The Best Employee Scheduling Software

While it may seem like remote work is all the rage, the truth is countless businesses across the country can only operate with in-office employees. Whether you run a restaurant, hair salon, clothing store or doctor’s office, you need in-person staff — and you need a way to schedule when exactly those staffers will be working. Modern employee scheduling software makes it easier than ever to schedule shifts, track time and attendance, and ensure your employees are paid for hours worked.

With modern employee scheduling software, you can ditch pen and paper in favor of digital drag-and-drop schedule builders. (Source: When I Work)

Employee scheduling software is a tool used to efficiently create and manage staff schedules. It is most often used in businesses with fluctuating shifts, projects or staffing needs, such as restaurants, retail businesses, hair salons, construction companies, hospitals and IT organizations. It can streamline scheduling and reduce the potential for errors with tools like drag-and-drop schedule templates, automatic scheduling, shift scheduling and swapping, and alerts and notifications.

Employee scheduling software streamlines the scheduling process by automating many of the tasks for managers and administrators. With drag-and-drop templates, managers can easily create and adjust schedules based on business needs, while the software handles much of the automation. It also allows managers to track employee activity, monitor time off and gain a comprehensive view of staffing requirements. This helps optimize schedules to avoid overstaffing or understaffing. Most employee scheduling software integrates seamlessly with time management and payroll systems, ensuring accurate time tracking and timely employee payments.

Employee scheduling software isn’t just for admins, though. It also benefits employees by allowing them to manage their own schedules, make shift requests, swap shifts and receive staffing notifications.

Regardless of what your company does, if you have employees, you most likely need an employee scheduling application that both you and your employees can understand. If you don’t properly convey your scheduling needs and expectations, you’ll eventually run into a situation where either your team is shorthanded and unable to properly do their jobs or you have too many people on the clock at one time, greatly inflating labor costs without giving you much of a productivity boost in return.

Below are some of the key benefits your business stands to reap if you use high-quality employee scheduling software to manage your workforce.

More Efficient Operations

Employee scheduling software helps businesses streamline the schedule creation and maintenance process. Rather than managers filling out each employee’s schedule by hand or scheduling individuals based on a hunch about their effectiveness in a certain shift, employee scheduling software can provide detailed data to help you create the most effective schedule possible. Once implemented, managers can also gauge how much time off people are using and where inefficiencies exist in the schedule, helping the company save time and money in the long run.

With the right employee scheduling solution in place, businesses of all sizes not only become more efficient, with less to worry about in terms of labor costs, but can also more easily forecast the potential workload at certain times of the day. For example, a restaurant owner can chart out when regular meal rushes happen and plan schedules accordingly.

Improved Communication & Accountability

With most of today’s scheduling platforms functioning in the cloud, employees can access their schedules from any location on their mobile devices, get instant notifications about shift changes and adapt to any changes at a moment’s notice. Employees can also set their own availability through their scheduling platform rather than relying on their manager’s memory.

Throughout the workday, managers can send messages to individual staff members or entire teams to notify them of important announcements, schedule changes, stock shortages and more. Field workers can stay in the loop simply by checking an app on their phone.

Employee scheduling software with time-tracking and GPS features helps ensure your employees are working when and where they’re supposed to. (Source: When I Work)

Cost-Savings

Employee scheduling programs that boast robust reporting functionality provide business intelligence that can help make strategic decisions related to hiring and scheduling. With AI-driven scheduling predictions, sales forecasts and more, you can use reliable data to ensure you have the right number of team members — and no more — to keep your business operating at an efficient cost. These analytics can also spotlight where most of your labor expenses are going, such as if particular employees keep racking up unnecessary overtime.

Another way employee scheduling software can save you money is if you run a small business that requires customers to make appointments in advance. With a solution like Setmore, you won’t need to hire a receptionist to take down any incoming appointments, as some programs let customers book their own appointments either online or via mobile app. This not only saves time and money but lets employees know when they’re booked and puts customers in the driver’s seat throughout the process.

Industry-Specific Tools

While some employee scheduling software like Humanity is suitable for a range of industries, you might want to take advantage of sector-specific platforms. TimeForge, for example, can tailor its packages for grocers, hospitality businesses and more, giving your team the precise tools that will best serve your company’s unique needs.

There are also scheduling platforms designed for businesses in the services industry, where workers are booked as needed by customers. These programs let customers book a meeting or session with an employee based on a publicly available schedule. Employees can set their availability, making them less likely to get booked when they can’t work and reducing the number of cancellations.

If you’re in the market for employee scheduling software, you’re looking at entering into a monthly, subscription-based service agreement. Some vendors charge a small fee per employee each month, while others charge a flat rate that covers up to a fixed number of employees. Still, other providers charge a monthly fee on a per-location basis. During our investigation, we saw plan pricing ranging from $0 to $99 per month.

Alternatively, some employee scheduling software vendors only provide custom quotes. Once you contact the company, they will work with you to determine pricing based on your industry and other factors. In any case, there are typically no long-term contracts to sign, but some vendors require you to provide written notice in advance before closing your account.

Like most subscription-based services, almost every employee scheduling program is available in multiple service tiers, with the more expensive options including more advanced features, covering larger employee bases or both. If you’re considering a certain platform, check to see if it has a free tier or trial period, as most vendors offer one or the other. Taking advantage of free options is a great way to give a service a try before formally adding an employee scheduling solution to your company’s operating costs.

Ultimately, when determining how much this software will cost you, you have to consider how many employees and locations you have, and which features you really need out of an employee scheduling solution. Sometimes, a free tier can meet all of your needs, especially if you run a particularly small operation. Note which features are included in which packages from your preferred vendor and compare those findings with those of other scheduling companies. What one provider considers a premium feature could be included in a lower tier elsewhere.

Using employee scheduling software with built-in payroll processing is more convenient but may also be more costly. (Source: Homebase)

Keep in mind that add-ons, such as payroll processing, will increase your expenses. For example, Homebase charges $39 per month and $6 per active employee per month on top of its regular package fee if you want to add payroll to your plan.

One potential way to save money: Instead of paying a monthly fee, you can usually opt to pay for a full year upfront. This usually results in overall savings. However, be absolutely sure that you want to stick with the service for the entire year before committing. If you decide to cancel before the term ends, some companies will offer a prorated refund, though you will want to check the agreement before attempting to sever ties in case there’s a hefty early-termination fee.

The process of choosing employee scheduling software is much like the buying journey for any kind of business software. Start by outlining your company’s needs and budget for such a service. Next, research the market and use guides like this one to identify programs that include the features you desire at a price you can afford.

When comparing top choices, it can be tough to know which one will be the best for your business. That’s why we spoke with business leaders and HR professionals to identify what key factors to consider when choosing the right employee scheduling software.

Test Software User-Friendliness.

When we spoke with business leaders about selecting employee scheduling software, a common theme emerged: user-friendliness. It’s imperative to choose software that is easy for workers to navigate.

“Personally, I believe that if the software isn’t user-friendly, it doesn’t matter how many features it has – it won’t be used effectively,” Roland Jakob, an entrepreneur, executive leadership coach and managing partner of Blazekin.Media, told us.

You can test out the software by contacting vendors for software demos and signing up for free trials. Try two or three platforms and have your managers and employees weigh in on the user experience.

When choosing employee scheduling software, consider all the device types you want to be able to access it on. (Source: Humanity)

Identify Essential Scheduling Features.

When choosing employee scheduling software, focus on the key features you will actually need. For example, do you need drag-and-drop schedule templates? Do you want employees to be able to swap shifts with one another? How much freedom do you want to give employees to set their preferred availability?

For Jakob, certain shift scheduling tools were a priority for efficient shift management. However, he advises only focusing on the scheduling features that matter most to your business.

“I’d recommend making a list of your non-negotiables and then using that as a guide when evaluating different options,” he added. “Don’t be swayed by bells and whistles you might never use. Focus on what will truly make a difference in your day-to-day operations.”

Look for Notifications and Alerts.

Other key features to look out for are notification and alert capabilities. It’s important that your workers are promptly notified of new schedules, schedule changes and other timely communications so they know when to be at work. This is especially true if your company has rotating shifts or schedules. Notifications are also helpful for keeping management on track with things like employee absences, time off requests and shift changes.

“In my experience, clear communication is key in any business, so having robust reminders and notifications was a must-have for me,” said Jakob. “I always tend to forget something as I have plenty to juggle on my plate, and notifications do help out quite a bit.”

Ask About Integrations.

Employee scheduling software is not a siloed product. Look for a solution that can easily integrate with your current payroll provider and other business software. This will help with data transfer, payment accuracy and workforce management.

When Huang Xiong, founder and CEO of BeltBuy, chose scheduling software for his business, integration was paramount.

“The shift scheduling tools were a priority, but what really sealed the deal was its integration with our payroll and time-tracking systems,” said Xiong. “I needed something that would streamline these tasks and reduce errors, especially since I oversee multiple employees across different shifts.”

Compare Cost vs. Value.

Once you identify your desired software’s form and functions, another big consideration is how much it will ultimately cost you. As a small business owner, you’re already aware of your bottom line. Choosing a solution that breaks your budget isn’t financially sustainable, but purchasing a platform that doesn’t adequately meet your needs is a waste of money.

“Don’t settle just to save a couple of dollars,” said Dan Berzansky, CEO of Premier Aquatics, Premier Swim Academy and OneTeam360. “These systems save you countless hours, which equates to payroll savings. Don’t save a little just to waste a lot in the long run.”

You’ll need to do your best to balance these aspects.

Evaluate Customer Support.

Lastly, estimate how much customer service you and your team may require. Some vendors only provide phone support for their more expensive plans, while some don’t give assistance over the phone at all. Make sure the company offers customer support in a way that works for your business.

The specific functions your employee scheduling software can perform will vary by vendor and further depend on what service tier or package you purchase. For example, some software plans are very basic and simply enable the creation of schedules, whereas other options incorporate advanced features like time and attendance tracking, automated scheduling, and security and compliance functions.

We suggest looking for the following features when evaluating employee scheduling solutions.

Shift Scheduling Tools

While most employee scheduling software allows you to build schedules manually with drag-and-drop tools, the best platforms offer auto-scheduling to build repeating or varied schedules automatically. Top-of-the-line software like this also simplifies workforce management with schedule templates, labor forecasts and calendar features (e.g., daily, weekly or monthly calendar view). Some programs include demand-based scheduling and shift auto-fill, which can be valuable for ensuring your business is adequately staffed.

Your team members can benefit from scheduling software with employee-centric tools that allow them to set their availability and preferences, request to drop or swap shifts with their co-workers, and modify their schedules from anywhere. Managers can set rules for automatic shift approval and denial, or they can manually respond to change requests.

You can empower your workers to adjust their shifts and find coverage as needed with employee scheduling software. (Source: When I Work)

Time and Attendance Tracking

Tracking employee hours is a key element of employee scheduling. Some employee scheduling software vendors automatically include time clocks and time-off request capabilities in their base plans, whereas others offer time and attendance functions only as add-on features with an additional cost. Employee scheduling software with a clock-in function streamlines timekeeping and can help prevent errors when paying staffers for their hours worked. If the solution you’re eyeing doesn’t have native payroll, make sure it can integrate with your preferred payroll service.

The best software can also help employers track employee overtime, monitor worker behavior, prevent early clock-ins, enforce employee breaks, automatically deduct unpaid breaks, budget for labor costs and more. Employee scheduling software with time-tracking features often includes reporting capabilities as well, allowing you to study attendance data and identify trends.

Notifications and Reminders

Most employee scheduling software has alert and notification capabilities, but the type of notifications you can send (and the channels through which workers can receive them) will vary. The best solutions offer text, email and in-app notifications for schedule and message confirmations, tardiness and overtime alerts, automated clock-in and clock-out reminders, and more.

Security and Compliance

Labor law compliance is incredibly important when you have employees on your payroll. Failing to comply could result in trouble with government agencies. The best employee scheduling platforms have built-in checks to ensure compliance with local and federal labor laws, including overtime regulations and advance-notice requirements for schedule changes.

Dashboard, Usability & Integrations

While usability may not be one of the first things to come to mind when you think of features, how easy or challenging a program is to use will affect your user experience. Look for platforms with user-friendly dashboards that are intuitive to navigate. If a service has a comprehensive iOS or Android app that employees and managers can use in addition to the computer software, that’s even better since both sides can benefit from mobile convenience.

Additionally, the ideal employee scheduling solution integrates with many other pieces of business software, such as the entire Microsoft 365 suite, QuickBooks Online accounting software or a payroll service like Paychex. These connections streamline multiple processes without much effort. Some companies may want to look for POS system integrations, such as those offered by When I Work, or other integrations unique to their sector.

testing and research, we understand that every business has different needs. If you still haven’t found the right employee scheduling software for your business, check out these other options below.

Deputy

Deputy offers highly rated time management software, with multiple tiered plans to scale as you grow. It has free, premium and enterprise options, and plans dedicated specifically for scheduling or time and attendance. It also has an optional HR add-on with features like applicant management, onboarding, document management, surveys and reports. It offers a 31-day free trial for all features.

7shifts

Restaurateurs seeking an employee scheduling solution will want to take a look at 7shifts. This vendor has integrable products for employee scheduling, time clocking, tip management, payroll and team engagement. Its scheduling software comes in free and multiple paid plans, with annual or monthly billing and a 14-day free trial. Discounts are offered for restaurant franchises and businesses with multiple locations.

Buddy Punch

Buddy Punch offers employee time tracking and scheduling software. Its scheduling plans include essential features like schedule templates, shift trading, scheduling notifications, availability management, reporting, mobile scheduling and more. It also offers payroll processing, which can be added to any plan. Plans include a 14-day free trial.

To determine the best employee scheduling software on the market, our team of HR experts and software analysts evaluated an initial list of 21 platforms. We examined each to compare pricing plans and available features, as well as the usability of associated software and the responsiveness and quality of customer support.

After whittling our list down to 10 providers, we chose six employee scheduling software platforms as our top recommendations. Our experts and analysts studied each solution’s functionality and evaluated the products on nearly 40 factors.

These factors were weighted differently in our overall conclusion. The weights were determined based on how much business owners prioritize these criteria when shopping for business software and services and making purchasing decisions.

• Pricing (25%): Our experts and analysts compared and contrasted each vendor’s plans, judging which packages offered the best bang for your buck. They took into account monthly subscription fees, per-employee costs versus flat rates, industry-specific or location-based pricing, and add-on services like payroll processing.
• Features (25%): We looked for standard employee scheduling software functions like drag-and-drop schedulers, schedule templates, shift swapping, time and attendance tracking, and labor forecasts. We also assessed the available integrations and awarded extra points for advanced services, like AI-powered demand-based scheduling and shift auto-fill tools.
• Ease of Use (25%): We tested the software ourselves, gauging each solution’s learning curve, user-friendliness and customization options. We also considered whether there was a fully featured mobile app for managing scheduling tasks on the go.
• Customer Service (15%): We evaluated the range of customer service options, including whether phone assistance was provided with all package tiers. We also examined each vendor’s online resources for businesses interested in self-guided help.
• Scalability (10%): You may have a small team now, but it’s important that you find a software that can grow with your business. We considered what maximum capacity each software had when it came to users and locations. We also factored in the easability in which someone could upgrade or downgrade their plan.

Based on these criteria, we not only determined which employee scheduling software programs our readers could trust but also the ways in which each solution could best serve different business needs. Some platforms were better at certain tasks than others or more suited to a particular type of company. These takeaways informed the “Best for” use cases you see on this page.

To learn more about our methodology, see our full editorial process.