As small businesses grow, their old scheduling methods like spreadsheets and pieces of paper often can’t keep up. That’s when managers turn to online employee scheduling apps to streamline their business operations, improve communication, and boost productivity. But you don’t want to tie your business to an app that doesn’t suit your needs. That’s why it’s so vital to consider your size, industry, and common scheduling challenges before you make your choice. Otherwise, managing your scheduling app may cancel out the time you’re trying to save. We’ve researched and compared the top ten online employee scheduling apps of 2023 to help you find the right one.** Read this article to discover:
Run a better team with smarter scheduling.
Optimize your schedule and keep your team in sync with Homebase. Key features to look for in online employee scheduling appsThe features small businesses need in employee scheduling tools vary from industry to industry. However, there are some essential tools every app should have:
Top 10 online employee scheduling apps in 2023
1. HomebaseCaption: Homebase lets you auto-schedule employees according to their availability and roles in seconds.Top featuresHomebase’s most popular feature is our versatile schedule management tool. You can choose between auto-populating your timetable, using unlimited templates, or letting staff self-schedule by claiming open shifts. But a close second is the robust team communication feature. It lets you publish schedules to the Homebase mobile app and notify staff instantly. From there, employees can view their hours, request covers or trades, and read notes about their shifts. And when emergencies come up, you can quickly message custom groups, individuals, or the whole team to organize last-minute schedule changes. Pros and consHomebase’s major advantage is value. We have a comprehensive free plan that includes all the essential scheduling features like automation, communication, and time tracking. If you need more functionality, you can upgrade to one of our affordable paid plans. And we only charge by location (rather than by employee), so you don’t have to worry about costs rising as you hire more staff. Our platform is also designed for small businesses with hourly workers. Homebase lets you assign different roles, rates, and availability to individual employees. Then, the software auto-calculates wages and subtracts breaks so you can easily track labor expenses and stay compliant. One of Homebase’s drawbacks is we have fewer project management tools than some other scheduling apps. However, you can perform many of the same actions with our scheduling and roster features. For instance, you could assign all the employees working on the same project to the same department. PricingHomebase has a free plan with all the essential features you need for one small business location. And unlike many competitors, an unlimited number of employees can access and use our app, no matter what paid plan you’re on. Otherwise, we have three monthly paid plans you can choose from:
Run a better team with smarter scheduling.
Optimize your schedule and keep your team in sync with Homebase. 2. ConnecteamSource: https://www.g2.com/products/connecteam/reviewsCaption: Connecteam’s granular settings make it easy to personalize the platform according to your business needs.Top featuresThe Connecteam app’s most interesting feature is its granular settings. You can select and filter employees and tasks based on several different categories. For example, when you’re allocating a shift, there are eight settings, including job title, tasks, and location. Pros and consConnecteam’s main strength is how its wide range of settings makes the platform highly customizable. You can decide whether to keep your schedule management simple or add details like color coordination and tasks for your employees to do. One of Connecteam’s challenges is its lack of integrations. As of February 2023, Connecteam only partners with seven other apps. That means you’re more likely to outgrow the platform as your business needs change and you want to integrate new software. Connecteam also charges an extra rate if you have more than 30 employees. So, it’s not the best choice for growing businesses. PricingConnecteam has a free plan for up to ten users. Otherwise, there are three paid plans with a limit of 30 users:
There are also custom paid plans available for businesses with more than six locations. 3. ClockifySource: https://clockify.me/feature-list#features-schedulingCaption: Clockify’s calendar view gives you a clear picture of your business and staff’s weekly activities.Top featuresClockify’s best feature is its intuitive calendar management. You can break days into color-coordinated blocks and track how long it takes people to complete individual tasks. That makes it easier to calculate how much time you’ve spent on a client’s project and invoice them correctly. Pros and consMany Clockify users praise the app’s ease of use. It has a simple interface that’s intuitive for admins and employees to navigate. Plus, the time tracker integrates with over 80 other apps, so you can better understand what your staff are working on. However, many of Clockify’s top features are best suited for desk-based work, so the app may be unsuitable for shift workers. And since Clockify is mainly a time tracking app, it doesn’t prioritize scheduling. You can only manage availability and delegate shifts on the $7.99 monthly account. And that’s per user, so it can be costly for larger teams. PricingClockify has a free plan for its essential time tracking features. Then, it has four paid plans that are priced per user:
4. ShiftboardSource: https://www.shiftboard.com/Caption: Shiftboard helps businesses in the manufacturing and healthcare industries solve their unique scheduling challenges.Top featuresLike Homebase, Shiftboard has highly configurable auto-scheduling tools. You can generate schedules for staff based on roles, availability, and previous shift patterns. The software also lets you advertise open shifts for team members to claim. Bonus: you can schedule employees to be on call. That’s essential for businesses in the health and social care industries. Pros and consShiftboard is designed for the manufacturing and healthcare industries. You can create timetables based on your production line and automatically block shifts that violate union contracts. But Shiftboard’s limited customer base is also a disadvantage. If you’re not in the manufacturing or healthcare industries, you may end up paying for features you don’t need. PricingShiftboard prices aren’t readily available. 5. Quickbooks Time (formerly Tsheets)Source:https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/whos-working/Caption:Manage your remote team with Quickbook Time’s ‘who’s working’ feature.Top featuresQuickbooks Time’s (formerly Tsheets’) top feature is its ‘who’s working’ tool, which lets you pinpoint all your staff members’ locations on a map. You can see which employees are closest to an address and dispatch them quickly. That’s especially helpful for businesses with mobile team members, like taxi companies and home repair services. Pros and consOne advantage of Quickbooks Time is the support it offers remote teams. For example, the GPS location tracker lets you verify staff locations when they clock into off-site jobs and even monitor travel times. The downside is that GPS tracking depletes smartphone batteries faster than usual. On long shifts, employees may have to recharge their phones or risk losing contact with you. Another downside is Quickbooks Time has fewer features than most competitors. For instance, it doesn’t have auto-population scheduling tools like Homebase and Shiftboard. PricingQuickbooks Time has two paid plans:
Although Quickbooks Time doesn’t have a free plan, there’s a 30-day free trial available. 6. DeputySource:https://www.deputy.com/gb/features/scheduling-softwareCaption: Deputy’s standout features are its scheduling tools like automations, templates, and open shifts.
Top featuresDeputy’s best features are its range of scheduling tools. Similar to Homebase, you can auto-schedule based on employee availability and the lowest labor cost. Or, you can select from premade schedule templates or allow staff to self-schedule by posting open shifts. Pros and consDeputy is good for dynamic scheduling as you can make quick tweaks to your timetable and let staff trade and cover shifts with minimal managerial involvement. That’s ideal for businesses like bars and restaurants where your staffing needs can fluctuate quickly due to factors like the weather, festivals, or other local events. A disadvantage of Deputy is the complicated user interface (UI). Some users complain they dislike the complexity of the features, so this app may be most suitable for tech-savvy users. PricingDeputy doesn’t have a free plan, but it does offer a 31-day free trial. There are also three paid plans:
You can also arrange a custom-priced plan for businesses with over 250 employees. 7. SlingSource: https://getsling.com/employee-scheduling/Caption: Sling makes it simple for colleagues to keep in touch with each other via the mobile app.Top featuresSling’s top feature is its comprehensive employee directory. You can view and group team members based on many criteria, including position, location, and department. This could make it easier to manage multiple business locations, especially if they occasionally share staff and customers. Pros and consOne pro of Sling is the unlimited admins, employees, and locations included within its free account. That means you have tighter control over costs as you don’t have to pay extra as your team grows. But the con of using Sling is the free account’s limited features. And because its paid plans are priced per employee, you may end up paying more for those features than you would with another similar app. PricingSling has a free plan with basic scheduling tools and templates. Or, you can upgrade to one of the paid plans:
8. SkeduloSource: https://www.skedulo.com/scheduling/Caption:Skedulo’s sidebar shows your employee roster, which makes it easier to delegate shifts based on staff roles and qualifications.Top featuresOne interesting Skedulo feature is the travel recommendations. When scheduling, you can receive prompts to group mobile workers’ jobs based on proximity and reduce their travel time. You can even design your own rules to apply to schedules based on the specifics of your business operations. Pros and consSkedulo is good for appointment booking for remote workers. The side-by-side roster and timetable make it easy to match qualified staff with customers. And the travel recommendations make sure each employee’s schedule works well for them. But a major disadvantage of Skedulo is there’s no free plan, free trial, or monthly payment option. That means you have to make a year-long commitment without knowing whether or not the app suits you. However, Skedulo lets you decrease your number of users and costs during the year if you need to. PricingSkedulo’s prices aren’t readily available. 9. 7ShiftsSource: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurant-employee-scheduling-software/Caption: 7Shifts’ forecasting tools let you see how many employees you’ll need across different departments and restaurant zones.Top features7Shifts has interesting forecasting and budgeting tools. The app was designed with restaurants and cafes in mind, and lets managers schedule employees by department, business area, and location. Pros and cons7Shifts is a good choice for restaurants and catering businesses. It has a huge range of integrations with point-of-sale (POS) apps like Toast and Square. Plus, it auto-calculates tip pooling along with team wages to save you time. However, 7Shifts has limited features in its lower-cost plans. So, you have to pay more than you would with other apps to access features like shift notes and reminders. Pricing7Shifts has a free plan for one location with up to 30 employees. Otherwise, there are three paid plans:
10. OpenSimSimCaption: OpenSimSim is a cost-effective employee scheduling app with a robust free plan.Top featuresOpenSimSim has an interesting feature where employees can see a countdown to their next shift on their mobile device. This makes sure your team knows when they’re working next and doesn’t accidentally miss any shifts. There’s also a feature to lock important days so employees can’t trade or cover shifts. That gives you more control over scheduling at busy times of the year or during important events. Pros and consCompared to many competitors, OpenSimSim has affordable paid plans. The most expensive plan includes all the essential features and some advanced ones, but it’s still more competitively priced than some other popular scheduling apps at $39.99/month per location. A disadvantage of OpenSimSim is its limited range of integrations. As of February 2023, it only has eleven available. And because OpenSimSim doesn’t have its own payroll or hiring features, you may be forced to choose between a payroll app that doesn’t suit your business or manually exporting data between platforms. PricingOpenSimSim has a free plan for up to ten employees at one business location. Then, there are two paid plans:
There’s also a custom-priced Enterprise plan that includes unlimited business locations. How to buy employee scheduling appsNow you have all the essential information about some of the top employee scheduling apps, you need a system to find the right one for you. Here’s our step-by-step guide:
Common pitfalls to avoid when buying an online employee scheduling appIt can be easy to make these mistakes when purchasing a scheduling app. Here’s what to watch out for:
Why Homebase is the best all-around employee scheduling appWhen choosing an online employee scheduling app for your small business, there’s a lot to consider. You have to think about your budget, industry needs, and future plans for growth. So, making the right decision can be tricky. If you work in an industry that has unique challenges, you may be interested in an app like Shiftboard or Quickbooks Time (formerly Tsheets). These solutions solve problems that typically come up in the construction, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. But if you’re looking for an online employee scheduling app that ticks all the boxes for small businesses, go with Homebase. We have a versatile range of scheduling and time tracking features on our free plan. And if you plan to expand or need tighter control and flexibility over staff management, we have affordable plans that are priced per location, so your costs will stay low.
Run a better team with smarter scheduling.
Optimize your schedule and keep your team in sync with Homebase. References**The information above is based on our research on online employee scheduling apps. All user feedback referenced in the text has been sourced from independent software review platforms, such as G2 and Capterra, in February 2023. The post 10 best online employee scheduling apps in 2023 appeared first on Homebase. via Homebase https://joinhomebase.com/blog/10-best-online-employee-scheduling-apps-in-2023/
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