HotSchedules vs Humanity

Last Updated:

Our analysts compared HotSchedules vs Humanity based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Employee Scheduling Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

HotSchedules Software Tool

Product Basics

HotSchedules is a cloud-based shift scheduling tool within the Fourth HR ecosystem. It assists with a variety of core employee scheduling tasks, including assigning shifts, tracking time and managing labor.

It helps optimize time and labor costs by analyzing sales patterns, forecasting demand and optimizing workforce allocation through seasons. The built-in messaging portal improves communication and keeps the team on the same page.

Businesses can create custom dashboards to track business-specific KPIs, employee performances and attendance. Employees get unique portals to view assigned tasks, swap shifts and communicate with team members.

A built-in wage and labor compliance module helps maintain compliance with state and federal labor laws. The mobile app provides push notifications for scheduling conflicts and compliance issues to stay agile and compliant from anywhere.

Pros
  • Convenience and accessibility
  • Scheduling functionality
  • Efficient automation
  • Diverse integrations
Cons
  • Learning curve
  • Inconsistent support services
read more...

Humanity is an end-to-end platform for all your scheduling needs. It helps you create schedules in minutes and offers AI-powered suggestions to avoid overscheduling and staffing errors while ensuring proper coverage and compliance with labor regulations.

The platform's intelligent algorithms analyze employee availability, skill sets and workload to generate optimal schedules that align with forecasted demand. You can define custom rules to address specific requirements and reduce manual effort.

Humanity serves as a central repository for scheduling data. It maintains a detailed employee database, historical records and audit logs, helping you manage workforce information and ensure accountability. A demand forecasting module helps predict future staffing needs based on seasonal demand and optimize workforce allocation. 

Additionally, it includes robust features to address compliance and employee well-being. The platform automatically creates breaks based on predefined state rules, ensuring adequate meal breaks and compliance with labor regulations. Employees also get personal portals to view schedules, swap shifts, chat with managers and colleagues, and send time off requests.

The mobile app empowers managers and employees to create schedules, communicate effectively, and track time and attendance from anywhere. Its geofencing feature helps prevent malpractices like time theft, buddy punching and clocking in from outside the work location. 

Pros
  • User-friendly interface
  • Mobile app
  • Customization and flexibility
  • Responsive customer support
Cons
  • Slow performance
  • Integration challenges
  • Bugs and UI issues
read more...
$40/Location, Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$3/User, Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Save Time: Build schedules and assign shifts more effectively and save time spent on these activities.
  • Improve Communication: Communicate with team members, update schedule changes, swap shifts and more directly through the platform to keep up with all critical and urgent scheduling revisions.
  • Reduce Labor Costs: Generate store reports on labor costs and sales and assess overall labor practices to help inform future budgets.
  • Encourage Employee Engagement: Managers can provide employees direct access to the schedule through the mobile app, allowing them to access and request changes to the schedule, which boosts engagement.
  • Ensure Compliance: Configure labor rules to document shift transactions, control labor costs, and comply with industry, state and federal legislation.
  • Accurate Forecasting: Ensure accurate forecasts using tools that help cut operational costs, boost revenue from sales and increase customer satisfaction and experiences.
read more...
  • Streamline Employee Management: Humanity offers a robust employee management toolkit with a 100 analyst rating, according to our data. You can manage employee certificates, track expiration dates and offer them unique self-service portals. Employees can handle multiple job positions from a centralized portal and submit feedback on stress levels and fatigue. The platform categorizes employee segments and helps you compare labor costs with demand forecasts for effective budgeting.
  • Manage Schedules From Anywhere: The platform provides one of the most robust scheduling mobile apps, earning a perfect 100 rating from our analysts. It includes toolkits for ad-hoc scheduling, team communications and custom notifications. It supports geofencing to track employee locations and offers a time clock to log staff work hours in a timesheet. You can also create schedules offline and define rules to automatically publish them at the right time.
  • Create Schedules Effectively: Another strong suite is the scheduling toolkit, which got a 93 rating from our analysts. You can use drag-and-drop tools and templates to create shifts manually or define rules for the native AI to do it automatically. Copy schedules with or without employees and apply them across multiple departments and locations. Employees can specify their skills, and the platform creates skill-based schedules. You can control each shift’s visibility based on user roles and set permission levels for shift swap and trading approval workflows.
read more...
  • Scheduling: Build schedules with customizable templates and intuitive drag-and-drop tools. Approve or deny shift change requests, define rules to limit overtime and manage employee availability from a dashboard.
  • Time and Attendance: Track clock-in and clock-out times, collect information on tip and break entries, and allow employees to access their timecards and payroll histories. Managers can set up alerts to notify employees when they miss a time punch. Set geo-fencing rules using the mobile WebClock to track employee locations.
  • Labor Forecasting: Access the following forecasting features:
    • Schedule Optimization: Standardize scheduling rules and automate recurring tasks using predictive scheduling across multiple branches and locations.
    • Scheduling Visibility: Manage labor analytics to measure critical KPIs like overall performance, cost per labor, sales patterns and labor cost to keep restaurants competitive.
    • Store-Level Forecasting: Analyze historical data to identify weekly sales patterns and help managers allocate workforces efficiently. Send alerts for overtime and other potential compliance issues.
  • Labor Management: Calculate minimum staffing requirements, plan shift breaks, and generate suggested headcounts to ensure that any given shift always has the proper number of staff members.
  • Scheduling and Wage Compliance: Adhere to local and federal regulations with:
    • Predictive Scheduling: Stay up to date with local laws and evolve as regulations shift. Prepare and adapt to compliance changes before they go into effect.
    • Break and Meal Management: Set up rules to automatically schedule meal and break times for staff members. Receive notifications of missed break times and automatically calculate break pay impacts.
    • Overtime Management: Track employees going into overtime and allow managers to swap overworked staff with other employees.
    • Certifications: Receive certificate expiry alerts and define automation to request updated documents from employees, managers and other team members.
  • POS Integration: Employees can track time and clock in and out of work from a POS system. Pull sales and operational data from POS to forecast weekly and seasonal sales patterns and workforce requirements.
  • Health Surveys: Generate digital health surveys to gain extra visibility into the business. Use CDC-tailored surveys and health screening tools to ensure employees are safe to come to work.
  • Manager Logbook: Manage physical and digital logbooks that help track tasks, maintenance objectives and food safety information, such as temperature.
read more...
  • 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.
read more...

Product Ranking

#7

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

#1

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

we're gathering data
86
we're gathering data
52
we're gathering data
100
we're gathering data
91
Show More Show More

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

HotSchedules
Humanity
+ Add Product + Add Product
Collaboration Employee Management Leave And Absence Management Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Reporting And Analytics Schedule Management Security And Compliance Shift Management Time And Attendance Management 52 100 91 100 75 83 96 83 79 85 0 25 50 75 100
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
50%
0%
50%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
100%
0%
0%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
88%
0%
12%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
100%
0%
0%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
78%
0%
22%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
83%
0%
17%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
95%
0%
5%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
78%
0%
22%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
79%
0%
21%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
84%
0%
16%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
70%
0%
30%

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 1149 reviews
Great User Sentiment 1401 reviews
86%
of users recommend this product

HotSchedules has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 1149 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

86%
of users recommend this product

Humanity has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 1401 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

4.5 (14)
4.3 (14)
4.2 (94)
4.3 (1032)
4.37 (426)
n/a
4.4 (388)
4.3 (296)
n/a
4.8 (51)
4.0 (227)
4.2 (8)

Awards

we're gathering data

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Humanity and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Employee Management and Mobile Capabilities.

Employee Management Award
Mobile Capabilities Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Convenience and Accessibility: Users appreciate the system’s remote accessibility, which saves time and enhances productivity for both employees and managers.
Scheduling Functionality: The platform offers a comprehensive package of scheduling tools, including shift swapping, time off, blackout dates and availability management.
Efficient Automation: Automation such as auto-scheduling, sick pay and holiday calculations simplifies administrative tasks for managers.
Diverse Integrations: Users report that integration with other modules like payroll systems, POS solutions and HR software enhances productivity and workforce management.
Show more
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.
Show more
Learning curve & complexity: The interface can be challenging for beginners, requiring significant time and effort to learn and navigate effectively.
Inconsistent customer support: Users report long wait times or difficulty resolving complex issues, leading to potential frustration and delays.
Pricing concerns: Additional fees beyond the monthly subscription can add up, making it more expensive than competitors.
Show more
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.
Show more

Let's dish on the good, the bad, and the ugly of HotSchedules based on what folks have been saying lately. HotSchedules seems to be a bit of a mixed bag. Users dig that it's pretty straightforward to use and can be a real time-saver, especially when it comes to wrangling schedules and keeping everyone in the loop. It's like having a personal assistant who's always on top of things. But, there's a catch – it can be a bit pricey, and some users feel like it's missing some bells and whistles that other scheduling software has. Think of it as a reliable car that gets you from point A to point B, but maybe doesn't have all the fancy features like a sunroof or heated seats. So, who's HotSchedules a good fit for? Well, if you're running a business in the hospitality industry, like a restaurant or hotel, and you need a solid scheduling tool that won't leave you scratching your head, HotSchedules could be your jam. It's especially handy if you've got a bunch of hourly employees and multiple locations to juggle. However, if you're on a tight budget or need a software with all the latest gadgets, you might want to shop around a bit. There are other options out there like Homebase or When I Work that might be more your style.

Show more

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.

Show more

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Employee Scheduling Software


7shifts

Deputy

Findmyshift

Homebase

Humanity

OpenSimSim

Planday

Quinyx

ScheduleFlex

Shiftbase

Shiftboard

Sling

TimeForge

When I Work

WhenToWork

ZoomShift

Related Categories

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

Compare products
Comparison Report
Just drag this link to the bookmark bar.
?
Table settings