If you have employee shifts to manage, you know you need a robust schedule maker. Digital platforms save time, reduce errors, and enable you to schedule many employees at once. Plus, some even integrate with other core functions like time tracking, communication, payroll, and compliance, making scheduling more accurate and staff coordination simple. But with so many schedulers out there, it can be complicated and time-consuming to know which will work best for your business. Comparing their features, pricing, and strengths — and even knowing what to look for — can be a full-time job in itself. So we’ve done the hard work for you. In this post, we cover:
Run a better team with smarter scheduling.
Optimize your schedule and keep your team in sync with Homebase. Key features to look for in shift schedule makersWe recommend looking for the following features when choosing a shift schedule maker for your business.
Our top shift schedule maker pick in 2023 (+ the best of the rest)Of course, we’re biased, but we believe Homebase is one of the best shift schedulers out there because it offers an all-in-one dashboard that lets you manage scheduling as well as time tracking, availability, and team communication. But no tool is exactly right for everyone, and there are others available that could work better for your business, depending on what you need. Let’s take a look.
Comparison chart: Top 10 shift schedule makers in 2023
A breakdown of the 10 best shift schedule makers1. Best all-in-one solution: HomebaseSource: https://joinhomebase.com/employee-scheduling/Caption: Homebase makes it easy to see shifts for each worker, and integrates with other key employer tasks.Homebase’s schedule maker not only lets you add staff availability, and enable shift trading, team communication, and time tracking. It also integrates with other native tools for essential employee management tasks, like hiring and onboarding, HR and compliance, payroll, and employee perks. This makes it a one-stop shop for your hourly employee needs, with optimized and smart scheduling just one cog in your wider management machine. Top features
Pros and cons
Users praise how “easy it is to build a schedule,” with extra features for other tasks like hiring and interviewing “comparable to much more expensive software.”. Reviewers also love the “clean design,” mobile app that is easy for employees to use every day. Pricing
Run a better team with smarter scheduling.
Optimize your schedule and keep your team in sync with Homebase. 2. Best for simplicity: When I WorkSource: https://wheniwork.com/features/employee-scheduling-softwareCaption: When I Work has a color-coded calendar view.When I Work describes its product as “scheduling and more”, and it focuses on the key tasks of scheduling creation, time tracking, and team messaging. With color-coded schedules, easy notification settings, and a mobile app, it’s simple and straightforward, and designed with hourly staff in mind. Top features
Pros and cons
Users of When I Work praise it for being “easy to navigate” and straightforward,” and positive “mobile app experience.” Pricing
3. Best for larger teams: ShiftboardSource: www.shiftboard.comCaption: Shiftboard offers a wide range of options designed to manage large teams.Shiftboard specializes in automation-driven scheduling for large teams and enables managers to optimize shifts, manage timesheets, plan labor needs, and engage workers, all within the same platform. Top features
Pros and cons
Reviewers say that enabling staff to log in themselves “takes the administrative burden off our team”, one praised its ability to keep “over 500 of our workers in one place,” and another said they like that they can “see all of my staff in one place.” PricingShiftboard does not publish pricing publicly, but its plans comprise:
4. Best for staff communication: 7shiftsSource: 7shifts.comCaption: 7Shifts is favored particularly by the restaurant industry for hourly workers.7Shifts aims to make hourly work, particularly in restaurants, easier to schedule. Its scheduling function is just one of its suite of tools, which also includes help for hiring, training, operational efficiency, payroll, and employee retention. Top features
Pros and cons
Users report that 7shifts makes “communicating with everyone” easy, and praise the “communication alerts” and “easy app access for staff.” Pricing
7Shifts also offers a free 14-day trial. 5. Best for time clocks: DeputySource: Deputy.comCaption: Deputy makes time tracking and scheduling, plus staff communication, easier.Priding itself on ease of use, Deputy aims to make scheduling fast and provides an overview of staff attendance. It also has tools for managing timesheets and payroll, onboarding, and retention. It also helps managers to predict labor needs and cut down on unnecessary costs. Top features
Pros and cons
Reviews praise the ease of scheduling shifts, and the “visibility of employee time cards”, and like how “useful [it is] for timekeeping.” Pricing
Deputy also offers a free 31-day trial. 6. Best for ease of use: ConnecteamSource: Connecteam.comCaption: Connecteam is designed for workers who are on the go.Connecteam is an attractive, colorful app designed for a “non-desk workforce”, meaning it’s designed with hourly employees (who may be constantly on the go) in mind. It aims to offer everything you may need for business management, within a single mobile platform. Top features
Pros and cons
Reviews consistently mention its “user-friendliness” and customizability, “intuitiveness,” functionality and ease of navigating. PricingOperations hub (includes time clock, scheduling, forms, and task assignment):
Connecteam also offers other packages under the banners of Communications, and HR & Skills, but these do not include scheduling features. 7. Best for free features: ClockifySource: Clockify.meCaption: Clockify specializes in tracking and lets you schedule visually.Clockify specializes in time tracking and timesheets, and its calendar and scheduling features all revolve around that core mission. This makes it straightforward and user-friendly. It also has a kiosk feature that lets staff clock in and out easily. Top features
Pros and cons
One user praised how “easy to use” it is, and how “users do not need many tutorials to understand how Clockify works”, while another said it has the “best time tracking” functionality with a “clean interface.” Pricing
8. Best for scheduling alone: ZoomShiftSource: Zoomshift.comCaption: ZoomShift features aim to make tracking and scheduling as accurate as possible.ZoomShift specializes in tracking time, making it easy for employees to clock in and out from anywhere, and maintain accurate timesheets and streamlined payroll runs. It aims to help managers save on labor costs, and reduce timesheet and payroll errors. Top features
Pros and cons
ZoomShift users particularly like how “organized and easy to use” the platform is, “versatile and functional.” Pricing
9. Best for hourly teams: SlingSource: Getsling.com/Caption: Sling makes communication between staff easy when it comes to scheduling.Sling includes scheduling and communication tools to make shift planning, and alerting employees, easy and fast. It aims to help managers reduce absenteeism, avoid going over budget, and enable last-minute changes without stress. Top features
Pros and cons
Users like the “instant” updates that show changes immediately, and its “easy-to-use style” that helps with “planning on the fly.” They also praise the ability to filter schedule views (for example, only seeing a certain group of employees). Pricing
10. Best for automation: HumanitySource: Humanity.tcpsoftware.comCaption: Humanity is a cloud-based platform that can work on desktop, tablets, phones, and smartwatch.Humanity is a cloud-based platform that specializes in scheduling for hourly workers. It aims to be just as useful to managers as employers as it is to staff, offering alerts to avoid overtime, compliance breaches, and excess labor costs; as well as easy staff communication for independent shift switching. Top features
Pros and cons
Customers say that it saves “hours of time in scheduling,” and is “user-friendly and straightforward.” Pricing
What to think about when you’re buying a shift schedule makerWith so many types of shift schedule tools out there, we recommend considering exactly what you want for your business, so you can find a platform that aligns best with your needs.
Common pitfalls to avoid when using a shift schedule makerEven the best shift schedulers can fall down if not used carefully. Here are some of the pitfalls to avoid to get the best from your chosen scheduler.
Shift schedule makers: An all-in-one stress-saverSchedule shift makers can save you hours of time and stress on organizing employees, and ensuring you have the right team members when and where you need them. They literally pay dividends compared to figuring it out manually, printing schedules, or using spreadsheets. But not all platforms do everything, and some aren’t tailored to small businesses — or offer the extra tools you really need. Homebase has an all-in-one platform that not only makes scheduling shifts easier, but also integrates seamlessly with a suite of other functions designed to help small businesses thrive — such as payroll, team communication, and staff happiness. So you can streamline scheduling, keep track of hours and pay, let staff solve scheduling conflicts themselves, and never spend hours stressing in front of a spreadsheet or printer again.
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 shift schedule-maker tools. 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 shift schedule makers in 2023 appeared first on Homebase. via Homebase https://joinhomebase.com/blog/best-shift-schedule-maker/
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |