Best Employee Scheduling Software for Small Business in 2025
Our guide to the best employee scheduling software is the product of extensive research conducted by our HR experts coupled with external insights from across the industry. Find pricing, pros & cons, best practices and more below.
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The best employee scheduling software solutions help organizations plan their labor needs, assign jobs to the right employees, and ensure that the total available working hours are being optimally utilized.
We spent hours researching, evaluating, and comparing the best employee scheduling software for small businesses.
Our focus has been the same as if we were in your shoes, on the market for an employee scheduling tool. We looked at their features, user experience, and main strengths and weaknesses.
However, finding the most suitable employee scheduling tool for your business is as much about understanding your business as it is about the product. Depending on how you’re set up, ‘the best’ product will vary.
For that reason, we’ve tried to put together a list with sufficient variety in industries, types of tech, and pricing styles. That being said, all of these are good bets for businesses with less than 1,500 employees.
Sounds good? Let’s dive in and take a closer look at each tool’s strengths and weaknesses.
To find the ideal employee scheduling software tools for small businesses, we conducted an exhaustive evaluation of over 30 products. We carefully considered numerous factors, including what we believe are four key criteria for these products: ease of use, customization, pricing, and integrations with payroll tools.
Our editorial team, consisting of seasoned HR professionals guided by insights from industry leaders, spearheaded the research. Additionally, we collected valuable data through hands-on user research.
- Ease of Use: Small businesses often need more time and resources for extensive software training. Therefore, we prioritized employee scheduling software that boasts user-friendly interfaces and intuitive navigation.
- Customization: We focused on scheduling solutions that provide a high degree of customization. Our selections offer flexible shift templates, customizable scheduling rules, and the ability to cater to different workforce arrangements, such as part-time, full-time, and seasonal employees.
- Pricing: The selected solutions offer subscription plans suitable for SMB budgets, with pricing tiers based on the number of employees or schedule complexity. Additionally, we highlight software that provides free trial periods or freemium versions.
- Integrations with Payroll Tools: We sought out software options that seamlessly integrate with popular payroll systems, accounting software, and HR platforms. These integrations facilitate seamless data transfer, reducing manual work and minimizing the risk of errors.
For more insights into our comprehensive evaluation process and to explore our selection of the best HR tech, we invite you to read our piece on how we select the best HR tech.
Connecteam
You can enjoy using all three of Connecteam’s hubs (Operations, Communications, and HR & Skills) for free for up to 10 users.
PROS
- Reach staff instantly with native team communication tools.
- Forms and checklists provide workers with necessary job information.
- Track employee hours with a user-friendly time clock.
- Geofencing and automated timesheets for payroll.
- Offers auto-scheduling, error-flagging, and scheduling templates.
- Competitive pricing. Free plan and free trial available.
- One of the only fully-mobile HR tech tools for deskless workers
- Very adequately-priced for all it entails, SMB-friendly
- Quite open to feedback, having implemented user suggestions as features in the past.
CONS
- Limited native integration options. API access for Enterprise plan only.
- No phone support.
- In the communication hub, the app offers no confirmation that messages were sent and/or seen.
- Certain features that some teams consider essential, such as GPS-tracking, are only available in the higher-tier pricing plans.
Creating shifts on Connecteam is designed to be flexible and accommodating. You have the option to create single or multiple shifts, import from Excel, provide open spots for your workers to claim, or set up repeating shifts. Further, given that small businesses often function on shift-based models rather than specific job roles, the platform's adaptability in enabling users to approve individuals for shifts independently is truly a plus.
Connecteam has a clear interface that worked well despite the devices we used: laptop, tablet, and phone. The help center has easy-to-digest video tutorials and articles and a search function that, during our testing, made it easy for us to find what we needed. Plus, we like that the platform keeps everything current and in three languages.
Pricing-wise, we were impressed with Connecteam’s transparency and flexibility. There’s a free-for-life plan for teams with no more than 10 users and a couple of paid options that could be of good use for these businesses as they expand.
Our main concern about Connecteam, though, is its integration limitations: It can natively connect with very few HR tools, while API access is restricted to the Enterprise plan.
We love the thorough Help Center, but it’s a shame there is no phone support. In our experience, being able to engage with support immediately over the phone when required is greatly appreciated by many businesses.
36,000+ companies, including Eco-Moving, Cage Free Voices, and UGS Private Security.
Connecteam offers a free plan for SMBs with up to 10 employees. The platform’s paid plans start at $29 per user per month billed annually.
Best For
SMBs with no more than 30 employees and which do not need extensive integration choices.
Homebase
There’s a lot to like about Homebase. Its central scheduling interface is its biggest strength, which gives employers and employees a clear view of the company-wide schedule. We also love the fact that it offers a free version which is sufficient for most small businesses.
PROS
- Provides a fully integrated employee scheduling system with separate interfaces for managers and employees.
- Instant messaging feature to directly communicate with team members and make schedule changes on the go.
- Makes requesting time off a breeze.
- Allows you to create schedule templates.
- Has desktop, android, and iPhone applications.
- Separate dashboards for managers and employees
- Real-time communication features allow for schedule changes on the move
- Requesting and approving paid time off is easy
- Great scheduling templates help managers streamline work
CONS
- It doesn’t have the most intuitive user interface, making it hard to navigate the product.
- Offers limited third-party integrations
- The tool offers very little room for customization
- Limited third-party integration support
- Additional features are somewhat expensive
Homebase is among the best employee scheduling applications with thousands of customers worldwide. It provides organizations with an integrated system to manage their team’s schedule and instantly notify the relevant employees of any changes.
Its mobile apps allow employees to access their schedule on the go, coordinate with team members, and stay updated on any changes.
Similarly, it allows managers to assign work shifts and instantly notify employees of their schedules.
Try Homebase For Free
Homebase offers the following subscription plans (billed annually)
- Basic - Free
- Essentials - $14/month per location [most suitable plans for employee scheduling features]
- Plus - $35/month per location
- All-in-one - $70/month per location
Best For
I utilize Homebase as a comprehensive scheduling solution for managing cleanings for my LLC's short-term rentals. The platform allows me to create and organize cleaning shifts for each property, ensuring that our units are consistently maintained to high standards and ready for guests' arrival.
With Homebase, we start by signing in and adding "Open Shifts" on any days we have turnovers for a given property. Then, based on each cleaning team member's availability (availability is shown within the app), we assign the shifts to prospective team members.
Homebase's user-friendly interface simplifies the scheduling process, allowing us to quickly make adjustments or reschedule shifts as needed.
- It is free! The free version of the app provides everything we need to solve our scheduling challenges.
- It is user-friendly. The web app is great for monthly scheduling, and the mobile app works for our team to view their shifts, etc.
- It was great that I could begin using it right away. There was no complicated onboarding process or steep learning curve.
I stumbled upon Homebase after a Google search looking for a scheduling tool. It has proven to be invaluable for coordinating the cleanings for my LLC's short-term rentals. Prior to using Homebase, we experienced significant challenges in efficiently managing and organizing the cleaning schedule for multiple properties with multiple members of our cleaning team. It was a time-consuming and error-prone process, resulting in delays and dissatisfaction among the team. We have used it for over three months now and have thoroughly enjoyed using the tool.
- The system sends a lot of automated notifications (app alerts, emails, text messages).
- There is a lot more functionality than we use it for, which is frustrating. We don't handle payroll, etc., through the app, but get notifications about these features all the time.
- Limited customization; I don't need an alert every time there is a scheduling "conflict" because oftentimes one employee will handle the turnover for multiple properties in a given day. I wish I could customize my views, alerts, etc., to better meet our needs.
I have never used other scheduling tools so I'm unsure how it compares.
One thing to think about is how you will handle communication and collaboration. Homebase's communication tools work adequately but aren't very robust. I sometimes get better responses from our team by just texting them, so consider how the tool facilitates communication and collaboration among team members. Look for features such as real-time notifications, messaging capabilities, and the ability to easily share schedule updates and changes.
No changes that I'm aware of.
It's hard to answer this, but it's worked great for us - a small team of people managing short-term rental properties with a small team of people handling the scheduled cleanings for these properties.
It's hard to answer this, but it probably would not be a good fit for an organization that does not have scheduling demands.
When I Work
When I Work is ideal for small businesses with limited budgets looking for a robust employee scheduling application. It’s not loaded with unnecessary features like many other HR tools but delivers excellent employee scheduling and time tracking capabilities.
PROS
- Easy shift scheduling for managers and employees.
- Global organization view of all employees.
- Minimizes absences and no-shows through shift confirmation messages and seen receipts.
- Allows managers to decide how much control employees get
CONS
- No way to track paid time off
- Limited reporting data
- Technical and user-experience issues with the mobile app
When I Work is a robust employee scheduling tool ideal for small businesses. It gives employers a bird’s eye view of their team’s work schedule and allows them to make changes on the go. It also empowers employees and makes their off-time more enjoyable by giving them control over their schedule and saving them from unplanned work.
When I Work offers the following subscription plans.
- Small Business - $2/user per month
- Enterprise - Custom quote
The Small Business plan comes with a 14-day trial, while Enterprise users can schedule a Demo before purchase.
Best For
- It gives employers the company-wide schedule dashboard simplifying decision making and saving countless hours.
- Allows users to track their work hours and update schedules anytime.
- Enables instant communication between employees and managers to improve coordination and minimize confusion.
We use the tool daily to manage day-to-day scheduling of employees, including approving or denying time off requests. It's also instrumental in planning large special events such as fundraisers or camp activities. Additionally, the When I Work app aids in payroll functions, making it an integral part of our operations.
I appreciate that the app has a clean interface and is easy to use, which our employees also seem to like.
Our organization has been using this tool for over 15 months to schedule per diem employees, who are hired as needed. Previously, there was a significant inefficiency in coordinating between management and gig workers, particularly in contacting workers promptly. This platform allows temp workers to schedule themselves at any time of day, effectively resolving the issue and streamlining the scheduling process for gig workers.
Currently, there’s nothing specific that I dislike about the tool.
While there are competitors like UKG and Q-Genda that offer similar services, this tool stands out for our particular needs.
Consider whether you employ many temporary workers and if your workforce is tech-savvy enough to utilize mobile technology effectively. These factors are crucial in determining the suitability of this tool for your organization.
To my understanding, the services provided by this tool have not undergone significant changes since their inception.
This tool is highly effective for small organizations that rely heavily on part-time or temporary workers.
This tool is versatile enough to be beneficial for all types of organizations.
Rippling
Rippling's employee scheduling product is a sophisticated solution for SMBs seeking deep automation and HR integration. Unlike standalone scheduling software, Rippling offers a unified platform that intelligently manages workforce scheduling, payroll, and compliance.
PROS
- Smart automation that flags understaffing and overstaffing based on labor plans
- Fully integrated with payroll, ensuring accurate payroll calculations
- An easy-to-use interface that allows quick adjustments to shifts
- Compliance tracking to prevent scheduling conflicts with labor laws
- Supports real-time labor cost tracking for better budget control
- All-in-one platform for employee management + PEO services offered, and even a suite of other IT products
- With 500 integrations, it’s very likely that they integrate with other key tools from your tech stack.
- Operates globally with any currency
- Workflow automation
- Analytics opportunities
- Provides a holistic view of company outflows—headcount costs included
CONS
- Custom pricing model with no public pricing details
- Rippling’s Payroll and Time & Attendance products are required for access to the Scheduling tool
- Limited free trial options compared to some competitors
- Total buy-in to Rippling is essential
- Very SMB-oriented, in case you’re a larger company.
- New features tend to be buggy in ways that tech teams are not accustomed to fixing
Rippling’s employee scheduling tool was built in response to the overwhelming demand for an integrated scheduling solution that avoids the fragmented workflows of standalone products. Many companies struggle with disconnected scheduling and HR systems, leading to compliance risks, time-off mismanagement, and overtime errors. Rippling directly addresses these pain points by offering a fully integrated solution that eliminates manual spreadsheets and inefficient workarounds.
Instead of relying on manual scheduling methods, Rippling’s platform provides labor planning capabilities, allowing businesses to map out necessary staffing levels and receive alerts when schedules do not align with labor needs. One of the standout features is its automated shift validation, which dynamically flags compliance and cost control issues in real-time.
Their attendance module also presents some novelty. You can set up automatic alerts that get triggered whenever a worker is constantly late or missing shifts. The module can support a points-based system so managers can automate consequences if employees are consistently missing shifts or coming in late.
Through our research, we found that mid-sized organizations leverage this kind of forward-thinking features to save time. We heard of a healthcare administrator who achieved a 70% reduction in scheduling conflicts within the first month of use.
Another key strength is payroll integration. Unlike many scheduling solutions that require third-party payroll software, Rippling automatically calculates wages based on actual hours worked, helping SMBs avoid payroll discrepancies. Real-time labor cost tracking further enhances visibility into workforce expenses, making it easier to manage budgets.
Despite these advantages, a remarkable drawback of Rippling’s scheduling tool is that it’s not a standalone product. Businesses must have Rippling Payroll and Time & Attendance to use Scheduling. Additionally, pricing remains undisclosed, requiring direct inquiries for quotes.
Pricing remains custom, but our recent quote requests for various business sizes indicate that companies should expect to invest $8-15 per user per month for the scheduling module, with the total cost varying based on which additional HR features are included.
Best For
Based on our comparative analysis and user interviews, we find Rippling's scheduling solution works best for growing companies with 50-500 employees who need sophisticated automation and can benefit from the broader HR integration. For organizations of this size, we've observed that the higher initial investment is typically offset by reduced administrative overhead within 4-6 months of implementation.
Our organization uses Rippling to manage various HR processes, including payroll, time-off, benefits administration, employee data management, reporting, and leave management. We are also considering the performance management and survey modules but have not yet decided to implement them. As we grow, Rippling has been proactive in suggesting further process automation. We appreciate the flexibility to activate modules as needed, which prevents us from being overwhelmed by unnecessary complexity.
Rippling's user interface is exceptionally user-friendly, with appealing graphics and straightforward instructions, which differentiates it from other more complex HRIS systems. Our employees find it easy to navigate and locate what they need. The modular approach of Rippling, allowing us to activate features as needed, is highly beneficial. Additionally, Rippling's customer service has proven to be responsive and thorough.
Our organization was grappling with highly manual HR processes such as payroll, benefits administration, timekeeping, and time-off requests, which were prone to errors due to being handled via Excel spreadsheets. As our organization continued to grow rapidly, we required a tool that could automate these processes in a user-friendly manner with minimal implementation time. We have been using Rippling for almost two years now.
We find ourselves renegotiating the cost of our contract annually, with sales representatives often pushing for us to add new features instead of facing a price increase. While custom workflows are beneficial, they can be challenging to set up without a clear understanding of the functionality. The payroll function's inability to handle retroactive pay is a significant drawback, requiring manual calculations on our part.
Rippling stands out due to its ease of use and engaging user interface, which makes it more appealing to employees compared to other HRIS systems I've encountered, which often appear sterile and are not intuitive.
When choosing an HRIS, consider both your current needs and future growth. Be wary of systems that might become obsolete as your business evolves or require additional purchases to meet new needs. It’s also crucial to consider the system's cost structure, especially if your organization experiences high turnover or expects significant growth. Lastly, evaluate how user-friendly and engaging the system is for your employees, as a difficult or dull interface might deter them from using it effectively.
Rippling actively responds to customer feedback, making regular recommendations for system upgrades or new modules based on our specific needs. They have significantly improved their Applicant Tracking System (ATS) by incorporating suggestions from users like us during their annual updates.
Rippling is particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized organizations looking to automate their HR processes comprehensively. It's easy to implement, requiring only a small team, and manageable even by a modest HR department.
Rippling may not be the best fit for government contractors, as it lacks certain functionalities required to ensure compliance with specific contract requirements. Organizations in this sector might find other HRIS systems more tailored to their needs.
Humanity Schedule by TCP Software
Throughout our tech test, Humanity proved to be a solid tool for managing schedules, timekeeping, and compliance, particularly for U.S. companies with detailed operational requirements.
PROS
CONS
TCP has long been praised for its time and attendance software. After its acquisition of Humanity, we soon discovered that this vendor also has an impressive employee scheduling product.
There is a great deal of flexibility for both account-wide and employee-level customization in the employee scheduling tool.
From the ShiftPlanning settings, we could easily enable employees to trade or drop shifts, with or without managerial approval. This feature allows us to tailor policies based on team needs. Also, the ability to have custom leave types, such as Sick Days or Maternity Leave, and enable them at the employee level made it trouble-free to accommodate various leave policies across teams.
The vendor also knocked it out of the park with its employee availability management features. Employees are set to be available 24/7 by default, but they can update their specific availability via the Humanity app or desktop interface. They can also use the one-time availability feature to communicate temporary availability changes, like doctor appointments or picking up extra hours.
Not to mention, there’s an auto-fill schedule function that, in our test, helped us quickly fill shifts with available team members while also flagging potential conflicts with a red warning icon. With this feature in hand, we'd argue that there would be minimal scheduling conflicts.
We tested the Time Clock feature and loved it. It gives employees options for clocking in through the app or physical terminals and supports Geofencing.
Managing leave requests was straightforward. Employees could request partial or full days off, and before approving leave, we could easily see which shifts needed coverage and who was available to step in.
Manually double-checking each schedule to ensure we met specific labor requirements is indeed not an enjoyable task, so knowing that we could define the minimum and maximum hours our staff could work in a day or week right within Humanity by TCP Software was nothing short of impressive.
Despite its many features, we noticed a few drawbacks. Humanity keeps its user interface simple, but compared to competitors like Homebase or Deputy, it’s doesn’t feel as modern and intuitive.
This vendor's hyper-focus on US-based companies is, in some ways, double-edged. While it’s well respected in North America, it has limited capability in the global market. Also, we’re not a big fan of its lack of pricing transparency, especially considering that most good brands are upfront about their costs.
18,000+ companies, including Hilton, the University of Michigan, and iFLY Toronto.
Humanity by TCP Software pricing is not disclosed.
Best For
Small businesses in North America, particularly in healthcare, government, and education.
We used TimeClock Plus to track all timekeeping for both hourly and salaried employees, therefore, daily. TCP's geofencing was extremely important for our owner to track all remote staff, and it was used daily. The app allows the employer to map a location to an employee, and geofencing in this app is extensive. TCP setup for the entire company was very streamlined, and new hire onboarding was simplified. Tech support is very competent. Tracking employees by what they're working on can be preset, and an employee can switch tasks for accurate job costing. Employees and managers used the app daily to clock in and out, track their hours, request and approve PTO, see regular hours and overtime hours, and communicate via notifications.
TimeClock Plus is robust, with many features we do not use because our payroll company provides them, but it's nice to know the tools are there. The dashboard and exceptions filter make it simple for managers to approve their employees' hours and time-off requests. TCP has decent training videos. The PTO calendar and employee notifications are very helpful. Integration into my payroll, Gusto, was seamless.
We switched to TimeClock Plus (TCP) when we experienced unacceptable issues with Homebase. TCP integrated with my payroll company, Gusto. TCP was very cost-effective when we used the minimum features. TCP has decent geofencing and geolocation, which was a requirement by the owner. TCP also has overlapping features with my payroll that we didn't need, but it was nice to have the option as a backup.
TimeClock Plus can be overwhelming for a small business, as it has many features that might not be used. Some employees reported that their times weren't being recorded properly, but managers could easily log in and make adjustments. It can be expensive if you purchase features you do not utilize.
TimeClock Plus is a lot like Kronos to me, with many features. I like it for how customizable everything is, and their help team walked me through the process for anything I couldn't figure out.
First, determine if you need all the features offered. We narrowed everything down to the Time and Attendance Essentials. TimeClock Plus integrates with everything, but ensure it's a seamless integration with your payroll. TCP has serious scalability, so if you anticipate a lot of growth, this is a solid system.
I've only used TimeClock Plus recently.
TimeClock Plus is great for mid-sized to large organizations that need a high level of customization. TCP worked extremely well for a small manufacturing business, though we only utilized the minimum features.
TimeClock Plus isn't needed for a very small organization. There are many other timekeeping systems specifically designed for very small businesses.
Deputy
Deputy makes employee scheduling a breeze. But what makes it different from other employee scheduling software is its AI capabilities. It does the heavy lifting for you by developing optimized employee schedules for departments, teams, or individual employees based on their workload and availability.
PROS
- Quickly create optimized employee schedules with AI assistance.
- Easily find replacements when an employee doesn’t show up.
- Accurately track breaks and unproductive time.
- Easily integrates with Google Calendar and other workforce management and scheduling apps.
- Create AI optimized employee schedules
- Eliminate no-shows with quick replacements
- Track unproductive time and breaks with precision
CONS
- Very limited reporting and analytics
- Average customer support in case of technical problems
- It has a complex user interface that makes editing shifts, and employee schedules unnecessarily complicated.
- Limited reporting functionality
- Once published, upcoming schedules can’t be changed
Deputy’s AI-powered employee scheduling features make it an ideal solution for busy small business owners. It takes the hassle out of employee scheduling by providing up-to-date workforce engagement details to managers and allowing employees to access their schedules online.
Deputy offers a full-featured free trial of up t0 31 days. After that, you can sign up for one of its paid plans.
Scheduling - $2.5/user per month (billed annually)
Premium - $4.5/user per month (billed annually)
The Premium plan includes scheduling and time & attendance features.
Best For
- Simplifies team communication and workload planning a breeze.
- It helps you identify underutilized and overburdened employees.
- Replaces spreadsheets and other manual work management methods with real-time dashboards.
We use Deputy every day for staff scheduling. It has been especially useful for our multi-location company, as it allows us to switch shifts quickly and efficiently.
Deputy is accessible via both computers and mobile apps, making it easy for employees to check schedules and make updates as needed. Its user-friendly interface ensures that scheduling is streamlined across all locations.
- We love Deputy’s in-depth scheduling capabilities.
- The mobile and desktop applications are easy to use.
- Deputy provides kiosk options for time tracking.
We purchased and have used Deputy for four years to manage staff scheduling and time-off needs. Even after switching HRIS systems, we continued using Deputy because it effectively handled scheduling.
We chose Deputy because it integrated seamlessly with our HRIS and provided the perfect scheduling solution for our company. Its flexibility and ease of use have made managing shifts much simpler.
- Deputy lacks robust reporting capabilities.
- The system is not intuitive for administrators during setup.
- Deputy does not integrate well with our HRIS time-off management.
Deputy integrates with several different HRIS systems, making it a flexible option for many businesses.
- What specific scheduling and time-off needs is your organization trying to address with Deputy?
- Do you plan to change company policies or procedures related to pay structures or time-off management?
- Do you prefer customizable, easy-to-read, and simple-to-create scheduling tools?
Deputy has made updates to better accommodate full HRIS functionality.
Deputy is ideal for small to medium-sized organizations, particularly those with multiple locations.
Deputy may not be the best fit for medium to large organizations looking for an all-in-one solution for scheduling, timesheets, and HRIS management.
Shiftboard
ShiftBoard is ideal for large production-centric organizations looking to effectively schedule shifts and optimize labor costs. It makes life much easier for shift managers by giving employees access to their schedules and the option to trade hours.
PROS
- Offers two different products for production-centric companies and service providers.
- It’s a sophisticated employee scheduling solution that links directly with production plans, HR software, account, etc., to provide 360-degree resource management.
- It reduces absences and missed shifts resulting in lower labor costs and optimized production planning.
CONS
- Offers limited functionality to accommodate project-based employees.
- The user interface is clunky and hard to navigate.
- It has a learning curve due to its complex options.
Shiftboard is a robust employee scheduling platform that offers significantly more features and functions than the other software in this list. This is why 60,000+ manufacturing and service-oriented companies use it for employee scheduling.
But it isn’t very customizable and lacks several key features for small businesses and companies that operate with contractual employees.
ShiftBoard offers two different scheduling products for manufacturing and service-oriented organizations.
ScheduleFlex Pricing (Service Industry)
Basic - $3/month per user
Professional - $6/month per user (ideal for growing companies)
Enterprise - Custom Quote.
SchedulePro Pricing (Manufacturing Industry)
Enterprise and Enterprise Plus plans - Custom quotes
You can schedule a free demo of SchedulePro and ScheduleFlex from their respective pricing pages.
Best For
- Improves employee motivation and productivity by helping companies minimize overtime and unplanned shifts.
- Allows organizations to manage employees at multiple production facilities from a central dashboard.
- Minimizes communication gaps in large companies through group announcements and one-on-one chats.
We use Shiftboard for multiple purposes. Our program schedule for over 40 program site locations is housed in Shiftboard for our program schedulers to administer and adjust daily. This includes not only publishing available shifts but also narrowing down who can pick up shifts at various locations based on their credentials and training. We also use Shiftboard to communicate with our employees, as most of them utilize the Shiftboard app daily. We send announcements and reminders through Shiftboard. Our employees use Shiftboard to see their schedules, find available shifts, and clock in or out when they work. They also use Shiftboard to request time off and designate whether they'd like to use PTO.
Shiftboard is highly customizable and allows us to have multiple qualifiers for employees to accept shifts, such as credentials or specific training requirements. The platform is easy to use and understand for our employees. The "Tradeboard" feature allows employees to swap shifts if they qualify and meet the requirements, offering flexibility when they need time off. The support team is highly responsive when issues occur, which is not frequent.
My organization contracted with Shiftboard for scheduling over eight years ago. We needed a solution for scheduling 350+ employees in the healthcare industry working in various locations that were staffed 24/7. Our payroll provider had timekeeping and scheduling capabilities, but they were very limited and didn't operate well with 24-hour scheduling. We needed something that employees would find easy to navigate and use daily. We also wanted our employees to have more than one option for how they clock in and out for each shift that would update in real-time.
From an administrative standpoint, the system can be challenging for schedulers to learn. The training modules offered could be expanded to make this easier. The visual calendar is a bit rudimentary.
I find Shiftboard superior to its competitors. Prior to contracting with Shiftboard, I researched 6-7 other timekeeping/scheduling systems, and none of them were as customizable. I appreciate the added benefits of company announcements and communication features, and the price is highly competitive and affordable.
When considering timekeeping/scheduling software, first identify the goals you need it to achieve. The larger and more complex your needs, the more customizable the software should be. Do your employees have the same basic schedule? Do they work at the same location frequently? If so, you may not need much customization. If you have many employees and multiple locations, your scheduling needs will be complex, and you'll want the ability to mold the software to fit your exact specifications.
Shiftboard is proactive about contacting and meeting with their customers regularly to identify any pain points. Shiftboard has undergone multiple upgrades over time, each beneficial to our company. This includes a company dashboard for announcements to all employees, the ability to contact employees individually or by location, and the Tradeboard feature. Their support team responds well to feedback and requests.
Any sized company with complex scheduling needs will find Shiftboard to be a great fit. It is especially useful for healthcare companies, which have hundreds of employees in multiple locations.
Small companies with simple scheduling needs won’t need Shiftboard. If your employees generally work the same shifts at the same location, this may not be a necessary expense.
7shifts
7shifts provides a wide range of scheduling features under one hood. They stand out for their AI-powered auto-scheduler, in-app messaging, time tracking, and even a basic ATS. Few software products that apply to the restaurant business combine many such functions.
PROS
- This software has a lot of integration options, making it easier to streamline aspects of your business like sales. You can, for example, connect to point of sale systems like Square and Toast so you can easily accept credit card and NFC payments as well as inventory and financing.
- A fully-featured software that helps you manage team schedules, timesheets, tasks, communications, and much more, within a mobile-friendly platform.
- Their free plan features basic scheduling and ATS functionalities to get your restaurant up and running, and it can accommodate as many as 30 users per location.
- Robust integrations connect with 50+ POS systems for real-time sales and labor insights.
- All-in-one management unifies schedules, time-tracking (7Punches), payroll, budgeting, compliance, and tip pooling in one mobile-friendly platform.
- A generous free plan supports up to 20 employees with basic scheduling and communication tools, ideal for small teams.
- Mobile-first design offers free mobile apps for iOS and Android, enabling shift swaps, time-off requests, messaging, and real-time notifications.
- Automated labor forecasting integrates POS sales data to suggest optimal labor plans and cut unnecessary costs.
CONS
- The platform’s scheduling can be a drag for teams with global remote workers because the shifts are only scheduled in CST timezone.
- The system, sometimes, does not synchronize employee’s mobile shift data with admin data. So shifts could be created and published on the manager’s end and the employees might not receive it.
- Doesn’t allow you to edit schedules before publishing. If a mistake is made, the schedule will have to be deleted and created again.
- 24/7 live support is limited to top-tier plans; Entrée users mainly use chat and email.
- Mobile shift update syncing may occasionally lag under poor network conditions, but it usually resolves quickly.
- Published reports cannot be edited; adjustments require a fresh export.
7shifts was built specifically to be a human resources software for the restaurant industry, offering a wide range of functionality including employee scheduling, time clocking, labor compliance, and team communication.
Although this software has a lot of moving parts, they all synchronize to streamline restaurant operations. Additionally, the software offers innovative tools like an AI-powered auto-scheduler and templates, to help managers keep up with the fast-paced nature of restaurant HR management.
Sambo’s, The Chopped Leaf, Andy’s Frozen Custard, National Coney Island.
7shifts has four plans available, three with fixed pricing and one with customized pricing. Add-ons are also available for separate purchases. Here are the main plans:
- Comp: Free plan with basic scheduling and ATS features. It supports only 30 users per location.
- Entree: $34.99 per location per month, but you can save about 10% if you pay annually. It is a little upgrade from the comp plan with additional reporting and budgeting features. It also supports a max of 30 employees per location.
- The Works: This plan costs $76.99 per location per month ($69.99 when billed annually). It offers all 7shifts features to give you an all-in-one restaurant team management platform.
- Gourmet: The Gourmet plan is their custom plan. What separates this plan for the previous ones is that it comes with a dedicated account manager.
As for the add-ons, these are priced as follows:
- Task management: $12.99/location/month
- Tip pooling: $24.99/location/month
- Operations overview: $6.99/location/month
- Manager logbook: $14.99/location/month
Best For
7shifts is a great choice for restaurants that want a little bit of human resource management together with the scheduling.
7shifts was checked and updated daily. It was primarily used to track shifts for kitchen/front of house staff. I would send notifications for open shifts, schedule changes and other relevant info to the team. I would also create wage predictions to forecast for payroll. I would also exercise its template options for tasks.
It has great customer support. 7shifts integrates with accounting software easily. It is user friendly.
My client was a small restaurant with five employees looking for a way to simplify shift scheduling. 7shifts was a cost effective method for a small team to manage their weekly schedules and updates. The company had noticed difficulties and overlap with their previous method of scheduling. I have used this tool for two years.
There are occasionally bug issues with the app. 7shifts has limited role assignments for staff, expansion of options would be helpful. The software has to be thoroughly rechecked for accuracy before processing payroll.
I am a fan of 7shifts because of team feedback. The software allows easy access in allowing staff to swap shifts and it is very user friendly in comparison to competitors.
People should consider the size of their team before purchasing. While 7shifts is reasonably priced, you may spend over $400 yearly depending upon the features you require. The app issues may cause frustration for team members but customer support is swift.
I like 7shifts’ consistency. Updates and notifications have improved greatly over the past years as I grew more familiar with the product and as the restaurant expanded.
Small restaurants/popups
I would not suggest 7shifts for large chain locations.
ScheduleBase
ScheduleBase does what it promises - simplifying employee scheduling. Its limited features make it an easy-to-use product for field staff and employers looking for a straightforward employee scheduling tool.
PROS
- ScheduleBase is an easy-to-use tool that takes users straight to employee scheduling without overwhelming them with features.
- It can be easily accessed from its website and mobile applications (iPhone and Android).
- It offers a generous free trial of 30 days during which you can test all its features.
- Automatically sends email and SMS alerts to employees when the employer modifies their schedules.
- ScheduleBase is an easy-to-use tool that takes users straight to employee scheduling without overwhelming them with features.
- It can be easily accessed from its website and mobile applications (iPhone and Android).
- It offers a generous free trial of 30 days during which you can test all its features.
- Automatically sends email and SMS alerts to employees when the employer modifies their schedules.
CONS
- ScheduleBase comes with very limited features and is only suitable for companies looking for basic employee software.
- It does not offer any third-party software integrations, which means you can’t connect it with your payroll or HR solutions.
- It has an outdated user interface that isn’t visually appealing and lacks the drag & drop functionalities that most modern employee scheduling tools offer these days.
- ScheduleBase comes with very limited features and is only suitable for companies looking for basic employee software.
- It does not offer any third-party software integrations, which means you can’t connect it with your payroll or HR solutions.
- It has an outdated user interface that isn’t visually appealing and lacks the drag & drop functionalities that most modern employee scheduling tools offer these days.
ScheduleBase has all the basic employee scheduling features that allow you to effectively create and manage your team’s schedules online. It provides you with an easy-to-use employee scheduler and instantly notifies your team of any changes to their shifts. However, you can’t call it an advanced tool since it lacks many additional features such as group chats, time tracking, etc., that the more expensive scheduling tools offer.
Subway, Orange Leaf, GoRun Wichita, Holiday Inn Express, Bell Bank, Randy’s Hardware
ScheduleBase has a straightforward pricing structure based on the number of users associated with a company account. You can start as low as $10/month for up to 20 users. If you’re unsure about getting a paid plan, ScheduleBase offers a full-featured one-month free trial to help you decide if the platform is right for your business.
Here are the different pricing ScheduleBase pricing slabs based on the number of users.
Best For
ScheduleBase is a versatile employee scheduling tool suitable for diverse industries, especially small to medium-sized businesses with shift-based teams like restaurants, call centers, retailers, and construction companies spanning multiple locations.
QuickBooks Time
QuickBooks Time isn’t the most robust product on this list. But the overall feature package that comes with QuickBooks makes it worth using. It provides you a 360 solution for employee scheduling, time tracking, and costing, which saves you countless hours and a significant amount of money in the long run.
PROS
- Increases profitability with integrated time-tracking and employee scheduling features.
- It makes scheduling simpler by highlighting work windows and available employees.
- Provides accurate labor costing thanks to time-tracking, scheduling, and accounting features.
- This product offers promotions and discounts (up to 50%) from time to time.
- Their customer service is personalized. You get to reach them by scheduling a call and customers have commended the courteous, tailored responses to issues they have.
- Consolidated clock in/clock out system for central work locations.
CONS
- Not very user-friendly
- Limited customizations
- No features for scheduling sub-contractors
- The GPS technology is slow to catch up on current locations at times. Instead of live updates, the software shows the employee’s previous locations.
- While their customer support is very helpful, they don’t provide many options for you to contact them. You can only schedule a call.
QuickBooks is a global leader in accounting and HR software. QuickBooks Time is a part of its ecosystem and provides employers with time tracking and employee scheduling features. It isn’t as impressive as some of the other apps in this article. But the overall QuickBooks feature range enhances its employee scheduling capabilities and links it directly to your payroll software and HR systems resulting in more accurate costing and streamlined operations.
QuickBooks Time offers two subscription plans
Premium - $8/user per month + $20 base fee/month
Elite - $10/user per month
Both plans come with a 30-day free trial
Best For
- Helps in creating employee schedules and tracking employee activities in the same tool.
- Replaces the manual work in employee scheduling with a fully automated system with real-time shit tracking.
- Streamlines communication through notifications and email alerts.
Over 4 years, I have used the system with smaller companies who prefer simple accounting and time tracking. Quickbooks Time is easy to use with any Quickbooks system. The system is user-friendly and allows for multiple administrative controls. Quickbooks Time's mobile app is a popular feature for employees to update their hours and request time off. The system also offers a variety of reports that are useful in measuring employee action.
- Quickbooks Time is user-friendly.
- I enjoy the simplicity of the app.
- Quickbooks Time is easy to set up.
Quickbooks Time was purchased to streamline employee timekeeping information. I have used Quickbooks Time with different clients over the past 4 years. Quickbooks Time has primarily been used by my clients to manage time off requests. It is easy to combine with your payroll system. Quickbooks Time also has manual hour entry.
- Customer service is difficult to reach.
- If the system has a glitch, time off may be approved or denied automatically.
- The app has bugs often.
Quickbooks Time is very similar to its competitors if you are looking for a simple/cost-effective tool. Unfortunately, users complain of login/service issues that make them less likely to be recommended to others.
Do you need data past time off/time in? Can you spend time manually inputting data because system bugs will transpose user information?
Quickbooks Time has been consistent in its delivery of the latest features and updates.
Small businesses, companies that hire per diem workers.
Large companies that want their data to tell a story.
OpenSimSim
SocialSchedules by OpenSimSim covers most (if not all) of the core features you need in a modern scheduling software tool: from scheduling to time off management, shift replacements, and in-app messaging. It even offers a free feature-rich plan for up to 10 employees.
PROS
- SocialSchedules is easier to use than other employee scheduling tools thanks to its drag & drop user interface and excellent user experience.
- Generous free plan with all core features: scheduling, in-app messaging, availability management, and time off requests.
- You can try all features in the premium plan for free for 14 days.
- The knowledge base provides in-depth help content.
- Includes time tracking, recruitment, and sales management modules to provide a fully integrated one-stop HR management solution.
- Unlimited chat history means your group chats can become a secondary knowledge base for your team to quickly refer to and find previously discussed information.
Easier to use compared to other employee scheduling tools thanks to its drag & drop user interface and excellent user experience.
- Offers a generous free plan, ideal for small teams, which includes all its core features with unlimited usage.
- Includes time tracking, recruitment, and sales management modules to provide a fully integrated one-stop HR management solution.
- Offers unlimited chat history which means your group chats can become a secondary knowledge base for your team to quickly refer to and find previously discussed information.
CONS
- The free plan is available for up to 10 scheduled workers. It also stores data for 28 days.
- Dedicated customer support, SLAs, API access, and custom reports are only available for the highest-tier plan.
- No features for auto-scheduling and labor cost forecasting.
- It can be quite confusing to see two websites: one with the former name Opensimsim and the other with the newly branded one SocialSchedules, co-exist separately.
- The iOS app hasn't been updated since Oct 2022, while the Android app gets several negative reviews for lacking certain features compared to the web version.
- Its knowledge base has in-depth help content, but its customer support is limited to Enterprise users.
There’s a lot to like about SocialSchedules’ employee scheduling capabilities. It offers an easy (drag & drop scheduling features) and inexpensive way (the free plan with all core scheduling features) to schedule shifts and keep track of your employees.
We like how simple it is to navigate the platform from managers’ perspectives. Upon sign-up, we got a virtual tour guide that walked us through the platform briefly, a help center with more details on how a feature works, and chat support in the right corner of the dashboard to get help when needed. As soon as we sent a schedule, assigned a new task, or updated shifts related to them, stakeholders got updated instantly. The platform gave us a bird’s-eye view of the team’s daily and weekly schedules, with individuals’ workloads and availability in different color codes. For the monthly view, we needed to switch to time cards. In the time cards section, you can also filter what you want to see by departments, positions, workers, and shift status. It simply worked well. However, filtering by status is locked for free users. Only paid users can access it, along with other cool features, such as advanced time tracking, certification tracking, and compliance.
Besides evaluating it from a manager’s perspective, we enjoyed testing the platform out as an employee too. Through SocialSchedules, we could see our assigned weekly schedule and the countdown until our next shift began. The ability to request time off and leave a note on reasons for the request was also a nice touch for both managers and employees. Our favorite feature was native messaging: we could contact managers and team members privately or via a group chat within the app. The only downside experienced was the mobile app. It underperformed compared to the platform version.
SocialSchedules integrations include Point of Sale Systems (POS) and payroll applications such as Heartland, ADP Workforce Now, and Square POS. However, POS integrations are only available for paid users. Custom API is also limited to the highest-priced plan.
SocialSchedules offers three different subscription plans along with a generous free plan that includes all the core product features for one location, one department, and up to 10 workers. Following is a summary of its paid plans when billed annually:
- Starter: $12.99 per month per location, 2 departments per location. Features include unlimited workers, shift confirmations, block time off on dates, overtime (daily/weekly), overtime report, and manager logbooks.
- Premium: $33.99 per month per location and comes with 5 departments per location, cloud storage (7 years), mobile time clock, POS integrations, certification management, auto break allocation, and advanced reporting.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing. The plan includes unlimited locations, departments, cloud storage (7 years), dedicated support contact, negotiated pricing, custom API integration, custom reports, and custom features.
Best For
SocialSchedules’ generous free plan makes it ideal for teams with 10 employees or fewer, whereas their paid plans with tools for compliance, certifications tracking, and labor budgeting make it a solid option for hospitality and service businesses.
Calendly
Calendly differentiates itself through a user-friendly interface, sleek design, and exceptional time-saving capabilities. Notably, it offers a rare indefinite free plan, setting it apart in the scheduling tool arena.
PROS
- Calendly’s simplicity is its biggest pro. It has an elegant user interface, it's very easy to navigate, it promptly gets the task done, and connects seamlessly with other applications.
- The reduction in back-and-forth emails. Your invitees can book a meeting slot, without reaching out to you multiple times. Calendly automatically sends them a confirmation and they can reschedule or cancel on their own. It’s even better for virtual meetings because once your invitees schedule a meeting with you, Calendly will automatically generate a meeting link based on your preferred video conferencing tool.
- The ability to set your own rules so that you can get complete control over your availability preferences. For example, you can decide how long a particular kind of meeting should be, buffer time between meetings, how many appointments can be booked per day, etc.
- Calendly seamlessly integrates with popular calendar and mailing tools. Meetings are automatically reflected on your personal calendar and video conferencing links with tools like Zoom or Google Meet are generated without any extra steps.
- Provides a bird’s eye view of your team’s availability for meetups and events.
- Calendly’s simplicity is its biggest pro. It has an elegant user interface, it's very easy to navigate, it promptly gets the task done, and connects seamlessly with other applications.
- The reduction in back-and-forth emails. Your invitees can book a meeting slot, without reaching out to you multiple times. Calendly automatically sends them a confirmation and they can reschedule or cancel on their own. It’s even better for virtual meetings because once your invitees schedule a meeting with you, Calendly will automatically generate a meeting link based on your preferred video conferencing tool.
- The ability to set your own rules so that you can get complete control over your availability preferences. For example, you can decide how long a particular kind of meeting should be, buffer time between meetings, how many appointments can be booked per day, etc.
- Calendly seamlessly integrates with popular calendar and mailing tools. Meetings are automatically reflected on your personal calendar and video conferencing links with tools like Zoom or Google Meet are generated without any extra steps.
CONS
- Doesn’t provide shift management features.
- Besides branding and the ability to choose different colors, Calendly does not offer a lot of options for customizations. This could be frustrating for users who want to embed Calendly in their website without making it seem like a completely different component.
- Calendly is not very mobile-friendly. You can’t perform all the functions on the mobile version.
- The payment collecting feature is not available in all currencies. Your invitees can only pay in the United States Dollar (USD), Australian Dollar (AUD), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Pound Sterling (GBP), and Euro (EUR).
- You’ll be severely limited in terms of features if you choose the free plan or the cheaper ones. According to Craig, a Customer Success Manager at a small business, “All advanced functionality is locked behind higher subscription levels – We have the Professional level so that we can set up a team, but they locked the most obvious and useful meeting type for teams behind yet another upgrade to the sub level.”
- Besides branding and the ability to choose different colors, Calendly does not offer a lot of options for customizations. This could be frustrating for users who want to embed Calendly in their website without making it seem like a completely different component.
- Calendly is not very mobile-friendly. You can’t perform all the functions on the mobile version.
- The payment collecting feature is not available in all currencies. Your invitees can only pay in the United States Dollar (USD), Australian Dollar (AUD), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Pound Sterling (GBP), and Euro (EUR).
- You’ll be severely limited in terms of features if you choose the free plan or the cheaper ones. According to Craig, a Customer Success Manager at a small business, “All advanced functionality is locked behind higher subscription levels – We have the Professional level so that we can set up a team, but they locked the most obvious and useful meeting type for teams behind yet another upgrade to the sub level.”
Calendly is a modern meeting scheduling platform designed for entrepreneurs, consultants, service-oriented companies, and businesses that frequently conduct meetings across time zones.
Businesses looking for an affordable solution can use it as a makeshift tool for assigning work slots to in-house and remote employees.
However, it isn’t an employee scheduling platform for managing shifts, employee communication, shift trading, or leave management.
Calendly has many big names in their customer base, such as eBay, Compass, Lyft, Dropbox, La-Z-Boy, Twilio, and Stack Overflow.
Calendly has five pricing plans that can be billed either monthly or annually. If you choose the latter, you’ll save 20%. Below are the prices you’ll pay per month per user, if you choose to get billed annually.
- Basic Plan: This is completely free of cost. However, as the name suggests, you’ll only have limited features to use.
- Essentials Plan: This plan costs $8 and is suitable when you need scheduling automation.
- Professional Plan: This plan costs $12 and is their most popular plan. Use it if you need customizations, integrations, and basic team features.
- Teams Plan: This plan costs $16 and is useful for teams that rely on collaboration and need to align on a scheduling process.
- Enterprise Plan: This plan has custom pricing and is suitable for teams with 30+ members and advanced needs. You’ll have to contact their sales team to get pricing.
All the paid plans come with a 14-day trial, at the end of which, you’ll automatically be downgraded to the free plan. They also offer special pricing for non-profit organizations. You’ll have to reach out to their customer support specialists for details.
Best For
Calendly suits businesses of varying scales seeking an economical and intuitive scheduling solution. Particularly advantageous for solo entrepreneurs and small enterprises, Calendly's inclusion of a free plan caters to individual professionals and modest business setups.
I use Calendly multiple times each week to manage my schedule and streamline meeting coordination with clients, colleagues, and potential partners. The tool is integrated into my daily workflow, primarily for scheduling client consultations, coaching sessions, team meetings, and discovery calls.
By embedding my Calendly link into emails, my website, and social media channels, I make it easy for others to book meetings without back-and-forth communication. I rely on Calendly’s automatic confirmation and reminder emails to reduce no-shows and keep all parties informed and prepared.
Calendly improves my productivity by simplifying scheduling tasks and letting me focus on more meaningful client engagements.
I appreciate Calendly’s simple and intuitive design, which makes it easy for clients and colleagues to schedule meetings without confusion. The automatic calendar synchronization eliminates scheduling conflicts and ensures my availability is always accurate.
The automated reminders and follow-up notifications reduce missed appointments and keep everyone prepared. I can also sync this application with both Google and Microsoft calendars.
Our organization invested in Calendly to resolve ongoing challenges related to efficiently scheduling meetings and managing appointments across diverse time zones and busy calendars. Before using Calendly, coordinating meetings was time-consuming, often involving numerous back-and-forth emails and scheduling conflicts.
Calendly has simplified this process by allowing clients and colleagues to view my availability and self-schedule appointments, significantly reducing administrative workload and minimizing errors. The platform’s automated reminders and integration with popular calendars support seamless communication and reduce missed meetings.
I have personally used Calendly for over five years, and it has consistently improved productivity by allowing me to focus more on delivering services to my clients.
One drawback I’ve noticed is the limited customization options for the scheduling page, which restricts branding opportunities.
Another issue is the lack of flexibility in adjusting availability for specific meeting types or client scenarios without affecting overall calendar settings.
Integrating advanced scheduling rules, such as conditional logic or precise buffer time control, can sometimes feel restrictive or insufficient.
Calendly stands out from competitors due to its pricing, user-friendliness, and intuitive interface, which make it quick to set up and easy to use. Compared to other scheduling tools, its seamless integration with popular calendar applications like Google, Outlook, and iCal ensures reliable synchronization without added complexity.
While I have briefly explored alternatives, Calendly remains my preferred choice due to its streamlined client booking experience and reliable automated reminders that minimize scheduling conflicts and missed meetings. It effectively balances simplicity with functionality, making it suitable for professionals needing efficient, hassle-free scheduling.
When selecting a scheduling tool like Calendly, prioritize ease of use and intuitive design, as this affects adoption by both you and your clients. Evaluate integration capabilities with your existing calendar systems and productivity apps to support a seamless workflow.
Consider customization options to tailor availability and meeting settings to fit different client needs. Review features such as automated reminders, notifications, and analytics to reduce administrative work and improve client engagement.
Calendly has evolved by improving its user interface, making scheduling more intuitive and user-friendly. It has expanded integrations with tools like Zoom, Teams, and Salesforce, helping streamline workflows across industries.
The platform has added customization options, giving users more control over availability settings, meeting buffers, and event types. In response to user feedback, it now includes advanced analytics and reporting to help professionals track scheduling patterns and client interactions.
These updates reflect Calendly’s focus on adapting to users’ diverse scheduling needs.
Calendly is well-suited for consultants, coaches, entrepreneurs, and small-to-medium-sized businesses that prioritize efficient scheduling and smooth client interactions. It’s ideal for professionals coordinating meetings across time zones or managing multiple appointment types.
Organizations focused on operational efficiency and client experience benefit from Calendly’s usability, automation, and integrations, which reduce administrative workload and improve productivity.
Calendly may not be ideal for large enterprises or organizations with complex scheduling needs involving multiple approval layers or extensive internal coordination. It might fall short for businesses that require advanced branding options beyond basic customization.
Organizations in highly regulated industries with strict data handling and security standards may need more specialized or internally controlled scheduling solutions.
What is Employee Scheduling?
Employee scheduling is the process of managing your employees' total available working hours and scheduling them properly to ensure the continuation of work with optimal productivity.
In easier words, an employee schedule outlines employee working hours across different work shifts so that everyone knows who’s working when.
Why is employee scheduling important?
A well-planned employee schedule means everyone in your workforce knows their working hours. This reduces miscommunication and allows managers and team leads to plan their work with more clarity.
In short, employee scheduling brings transparency to your workplace and leads to a more organized, satisfied, and motivated workforce.
On the contrary, the absence of staff scheduling can result in employees working overtime, losing interest in their jobs, and feeling burned out because of unplanned work and last-minute changes.
Research shows that frequent overtime poses a severe health risk to employees and directly impacts their productivity.
This is why it’s crucial for large organizations that operate across shifts to carefully plan their employee schedule and ensure that their workforce performs at the optimal level.
This is where employee scheduling software comes in.
What Is The Best Employee Scheduling Software For Your Business?
We’ve covered some of the world’s highest-ranked and most widely used employee scheduling software in this article.
Most of them offer similar features and benefits. However, they’re all different products with their unique strengths and weaknesses.
Which tool is right for your business depends ultimately on your specific scheduling needs. Since most of these software products offer free trials, free plans, or demos, we recommend using these options before finally choosing a product for your business.
About the Author
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