Humanity stands out for its responsiveness, and users appreciate the promptness of live chat support and quick resolution times.

Slow Performance and Loading Times: Humanity can take a long time to load larger schedules or perform certain tasks. This can hinder navigation between different sections.
Integration Challenges: Many users faced issues while connecting the platform with third-party ERP and HCM solutions like Zendesk and ADP Workforce Now.
Bugs and UI Issues: Users experienced bugs within the user interface, ranging from occasional instability to unexpected template malfunctions.
Changes in User Experience and Functionality: Some users mentioned that certain features they found useful were removed or altered, causing workflow disruptions and increasing complexity in using the software.

Key Features

Employee Scheduling: Create conflict-free schedules using intuitive drag-and-drop schedule makers. Update schedules in real time while receiving overstaffing or understaffing notifications on a daily or weekly basis. Assign, remove and swap shifts easily based on staff availability, skills and preferences.
Time Clock: Track employee attendance and hours via the mobile app and maintain accurate timesheets. Mandate employees to click pictures while clocking in or out to avoid malpractices like buddy punching. Set punctuality rules to curb absenteeism and accidental absences.
Leave Management: Employees can manage their schedules and work-life balance using unique portals. Customize leave types to suit company needs while allowing partial day leaves. Set vacation and PTO rules to avoid understaffing.
Integrations: Integrate with popular third-party ERP, HCM, payroll and HR modules to streamline business operations. Export payroll to over 30 modules like Ceridian, ADP, Ultimate Software and Paycheck. Integrate with external HR modules like BambooHR.
Forecast: Use external performance indicators to predict future staffing needs and design efficient employee schedules. Customize schedules based on business priorities and capacity to tackle both under-staffing and over-staffing challenges.
Geofencing: Enable geofencing to ensure employees check in and out from the correct locations. Activate the GPS facility to track field staff location accurately.

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Pricing

License/Subscription Cost	Subscription-based pricing model Pricing is based on the number of users per month or users per year Both monthly and annual billing plans are offered
Maintenance Cost	Included in the subscription fee 24/7 support services are provided to all subscribers
Installation/Implementation Cost	Included in the subscription cost
Customization Cost	Cost is above and beyond the subscription fee Cost varies depending on the functional requirements added to the system
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost	Price is dependent on a user's current software, the amount of data to be migrated, the availability of migration tools, the complexity of data and gaps between the existing system and the new system.
Recurring/Renewal Costs	Cost is included in the monthly or annual subscription fee

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When I Work

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^$2.50

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Why We Picked When I Work

According to the reviews, users praise When I Work’s user-friendly design and all-in-one features for scheduling and time tracking. The customer support team is another win — responsive and helpful via chat and email. However, the pricing structure is a point of contention for some users, with complaints about hidden fees and a lack of transparency before signing up.

What truly set it apart was its affordability for small and medium businesses. The starter plan, costing just $1.50 per location per month, offers unlimited employee scheduling and auto-scheduling — features usually reserved for top-tier plans in competitors like 7Shift and Homebase.

However, communication features are restricted. During testing, I could send individual and group messages, but there's no bulletin board or newsfeed functionality, and message read receipts are absent.

Security is another concern. The platform lacks biometric clock-in options, opening the door to potential time theft through buddy punching. Additionally, it doesn’t support geofencing or GPS tracking. I couldn’t remotely track staff shifts to ensure they were following established procedures.

Overall, When I Work offers a compelling solution for small and medium businesses with a user-friendly interface, robust features and a budget-friendly starter plan. However, be mindful of the pricing concerns and other limitations, which can be a problem for growing teams and businesses.

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Pros & Cons

Intuitive and Efficient: Users appreciate the user-friendly interface and comprehensive features that centralize managing all scheduling needs from a single app.
Prompt Customer Support: Users report getting timely and helpful assistance from the vendor’s support team through live chat and email.
Enhanced Employee Experience: The app boosts staff productivity by offering them flexible tools to control their work schedules.
Improved Integration and Accessibility: Most users have had a positive experience connecting the platform with other necessary third-party tools.

Pricing and Transparency Issues: Users have complained about the vendor’s pricing practices, which include hidden costs and a lack of clear information before signing up.
App Glitches: Users reported issues with iPhone and Android apps, particularly with tasks like staff punch-ins and location tracking using the phone’s GPS.

Key Features

Employee Scheduling: Create work schedules in one click based on employee availability and eligibility. View team availability, manage time off and track shift trades from one place. Allow employees to pick up and trade shifts while boosting workplace efficiency and productivity. Schedule multiple teams across job sites while preventing unnecessary overtime.
Time and Attendance: Track attendance, time off and breaks while turning any internet-connected device into an online time clock. Integrate schedules to control costs while applying pay rules. Implement an online time clock with a GPS facility for uniform clock-ins and outs across devices. Let remote employees log in and out using any device while receiving attendance data in real time.
Timesheets: Record weekly attendance changes into timesheets while setting differential pay rates for multiple positions. Monitor labor costs while auditing time records with labor distribution reports. Audit and approve timesheets from mobile or desktop while preventing overtime before it happens. Configure paid and unpaid breaks on schedule and time clock.
Shift Planning: Plan, swap and approve shifts using a mobile or desktop while empowering teams to collaborate on schedules. Ensure cost-effective shift coverage while creating schedules that work for the entire team.
Scalability: Start with a single team or location and scale to multiple teams across geographical locations as per business growth. Schedule multiple teams across various job sites.
Push Notifications: Send important messages to the entire staff in one go. Employees get email and text alerts for missed logins or outs. Notify all employees when you update or create new schedules.
Geo Check-In: Use GPS tracking and live map views to ensure that employees log in from their designated job sites. Monitor field staff’s real-time location, eliminating the need for employees to update their locations constantly in the office.

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7shifts

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^$3

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Why We Picked 7shifts

My overall experience with 7shifts has been positive. The onboarding process was a breeze, taking just five minutes to set up my shop and begin scheduling. I particularly liked the option to have 7shifts automatically set up my business by uploading an existing Excel schedule. The platform then created departments and employee profiles for me, saving a significant amount of time.

Another feature I found valuable was the customizable manager logbook. It allowed me to take detailed notes, set up alerts and create reminders for upcoming maintenance activities. Additionally, the mobile app stood out with its unique selfie-based employee punch-in feature, ensuring that the right person was clocking in for their shift.

While 7shifts offers a comprehensive suite of features, there are some drawbacks to consider. One major concern is the cost. Compared to competitors like Homebase, WhenIWork and Sling, 7shifts is more expensive for smaller companies. Another point to note is that payroll management is not included in the paid plans, requiring an additional charge to unlock this feature.

Despite these limitations, 7shifts offers a user-friendly platform with various features designed to streamline employee scheduling, time tracking, communication and employee engagement. Responsive customer support and a focus on employee experience are additional strengths.

Ultimately, whether 7shifts is the right fit depends on your specific needs and budget. For small business owners on a tight budget, the cost may be prohibitive. However, for those seeking a comprehensive, user-centric solution, 7shifts could be a valuable asset.

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Pros & Cons

Ease of Use: The platform has an Intuitive interface and is simple to navigate, even for non-tech-savvy employees.
Comprehensive Features: 7shifts supports every key employee scheduling requirement in a centralized platform, managing scheduling, time tracking, payroll and employee engagement.
Responsive Customer Support: Users report positive experiences with support in resolving issues and implementing feedback.
Improved Employee Engagement: The platform reduces managerial stress by allowing employees to manage their schedules and trades from phones. This promotes transparency and confidence among employees by allowing real-time schedule and timesheet tracking.
Efficient Team Communication: Users report that 7shifts has significantly improved team collaboration by facilitating easy messaging among staff and management, making shift swaps and updates straightforward.

Comparatively Expensive: Users find the platform costly for accessing necessary functions, especially on higher-tier plans. It could be more affordable for smaller companies.
Technical Issues: There are reports of occasional slowness and glitches, particularly on mobile devices. After a system update, some functions may change without prior notification.
Limited Customizations: Some features lack flexibility, such as the inability to stack and sort employee shifts on a given day and limited options for dashboard and view customizations.

Key Features

Scheduling: Managers can quickly build staff schedules using drag-and-drop functionality. The system integrates with existing point-of-sale systems to automatically forecast sales and suggest labor needs. Managers can then publish the schedule through the mobile app, allowing staff to view their shifts, request time off and swap shifts.
Time Clocking: Use a mobile time-clocking app, 7punches, to simplify employee attendance tracking and ensure labor law compliance. The app integrates with the scheduling system, allowing only employees with scheduled shifts to clock in. This prevents time theft and ensures accurate timesheets. Managers can also enable optional features like photo verification or location tracking (geofencing) upon clock-in to further confirm employee presence.
Tip Pooling: You can automate tip calculations and payouts. The system integrates with existing scheduling data to ensure accurate tip allocation. Managers can specify how to split tips among staff, and the system handles calculations automatically, eliminating manual errors and saving time. 7shifts also offers secure and cashless tip payouts, replacing the need for cash advances, bank runs and manual tip distribution.
Payroll Management: This integrated solution, specifically designed for US restaurants, centralizes employee onboarding, time clocking, labor law compliance checks and payroll processing. The system automates wage and tip calculations, ensuring accurate and timely employee payments.
Employee Engagement: An engagement dashboard helps monitor key metrics and identify areas for improvement. Managers can automate shift feedback surveys to gather employee insights for coaching and addressing issues. The platform facilitates performance conversations with data and insights, ensuring continuous improvement. The manager logbook bridges communication gaps between shifts by allowing managers to document and share daily updates.

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Sling

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^$1.70

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Why We Picked Sling

My research into employee scheduling solutions revealed that Sling is a frontrunner, particularly for its user-friendliness. The intuitive interface simplifies schedule creation and management, even for those with limited technical expertise. The platform offers highly customizable templates and automation features, making it easy to generate regular reports.

What truly impressed me was the feature set offered in the free plan. Beyond basic scheduling, it provides time tracking, communication tools like news sharing, private messaging and long-term scheduling. This exceeds what many of its competitors offer in their free plans. Also, the ability to schedule up to 50 employees at no cost is a huge advantage for growing small businesses.

However, for larger enterprises with complex staffing needs, Sling might not be the perfect fit. While it excels in core scheduling functions, it lacks advanced features like a built-in AI, hiring and onboarding tools, and employee engagement trackers. It doesn't let you automate scheduling or analyze sales forecasts to optimize workforce allocation.

Additionally, scheduling conflict alerts are limited to employee availability and don't consider skill sets or preferences. For businesses seeking a more comprehensive workforce management solution with AI-powered assistance, Sling may require further exploration alongside other options in the market.

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Pros & Cons

User-Friendly and Intuitive: Many users appreciate Sling's easy-to-use interface, which makes scheduling and other tasks straightforward and accessible without extensive training.
Comprehensive Features in the Free Version: Users find the free version of Sling highly functional and often better than some paid alternatives.
Optimized Shift Management: The ability to create repeating shifts and use shift templates saves time and effort in planning.
Improved Efficiency and Organization: Sling helps organize schedules and increase efficiency by reducing scheduling errors.

Notification Overload: There can be too many notifications, especially for chats that users are not actively involved in. Sling doesn’t offer the privacy tools required to customize notifications for managers and employees.
Occasional Glitches and Loading Issues: Some users experience occasional bugs, app crashes or slow loading times after a system update.

Key Features

Shift Scheduling: Build schedules within minutes while managing time-offs, shift swaps and employee availability. Schedule across geographical locations and time zones while saving templates for future use. Get notifications for double-booking or overlapping shifts, reduce absenteeism and late arrivals, and avoid scheduling overtime. Let employees pick shifts they like while granting approvals.
Task Management: Keep employees accountable by adding tasks to shifts. Clarify everyone’s job during shifts while ensuring employees stick to set timelines while finishing assigned tasks. Improve productivity and efficiency by allowing employees to access task lists via mobiles.
Time Clock: Track employee clock-ins and outs from a designated terminal, on-site time clock or both. Set early clock-in limits while automatically clocking out employees in case of forgotten log-outs. Review, edit, approve and export timesheets to process payroll seamlessly.
Location Management: Create location-specific news feed pages to share important information and messages. Monitor progress while creating to-do lists per location. Authorize multiple display directions and workspaces for every location.
Mobile App: Manage schedules on the go while letting employees clock in and out using any Android or iOS device. Use geofencing tools to ensure employees log in and out from designated locations while tracking attendance from anywhere. Send automated alerts or message latecomers in the app.
Labor Cost Management: Receive budget insights and suggestions while scheduling to ensure cost-effectiveness. The platform calculates labor costs based on employee wages, allowing real-time margin monitoring per shift. Sling also sends alerts if projected labor costs exceed your budget for a particular shift, prompting you to adjust staffing assignments before finalizing the schedule.
Compliance Management: Store licenses, contracts, certifications, and other files within employee profiles with unlimited storage. To ensure timely renewals, Sling alerts you when critical documents are nearing expiry. Set granular permission levels for document access to safeguard staff details. Managers can define and assign custom break durations per labor regulations, automate break scheduling, and send break reminders to employees.

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Homebase

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^$24.95

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Why We Picked Homebase

In my research, I was particularly impressed by the guided onboarding process. The intuitive setup allowed me to get the platform up and running within minutes, enabling easy scheduling without a steep learning curve. This ease of use also extends to onboarding employees.

The auto-documentation request feature stood out to me. I could define the required documents for each employee, and the system automatically sent follow-up reminders. This automation significantly streamlined the process of maintaining up-to-date employee profiles with all the necessary paperwork.

Homebase’s integration with other tools, such as payroll processors, accounting solutions and POS systems, is a huge plus. It saves time and reduces the hassle of manual data transfers, making the overall management process smoother. Additionally, the system can handle basic hiring, onboarding, payroll and compliance management, making it an all-in-one HR suite for small businesses.

However, I encountered some drawbacks. One notable issue was the auto-scheduling feature. While the idea behind it is great, it proved complicated in practice and lacked customization options to meet my specific needs.

Users have reported facing issues with the vendor’s customer support team. There were reports of delayed responses, and the support hours were insufficient for businesses operating outside regular U.S. business hours.

Despite these issues, the platform’s cost-effectiveness, especially with the free basic plan, makes it a viable option for small and medium enterprises. It offers essential scheduling and time-tracking features without hidden costs and implementation complexities.

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Pros & Cons

Ease of Setup and Use: Many users found Homebase easy to set up and navigate. The platform is intuitive, making it simple for both managers and employees to use.
Scheduling and Time Tracking: The platform simplifies employee scheduling, making it easy to create, modify and track schedules. It includes useful features like a time clock, timesheets and attendance tracking.
Integration with Other Tools: Users appreciated its integration with various payroll processors and POS systems.
Accessibility: You can access the software from various devices, including desktops, tablets and smartphones, enhancing flexibility for managers and employees on the go.
Cost-Effectiveness: Several reviews mentioned that the free basic plan suffices for smaller businesses, providing essential features without extra cost.

Undo and Modification Limitations: The lack of an undo feature can be problematic if accidental changes or deletions occur.
User Interface Issues: Some users found the new updates and interface changes cumbersome, with issues like light markings, lack of lines and frequent refresh rates. Others mentioned that the iPad app is not optimized and often mimics the mobile website, limiting its functionality.
Customer Support: Several reviews highlighted delayed responses from customer support and insufficient support hours, which can be challenging for businesses operating outside regular hours. Also, the platform heavily targets the U.S. market and offers limited support for international users.

Key Features

Scheduling: Create, copy and save schedules that can be modified or reused later. View employee availability and time off requests, manage shift changes, and forecast labor costs.
Time Clock: Clock in and out from the web, a tablet or an integrated POS. The advanced subscription packages can prevent employees from clocking in early for their shifts and returning from breaks early. The time clock feature can also round time and allow for automatic clock-out.
Timesheets: Track clock-ins, breaks and overtime hours with online timesheets. Generate a daily summary of activities, track breaks and export timesheets to payroll, reducing time errors.
Team Communication: Send direct messages and broadcast messages to entire groups directly through the app.
Hiring: Streamline the hiring process by providing pre-written job descriptions, interview reminders and applicant tracking capabilities. Post open jobs to Craigslist and other job boards. Import new hires to the schedule automatically.
Reporting: Track and generate reports on labor costs as a percentage of sales, actual hours worked, employee performance and shift feedback summaries. The more advanced subscription plans also track labor costs by type and generate reports on the application programming interface, on-time arrival and other customized reports.
Drag-and-Drop Interface: Users can view and sort schedules by role, time period or employee hours with a drag-and-drop interface. Managers can also copy the previous week’s schedule and publish work changes directly through the mobile app.
HR and Compliance: Centralize employee information, eSign documents and send automated welcome packets for a smooth self-onboarding experience. Define clear PTO policies and approval workflows, set up black-out dates and define advance notice requirements for more control. The platform offers consultancy with external HR advisors for expert insights and policy reviews, helping comply with labor regulations.
Employee Benefits and Productivity Tools: Early access to earned wages allows staff members to avoid overdraft fees. Peer-to-peer recognition tools and automatic performance metric tracking help foster a productive environment. You can also gain valuable insights into employee sentiment through anonymous end-of-shift feedback.

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Quinyx

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^$29

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Why We Picked Quinyx

Quinyx is an intuitive and cloud-based employee scheduling solution. The platform's drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to create and manage complex schedules while considering factors such as employee availability, skill sets and workload distribution. It also offers advanced features like shift swapping and overtime management, which significantly reduces the administrative burden of managing shifts and schedules.

Beyond scheduling, the platform provides various time tracking methods, including mobile apps and biometric devices, ensuring accurate record-keeping and streamlined payroll processing. Additionally, Quinyx offers absence tracking and vacation management, helping both employees and managers stay organized.

Another area where Quinyx shines is its demand forecasting module, allowing businesses to predict future staffing needs based on historical data and trends. This helps optimize labor costs by ensuring adequate staffing levels while minimizing overtime expenses. It also provides shift optimization and workload balancing to distribute resources efficiently.

Overall, Quinyx is a versatile solution that can benefit businesses of all sizes and industries. Small retail stores can streamline scheduling workflows, while enterprises can improve overall efficiency and allocate workforces effectively throughout seasons.

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Pros & Cons

User-Friendly Interface: Quinyx is easy to use and provides a clear overview of schedules, shifts and hours worked across different platforms, including a mobile app.
Useful Integrations: The platform integrates with payroll, ERP, accounting and reporting tools, helping you create a well-rounded tech stack. Some of its popular integrations include ADP Workforce, SAP Commerce and ConnectMyApps.
Remote Staff Accessibility: Users appreciate the flexibility of being able to view their schedules, book shifts and apply for leaves via mobile devices.
Easy Scheduling and Forecasting: The system supports complex scheduling rules (e.g., different contracts and shift types) and robust forecasting tools for workforce management. This improves cost tracking and scheduling efficiency.
Efficient Support Services: Users reported good experiences with Quinyx's customer support, highlighting its responsiveness and helpful educational resources.

Learning Curve: Although the platform is intuitive, it involves a learning curve during implementation for users with limited expertise.
Customization Challenges: Several users found it hard to tailor the system to meet their business needs without advanced technical knowledge. Features like cost-follow-up hierarchies and geofencing settings need improvement to handle multiple units more efficiently.
Incomplete Features in Newer Versions: Several reviews mentioned that during platform transitions, certain functionalities may be missing or only available in older versions, forcing users to switch between interfaces.

Key Features

Custome Templates: Create base schedules that reflect the needs of the business. Managers can update and implement the base schedule with a single click for expedited scheduling.
Scheduling: Check forecasts automatically to generate schedules based on predicted needs. Evaluate what employees have the necessary skills and determine when they’re available to work and for how long, ensuring that the business always has the correct employees scheduled for the right tasks at the appropriate times.
Shift Management: Provide employees with access to the platform, enabling them to control their shifts and availability. Managers can view schedules, address empty shifts and make changes as necessary.
Absence Management: Allow employees to request time off, and then managers can process the request directly through the platform. Managers can notify staff of shifts as they become open, expediting how quickly shifts get filled.
Compliance: Define scheduling rules ahead of time, including state and industry regulations, to ensure compliance at all levels. The platform provides additional assurances for the specific industries it serves and sends notifications of potential security breaches as they happen.

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Planday

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^$2.49

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Why We Picked Planday

Planday simplifies scheduling by segregating employees according to their skills and automates recurring tasks. It offers an easy-to-use, intuitive interface that prevents double booking employees, gives a clear picture of costs against revenue and stores all employee information in one place. Businesses can use the in-built messenger to foster team communication, get budget control assistance and manage remote teams transparently. However, the system offers limited third-party integrations, encounters glitches and isn’t backed by prompt customer support.

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Pros & Cons

Easy-to-Use: The system offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface that helps group employees according to their skills for skill-specific shifts. It simplifies scheduling, payroll and break allocation, saves man hours by automating tasks, improves access to schedules and provides an overview of all projects in progress, noted 83% of users who talked about the product’s usability.
Customization: The system offers customizable fields for employee information, which makes scheduling easily. It can also personalize reports to reveal data according to user requirements, as reported by nearly 81% of the users who mentioned customizations.
Communication: Nearly 81% of the reviewers said that the product fosters team communication through its built-in messenger and sends notifications for important project milestones and deadlines.

Integrations: The system offers limited integrations with popular third-party applications and cannot be integrated with special features, noted nearly 72% of reviewers who mentioned integrations.
Glitches: Nearly 79% of reviewers said that the system is prone to glitches and doesn’t offer smooth cross-platform use between the desktop version and the mobile app.
Support: Support for technical or other issues related to the product is sluggish, with many users receiving a response only after a week or more, said nearly 75% of the reviewers who talked about support.

Key Features

Staff Management: Let employees submit time-off requests and set availability. Get updated employee availability information and avoid scheduling unavailable staff.
Scheduling: Create, edit and publish schedules directly. Schedule qualified employees for skill-specific shifts.
Communication: Send shift change alerts to team members. Employees can message coworkers directly to swap shifts or find a replacement.
Time Clock: Let employees clock-in and out using mobile apps. Set location-specific rules to ensure employees clock-in for shifts.
Reports: Track labor data like employee sick leaves, hours worked and shifts assigned Create reports using this data for insights into schedule standards.

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Pricing

License/Subscription Cost	Subscription-based pricing model Cost is dependent on the number of users, add-ons and pricing plan Both monthly and annual billing plans are available Discounts are available for organizations with 200+ users
Maintenance Cost	Cost is included in the subscription fee
Installation/Implementation Cost	A custom setup fee is charged in addition to the subscription fee
Customization Cost	Cost varies depending on the functional requirements and modules added based on existing workflows
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost	Cost varies depending on the amount of data to be migrated, availability of migration tools, complexity of data and gaps between the new and existing systems
Recurring/Renewal Costs	Cost is included in the subscription fee

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Shiftboard

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^$3

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Why We Picked Shiftboard

Shiftboard provides robust scheduling tools that help reduce scheduling errors. Its online and mobile availability allows employees to access it from anywhere and stay updated on schedules and shifts. Staff in certain roles can trade shifts within Shiftboard without going through management. It helps to keep track of employee shift times and their clock in and out locations. Some reviewers said that creating custom reports requires a great deal of trial and error, while some fields are not reportable. Users have mentioned that they would like to see more viewer-friendly pages.

Shiftboard Reviews Visit Website

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Pros & Cons

Shift Management: Nearly 94% of reviewers liked the built-in Tradeboard for employees to exchange or transfer shifts, boosting accountability and efficiency.
Schedules: Around 90% of users who referred to schedules liked that it reduces time spent creating and managing schedules. It notifies of any errors and provides easy access for employees.
Tracking: It helps monitor the login / logout of individual workers, their interest in additional shifts and overtime status, as noted by 91% of users who specified tracking.

Reports: About 56% of reviewers who referred to reports said that custom reports require a great deal of trial and error, and some fields are not reportable.
Layout: The page layout style is quite clunky and difficult to navigate, especially when there are more teams and time slots, as mentioned by 80% of users who referred to layout.

Key Features

Profiles: Collect and store employee information such as contact information, credentials, skills and work history. This information can then be used to assign roles based on scheduling needs.
Communication: View schedules online and notify staff on schedule changes. It sends messages and notifications automatically so that all team members have access to the most up-to-date information.
Demand Planner: Forecast scheduling needs using historical data and patterns. Managers can build schedules and fill shifts based on predicted business needs.
Tradeboard: Employees can utilize Tradeboard to switch shifts, while the system ensures that no shifts are double-booked. Managers can oversee shift-swapping and set rules to ensure compliance and that employees don’t pick up shifts that will put them into overtime.
Reports and Analytics: The system can collect data on shifts, employees, budgets, forecasts, labor costs and more. Generate reports and analyze them at any time to help track spending.
Mobile: Access the schedule at any time through any internet-connected device. Employees can view the schedule, update their availability, request time off and trade shifts, all through the mobile app.

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Pricing

License/Subscription Cost	Subscription-based pricing model A minimum subscription fee and number of users applies to all plans Discounts are available for nonprofit organizations Cost varies depending on the number of users, add-ons and the pricing plan
Maintenance Cost	The initial cost is included in the subscription fee There is an additional fee for extra support services Shiftboard offers two pricing packages for support
Installation/Implementation Cost	Charges an additional fee to the subscription cost
Customization Cost	Cost varies depending on the functional requirements and modules added based on business requirements There may be additional charges for single sing-on, payroll integration, third-party software integration and drop point service
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost	Cost varies depending on the amount of data to be migrated, availability of migration tools, the complexity of data and gaps between the current and new systems
Recurring/Renewal Costs	Cost is equivalent to the monthly subscription fee based on the number of users, customization cost and the customer success package chosen

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Pricing & Cost Guide

See the Price/User for the top employee scheduling software… plus the most important considerations and questions to ask when shopping.

Buyer's Guide

Employee Scheduling Software Is All About Boosting Productivity

By Riddhiman Roy, Technical Content Writer at SelectHub

Employee Scheduling Software BG Intro

Old isn’t always gold while scheduling employees. Pen and paper are handy for scribbling but are error-prone and tedious for shift creation. Automating scheduling processes saves precious work hours and boosts team productivity.

If you’re scouting for a better way to schedule employees, you’ve come to the right place. In this buyer’s guide, we’ll go over the basics of employee scheduling software, introduce you to some of the best solutions in the market and equip you with software comparison strategies to find the best fit for your business. Let’s dive in!

Executive Summary

Top employee scheduling systems store and track employee information to build schedules efficiently.
Scheduling systems automate time-consuming tasks and boost overall productivity.
AI-based scheduling automates repetitive processes while creating error-free and optimal shifts.
Be sure to ask potential vendors questions about the software before committing to a purchase.
Switching to technology involves a learning curve, so prepare your team accordingly.

What This Guide Covers:

What Is Employee Scheduling Software?
Primary Benefits
Basic Features & Functionality
Advanced Features To Consider
Deployment Methods
Implementation Goals
Software Comparison Strategy
Cost & Pricing Considerations
Current & Upcoming Trends
Questions To Ask Yourself
Questions To Ask Vendors
Next Steps
Product Comparisons
Additional Resources

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What Is Employee Scheduling Software?

Employee scheduling software is a bundle of tools for businesses to efficiently create and manage their staff’s schedules. It helps automate shift creations based on availability, demand, labor laws and staff performance. These platforms also let you track preferences and manage employee schedules to ensure job satisfaction and morale.

One of its primary benefits is that it minimizes repetitive tasks like time tracking and shift assignment, allowing you to focus on problem-solving and business scaling. It also boosts workforce productivity by offering them unique portals to receive instructions, log tasks and communicate with team members.

How Does It Work?

To better understand how employee scheduling software works, let’s look at how it can make your overall life easier:

Use intuitive tools to create work orders and schedule staff members.
Replicate tasks using pre-built templates containing instructions, time estimates, shift timings and other important details.
Avoid overstaffing, double booking and other manual errors by automatically filling shifts with the most suitable employee.
Employees receive self-service portals to view shifts, log tasks, resolve conflicts and trade shifts with other employees.
Get alerts when an employee works more than the stipulated time limit.
Forecast labor requirements based on historical trends.
Automate compliance with state and Federal labor laws.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top employee scheduling systems

Primary Benefits

Team scheduling software benefits every business differently. Let’s discuss how implementing it can work in your favor.

Benefits of Employee Scheduling Software

Simplify Scheduling

Manual employee scheduling is time-consuming. You have to consider countless variables like employee work hours, availability, overtime and labor law compliance that require significant manual entries.

Staff scheduling software designs and modifies shifts while handling vacation and shift swap requests. Most applications auto-populate fields, so you spend much less time designing shifts.

Expedite Shift Changes

Creating optimal shifts requires awareness about changing staff availability. Workforce scheduling software notifies managers of unexpected employee absences and additional staffing required to complete shift tasks.

These applications also help find suitable replacements by suggesting a list of backup employees. A flexible work schedule is important in maintaining worker satisfaction and retention; lack of flexibility causes stress and frustration for 53% of employees, and 40% would even consider changing jobs.

Streamline Operations

Your daily operational challenges include managing schedule changes and communicating with employees while adhering to legal requirements. Scheduling automation simplifies change management and employee communication while adhering to labor laws.

These systems integrate dispersed processes through centralized databases, empowering rapid and precise scheduling decisions. Automation bridges the communication divide between managers and employees while boosting overall efficiency.

Improve Compliance

Overlooking employee documentation and store credential expiration can negatively impact daily processes. Work scheduling software monitors employee credentials, sends authorization renewal alerts and blocks staff with expired certifications.

Evaluate Organizational Resources

From attendance information to performance ratings, these systems provide you with detailed data to assess your company’s resources accurately.

Periodically tracking your resource pool lets you make proactive decisions like hiring skilled people for crucial positions or adjusting schedules if there are overlapping leave requests.

Trim Labor Costs

Employee scheduling software simplifies computing staff work hours and payroll data while providing insights into current and future expenses. You can optimize labor coverage by tracking historical data to determine labor requirements per shift.

It also forecasts volume to plan shifts accordingly while controlling unplanned overtime and optimizing overall labor costs.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top employee scheduling systems

Basic Features & Functionality

Most online employee scheduling programs offer similar core capabilities while some products offer advanced features that help accomplish unique needs. The following are some basic features to consider when shopping for software.

Schedule Management	Work scheduling software automates schedule creation while removing guesswork and confusion. It offers insights into real-time employee availability sans overlaps or conflicts. Advanced applications configure optimal schedule-building processes while automatically designing shifts based on employee preferences and budget.
Employee Management	Employee management creates a staff database to expedite schedule building. Scheduling programs provide access to employee availability, locations, roster and cross-referencing while creating shifts. They also create employee profiles to manage data like education, licenses, certification documents, job history and training.
Shift Management	Team management systems help you perform effective shift scheduling. to expedite shift assignments. Sophisticated applications match employees with appropriate roles while deleting tasks based on skill sets. They detect conflicts and send timely alerts.
Time Management	Make sure your staff follows schedules using work scheduling programs to track attendance, blackout and overtime. Advanced systems offer biometrics for recording staff time punches.
Absence Management	Managing staff absences is just as crucial as working time. Fortunately, employee time scheduling software will do more than track no-shows or call-outs. Absence management helps you plan for periods when multiple employees are on vacation besides tracking vacation requests. With all leave data stored in one place, you can plan shift coverage better.
Labor Law Compliance Management	Navigating the ever-changing labor law landscape is tedious. The best employee scheduling software helps comply with local and federal labor regulations, including overtime regulations and schedule change advance notifications.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top employee scheduling systems

Advanced Features To Consider

Depending on the product you choose, you’ll get additional capabilities. The following are some advanced features to look out for.

Payroll Expense & Budget Tracking	Employee schedules and hours directly impact payroll processing and paychecks. It’s beneficial for staff scheduling software to export relevant payroll data. Sophisticated programs offer insights into employees’ total weekly earnings based on their hours while expediting payroll computation.
Employee Self-Service	Self-service is an integrated feature that helps include your employees in schedule-building processes. A user-friendly and accessible solution will allow employees to log in and check their punches and leave status. Comprehensive systems support employee clock-ins and outs, shift swaps and open shift alerts. Employees have more control over shifts and can contribute to schedule creation.
Reporting & Business Intelligence	Reporting and BI tools offer a larger business perspective and generate reports to help understand how scheduling affects business goals. Employee scheduling software gathers and analyzes employee work hours, leaves and income to offer insights into labor costs and financials. Employee reporting and report creation modules generate forms that break down data into easy-to-understand formats.
Artificial Intelligence	Analyze historical trends like scheduling patterns and staff performance to design efficient and fair work schedules based on employee preferences, skills and availability. This feature also helps you stay proactive in the job market by predicting demand for labor based on seasonality, special events, weather and market trends.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top employee scheduling systems

Deployment Methods

There are primarily two deployment types for team scheduling software — on-premise and cloud-based. Which model will suit your business depends on your requirements, IT infrastructure and growth plans. To make an informed decision, let’s look closely at the pros and cons of each method.

Cloud-based

Cloud-based models have the software deployed on vendor servers. These solutions are also known as SaaS or online employee scheduling software and provide you access from anywhere using a web-browsing device and login credentials.

The vendor takes charge of storing, running and maintaining the software architecture, offering a consistent end-user experience at a subscription fee without the need for complex software installations.

Pros

Lower Costs: You don’t need to invest in IT infrastructure and personnel to use the platform. It offers you access at a base subscription rate without any hidden costs.
Faster Implementation: No more spending days installing each software component before it’s ready to use. With cloud-based deployment, you can access and use the platform as soon as you start your subscription plan.
Better Scalability: Adding new features doesn’t require complex integrations with external solutions. It can be as simple as upgrading your subscription to a higher-tiered plan.

Cons

Limited Customizations: You can only use pre-built customizations and not make in-depth changes that require source-code editing, as the vendor manages software code and doesn’t allow you to access it.
Subscription Costs: Subscription fees are a recurring expense that can accumulate to surpass the long-term software licensing cost.
Dependence on the Internet: Relying on Internet connectivity means disruptions or outages can temporarily impede access to schedules and updates.

On-Premise

On-premise software requires you to purchase the software license with a one-time investment and deploy it on your proprietary servers. These solutions operate in your private network, giving you full control over the software’s code, data storage and security measures.

However, it requires considerable technical resources and expertise to install, customize and maintain the platform’s architecture.

Pros

Greater Control: On-premise deployment gives you complete control over your data and architecture, reducing concerns about data security and customizations.
No Dependency on the Internet: Since the software runs locally on your servers, it doesn’t rely on internet connectivity, ensuring access even in areas with unreliable internet.
One-Time Cost: On-premise software typically involves a one-time purchase fee, which can be cost-effective in the long term compared to recurring subscription fees.

Cons

Initial Cost: The upfront cost of purchasing and setting up on-premise software can be significantly higher than that of cloud-based solutions.
Maintenance Burden: You’re responsible for maintaining and updating the software and hardware infrastructure, which can be time-consuming and costly.
Limited accessibility: On-premise systems lack the flexibility of cloud-based solutions when it comes to remote access and mobile functionality, potentially limiting collaboration and convenience.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top employee scheduling systems

Implementation Goals

Implementing new software requires a plan to maximize its potential. Your software implementation strategy should accomplish a few goals to get the most out of your new product.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top employee scheduling systems

Software Comparison Strategy

While most employee scheduling systems have similar features, it can be overwhelming to choose a solution that fits your requirements. You can refer to our Lean Selection process to make your search easier.

Start by considering your organizational needs and how many employees will use the new system. Will they require training or adapt easily? It’s also crucial to assess your current shift-building processes and how employee scheduling software can fill the gaps.

Here are some of the most important factors you should consider when evaluating shift scheduling software:

Ease of use: Ensure the software has an intuitive interface to streamline the scheduling process and minimize training time for your staff.
Scheduling flexibility: Look for platforms that allow you to create various shift types and customize schedules to match your unique business needs.
Employee accessibility: Consider software that offers a mobile app or online portal, allowing employees to access their schedules and make requests easily.
Integration: Check if the solution integrates with other essential systems like accounting, payroll systems, workforce management modules and other HR tools.
Automation: Evaluate the extent of automation, including auto-scheduling, shift swapping and trigger-based notifications to reduce manual efforts.
Compliance and reporting: Ensure the platform helps you adhere to labor laws and regulations. It must provide reporting tools for insights into labor costs and scheduling efficiency.
Cost and scalability: Compare pricing plans and scalability options to ensure the software fits your budget and can grow with your business needs.

It’s also important to research your vendor. You can check online reviews, read industry guides and ask colleagues for their recommendations. Some vendors may offer a free trial so you can see how your employees do with the program before committing.

Cost & Pricing Considerations

Cost is an essential factor to consider in your hunt for the right software. Employee scheduling software adheres to one or both of the following models:

Subscription-Based or SaaS

SaaS strategy charges you a periodic fee — monthly or annually — depending on the number of users. Many companies are keen to opt for this model as it’s accessible from any device, without location constraints, as long as it has an internet connection and necessary login details.

This deployment strategy doesn’t require elaborate software installations or manual backing up of organizational data. Some services charge subscription fees, while others offer monthly or annual plans covering a certain number of users.

While there may be no long-term contractual obligations, some sellers may require you to notify them in advance if you wish to discontinue services. Subscription-based models usually offer multi-tier plans with larger employee bases, high-end features, or both and generally bundle technical support.

Perpetual License

This plan requires you to bear a one-time upfront cost to use the employee scheduling software of your choice in perpetuity. On-premise solutions usually have high initial costs, with additional maintenance, support and upgrade payments.

For more overall savings, you can also opt to pay a full year upfront. However, you should be sure that you want to stick with the service before doing so.

Price Guide for Employee Scheduling Software

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Current & Upcoming Trends

Effectively designed schedules simplify daily operations while boosting productivity and profitability. The employee scheduling market is evolving rapidly to keep up with emerging trends and provide solutions to today’s problems.

Since businesses rely on scheduling solutions to save time and boost efficiency, the employee scheduling community adjusted to the new demands posed by the post-COVID world.

Check out our complete HR management trends article to find out which direction the industry is taking. The following are the latest trends to keep an eye on in the world of employee scheduling.

Employee Scheduling Software Trends

Hybrid Work Model

Although in-office operations have resumed after the pandemic, employee expectations surrounding work models have drastically changed. Recent reports found that 63.4% of U.S. employees prefer to work from home, 8.3% from offices and 28.3% would like to experience hybrid work models.

A hybrid model is a flexible work schedule that combines elements of remote work and traditional in-office operations to give employees the option of choosing where to work per requirements. Its key features include:

Employees can work from home for part of the week and report to the office for the remaining days.
Employers implement the necessary tools to facilitate remote work.
Employees have designated days to report to the office for meetings and collaborations.
The model aims to balance in-person interactions and remote work’s convenience.

The Healthy Organization

It’s no longer enough to solely take preventive measures for employee health and safety. A survey found that one in every four employees experienced burnout due to rigid work environments.

Moreover, it found a 22% gap between an employer’s and an employee’s perception of well-being at work, signifying a deep-rooted culture of toxic work environments.

One of the most effective solutions to this problem is “The Healthy Organization,” which is an enterprise-wide approach that goes beyond the physical safety of your employees and aims at creating a holistic, flexible and empathetic environment that empowers each worker.

These are the key elements you can focus on when building your version of a healthy organization:

Physical health
Mental well-being
Financial adeptness
Social health
Healthy culture
Transparent communication

Generative AI

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that generate new content, such as text, images or even entire documents, based on patterns and data learned from existing examples. It uses deep learning techniques to produce creative and contextually relevant outputs.

Generative AI in the HR market is growing rapidly and is expected to reach $1669.3 million by 2032. Despite its wide adoption, it’s still in a nascent stage in this industry and will take time to realize the full potential of this technology.

That said, here are some of the best ways you can use AI in your HR processes:

Create content for job descriptions and onboarding guides.
Build skill models and candidate profiles for recruiting.
Write performance reviews and feedback.
Power chatbots with generative AI to automate employee leave approval processes.
Chatbots can also provide 24x7 assistance to employees with common queries.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top employee scheduling systems

Questions To Ask Yourself

To get a better understanding of your company’s requirements, ask yourself these guiding questions:

What are my current scheduling challenges?
What’s my budget?
How many employees will use the software?
What are my key operational pain points?
Which features will address those pain points?

Questions to Ask About Employee Scheduling Software

Questions To Ask Vendors

Here are a few questions to ask potential vendors to help you learn more about their software and services.

About the Software

Is the product customizable to specific business needs?
What data security features does it offer?
What integrations does it offer?
Is it compatible with my existing system?
What are its core strengths?

About the Vendor

How many years of expertise do you have in the industry?
What customer support and training do you offer?
What company sizes do you typically work with?
How does your software benefit companies in my industry?
How does your technical support team handle help requests?

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top employee scheduling systems

Next Steps

Employee scheduling software is an important shift planning and management tool for any business, especially in the era of remote work. Picking the right service might feel daunting, but we hope this buyer’s guide helped narrow down your choices.

If you need further help, check out our free comparison report for more information on the top employee scheduling leaders in the industry. Good luck!

Product Comparisons

Additional Resources

Goal 1 Delegate Work Effectively	A valet can never do justice to a cook’s job. A major problem in work scheduling is a mismatch between tasks and employee skill sets. The platform of your choice should enable you to track multiple variables to identify the employee with the best skills for the job.
Goal 2 Improve Employee Satisfaction	Happy employees are the hallmark of a great organization. Employee scheduling software plays a key role in creating a comfortable work environment by offering flexibility and transparency to employees. It serves as a centralized communication hub and offers self-service portals for employees to choose shifts, apply for leaves and exchange tasks with each other.
Goal 3 Avoid No-Shows	It’s never pleasant when employees don’t show up for a task. Work scheduling software should help you easily tackle such situations by finding replacements with similar skills and managing compensation for the extra work done.
Goal 4 Reduce Errors and Redundant Tasks	The primary objective of any technology is to automate repetitive tasks and reduce manual errors. Workforce scheduling software is no different and should aim to expedite the scheduling process using customizable templates for each job type. It should also let you define rules for automating leave request handling, workflow rescheduling and compliance with labor laws.
Goal 5 Boost Revenue	Employee scheduling software improves bottom lines by helping leadership make accurate revenue and expense predictions. These systems boost capacity-planning arsenals by measuring workforce capabilities, analyzing demands and strategizing. They equip you to make long-term decisions like ramping up contractual staff to cater to holiday surges or reduce shifts in slow periods.

Goal 1

Delegate Work Effectively

A valet can never do justice to a cook’s job. A major problem in work scheduling is a mismatch between tasks and employee skill sets. The platform of your choice should enable you to track multiple variables to identify the employee with the best skills for the job.

Goal 2

Improve Employee Satisfaction

Happy employees are the hallmark of a great organization. Employee scheduling software plays a key role in creating a comfortable work environment by offering flexibility and transparency to employees.

It serves as a centralized communication hub and offers self-service portals for employees to choose shifts, apply for leaves and exchange tasks with each other.

Goal 3

Avoid No-Shows

It’s never pleasant when employees don’t show up for a task. Work scheduling software should help you easily tackle such situations by finding replacements with similar skills and managing compensation for the extra work done.

Goal 4

Reduce Errors and Redundant Tasks

The primary objective of any technology is to automate repetitive tasks and reduce manual errors. Workforce scheduling software is no different and should aim to expedite the scheduling process using customizable templates for each job type.

It should also let you define rules for automating leave request handling, workflow rescheduling and compliance with labor laws.

Goal 5

Boost Revenue

Employee scheduling software improves bottom lines by helping leadership make accurate revenue and expense predictions. These systems boost capacity-planning arsenals by measuring workforce capabilities, analyzing demands and strategizing.

They equip you to make long-term decisions like ramping up contractual staff to cater to holiday surges or reduce shifts in slow periods.

About The Contributors

The following expert team members are responsible for creating, reviewing, and fact checking the accuracy of this content.

By Riddhiman Roy

Technical Content Writer

As a Senior Technical Content Writer at SelectHub, Riddhiman Roy delivers content about eCommerce, legal, employee scheduling, procurement, hotel management and property management software. He holds a Master's in multimedia journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. When he is not fighting huge-article-ogres and evil Grammarly suggestions, you can find him in his natural habitat grooving to music and banging his drumkit.

Technical Research By Nithin Shetty

Senior Analyst

With experience in research and consulting going back to 2015, Nithin Shetty is an asset to SelectHub's research team. In his Senior Research Analyst role, he works on projects in categories like HR, CRM, EHR and ERP. He's also a big movie buff and sports fan. When he isn't watching his favorite film or game, he's usually volunteering his free time to causes like blood drives and environmental cleanup.

Technical Review By Jaisri Narasimman

Principal Analyst

A graduate of NTU Singapore, Jaisri Narasimman honed her data mining and curation skills during her post-graduate education, focusing on developing strategies to help businesses make the most of their data. In her role at SelectHub, her research spans categories like HR, CRM and EHR.

Edited By Pooja Verma

Content Editor

Pooja Verma is a Content Editor and Senior Market Analyst at SelectHub, who writes and edits content for endpoint security, legal, CRM, fundraising software, eCommerce, and mental health software. She earned a literature degree from Miranda House, DU and also holds Master’s in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication in India. In her free time, you can spot her reading a book or binge-watching the latest web series and movies.