Try out some Web-based solutions Companies which work on a project basis, especially those with outsourced tasks and freelancers to consider, can find a web-based employee scheduling solution particularly beneficial. Another selling point for this option is the fact that many of these web-cased employee scheduling solutions are available for immediate sign-up and can have you up and running within hours. Some even offer a temporary password and free trial period, allowing you try out them out with no commitment.

I recommend:  WhenToWork offers an unlimited 30-day free trial, and boasts a full feature set, including automatic shift scheduling based on your employees’ preferences and availability. WorkSchedule.net also offers a free 30-day trial, and was designed to allow for easy customization, including the creation of your own fields. You can view a flash demo of ScheduleAnywhere.com anytime, or set up a time for a live demo. It was created by Atlas Business Solutions, makers of Visual Staff Scheduler Pro.

Consider your specific needs. Every business is unique, and not every employee scheduling solution is right for everyone. You may be most interested in scheduling for multiple locations. Maybe printable schedules is your key need. Perhaps you want to be able to import and export your data, or be able to easily back it up or restore it. Some business owners most value password protection, while others require robust reporting features, or the ability to view their employee scheduling information by day, week, month, employee, shift, or project.

I recommend:  TechWeb's research library includes white papers on a wide variety of business topics, including employee scheduling.

Keep your employee scheduling on your desktop. A web-based solution isn't right for everyone, particularly those looking to integrate their employee scheduling application with other software already installed on their desktop PC or network.

I recommend:  TimeCurve was designed specifically to meet the employee scheduling needs of small and mid-size businesses, particularly service businesses, and to integrate with the popular QuickBooks accounting application. A limited free trial is available through their website. Kronos, Inc. offers a variety of employee scheduling software options, including an application dedicated to retail businesses. Their website also provides downloadable white papers covering absence management, analytics, and other human resources management issues, and a video with a detailed overview of their products.