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Employee scheduling software has become an invaluable tool for managers looking to effectively plan staff shifts, ensure proper coverage, improve productivity and control labor costs. With so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to determine which solution is the best fit your business.
This comprehensive guide will provide an in-depth look at the top employee scheduling systems available in 2023 based on research and expert analysis. We will cover:
- What is employee scheduling software and why it‘s important
- Key features and criteria for selecting scheduling software
- Leading tools compared side-by-side
- Pros, cons and pricing for each system
- Integration capabilities with payroll, HR and other platforms
- Real-world examples and case studies
- Actionable recommendations for implementation
- Detailed review of WorkSchedule.net
Whether you manage a restaurant, retailer, healthcare facility or other workforce, this guide will help you make a confident, informed decision on employee scheduling technology.
What is Employee Scheduling Software?
Employee scheduling software is technology designed specifically for managers to plan, manage and communicate staff schedules. Key capabilities include:
Shift Planning – Build schedules and assign employees to shifts based on role, seniority, availability and labor budgets. Automation makes planning easier.
Time Tracking – Clock in/out systems to monitor hours worked, overtime, breaks and more. Integrates with payroll.
Schedule Optimization – Software factors in business demand, budgets, employee preferences and constraints to create the best possible schedules automatically.
Shift Swapping – Employees can easily pickup, drop or trade shifts through self-service portals.
Notifications & Communication – Keep staff informed with schedule change alerts, shift reminders, time off approvals and more over email, text and internal messaging.
Labor Cost Management – Get real-time visibility into hourly wages, overtime and labor as percentage of revenue to control spending.
Compliance – Ensure schedules adhere to labor laws, union rules and organizational policies around breaks, rest periods and more.
Reporting & Analytics – Gain insights with real-time, historical and forecasted labor analytics reports to make better scheduling decisions.
Mobile Access – Manage schedules and communicate with employees on-the-go via smartphone apps.
Using scheduling software centralizes these critical workforce management tasks onto a single, user-friendly platform accessible from anywhere.
Benefits of Employee Scheduling Software
Key benefits that today‘s scheduling systems deliver include:
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Increased Productivity – Optimal schedules keep the right talent in place so work gets done faster. Managers also save up to 5 hours/week.
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Lower Labor Costs – Precisely align staff levels to demand to eliminate overstaffing and reduce unnecessary OT pay.
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Higher Employee Satisfaction – Employees get schedules faster, trade shifts easier and stay informed via self-service. Boosts retention.
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Enhanced Compliance – Ensure schedules adhere to labor laws and internal policies through built-in validation.
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Better Decision Making – Data-driven analytics and demand forecasting lead to smarter staff planning.
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Anywhere Accessibility – Manage schedules and staff communication via web and mobile.
For any people-driven operation, optimizing schedules to engage employees while controlling costs is critical to success. Scheduling software makes this possible.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Software
With hundreds of scheduling systems now available, narrowing down your options can be challenging. Key criteria to evaluate include:
Industry Fit – The best systems are purpose-built with specific industries in mind like healthcare, retail, hospitality etc.
Business Size – Opt for full-featured enterprise systems or more affordable small business solutions. Scalability is key.
Core Scheduling Functionality – At minimum, look for template schedules, drag-and-drop editors, conflict checks, demand-based scheduling.
Automation & Optimization – Ensure software can intelligently create schedules while factoring in all key constraints.
Shift Bidding & Swapping – Self-service options boost employee engagement and retention.
Time Tracking & Attendance – Clock in/out and overtime calculation is essential, especially for hourly workers.
Notifications & Communication Tools – Evaluate mobile alerts, mass messaging, internal chat options.
Configurability & Customization – Platform should adapt to your unique policies, labor rules and terminology.
Reporting & Analytics – Robust insights into staff hours, costs and trends aids smarter planning.
Payroll, HRIS Integration – Choose platforms with available integration or open APIs.
Access & Permissions – Role-based interfaces for employees, managers, administrators and payroll.
Onboarding & Training – Look for embedded help guides, videos, chat support.
When matched against your most pressing pain points, this criteria will help determine the best scheduling software for your needs.
Leading Employee Scheduling Software Comparison
While there are many good scheduling systems, the most popular and full-featured solutions include:
| Software | Best For | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase | Service & hospitality | Scheduling, time clocks, free employee apps, payroll | $0-$70/month |
| Deputy | Hourly shift workers | Automated scheduling, timesheets, payroll integration | $2.50-$4.50/month per user |
| When I Work | Fast Growing SMBs | Shift planning, time clock, messaging, flexible rule engine | $1.50-$2/month per user |
| Planday | Enterprise chains | Automated scheduling, mobile access, analytics, payroll integrations | $2.49-$6.49/month per user |
| 7shifts | Restaurants & hospitality | Easy shift scheduling, timesheets, task management, labor metrics | $17.99-$69.99/month per location |
| HotSchedules | Large multi-location enterprises | Scheduling forecasting optimization, labor insights, inventory mgmt | Custom quote |
| WorkSchedule.net | SMB with complex needs | Rule-based scheduling engine, timesheets, compliance | $2.40-$2.99/month per user |
This chart compares some of the most capable platforms available based on core functionality, target customer size, depth of features and pricing models. Most offer free trials to test these systems hands-on.
While these solutions share similarities around core scheduling functionality, each takes a somewhat unique approach to critical components like optimization algorithms, analytics, accessibility and configurability. Matchingagainst your most pressing requirements will determine the ideal platform.
In the sections below, we provide an in-depth review of one popular SMB and enterprise option:
WorkSchedule.net Spotlight
WorkSchedule.net is an employee scheduling system built specifically to handle complex shift planning needs across healthcare, hospitality, facilities management and public service organizations.
Some standout features include:
Powerful Rule-Based Scheduling Engine – An advanced constraint-aware scheduling algorithm that enables managers to configure sophisticated shift rules, rotations, qualifications and more unique to their business.
Built-in Compliance Checks – Schedules are auto-validated against labor laws, union policies, job certifications and organizational guidelines for proper breaks, days off, overtime avoidance and more.
Robust Timesheet Approvals – Paperless timesheet workflows ensure proper documentation of hours worked with manager approvals while integrating to payroll.
Auto-Sync Calendars – Employee schedules are continuously synced to Google and iCalendar enabling two-way updates with personal calendars.
Dynamic Demand-Based Scheduling – Match real-time staffing levels to anticipated demand based on historical analytics while avoiding overstaffing.
Schedule Trades & Shift Bidding – Employees can pickup, drop or trade shifts while managers retain full approval control.
Free Client Access – Clients without a login, like nurses, therapists or social workers, can freely view schedules live or via iCal integration.
These smart features allow WorkSchedule.net to adapt to even the most complex scheduling environments and evolve as needs change over time.
In terms of capability breadth, WorkSchedule.net compares well against competitors with a wider range of supported industries, configurability options plus built-in compliance – an emerging requirement as labor regulations expand. Integrations including payroll and contract/temporary staffing feeds also help this platform scale from SMBs to larger enterprises equally well.
Pricing starts at an affordable $2.40 per user per month on annual contracts with volume discounts available along with a permanently free version for up to 75 shifts.
For companies with complex scheduling requirements across mobile workforces or regulated industries like healthcare, WorkSchedule.net strikes an excellent balance of smart automation, configurability and compliance checking.
Implementing Employee Scheduling Software
Once you’ve selected the right scheduling system, following best practices during implementation leads to faster user adoption and better outcomes over the long-term:
Clean Up Data First – Audit old schedules and staff profiles, correct errors for a smooth transition.
Define Rules & Policies – Document shift rotation needs, overtime policies, time off guidelines so they configure into software.
Train Managers First – Equip supervisors early through workshops so they own roll-out.
Communicate Benefits to Employees – Highlight advantages like schedule accessibility, shift trades and payroll integration to build buy-in.
Customize Terminology – Match software labels, tags and icons to company lexicon so it’s familiar.
Start Slow With One Location – Perfect the configuration before expanding system-wide.
Encourage Employee Self-Service – Drive adoption of shift bidding, trades and updates through policy.
Following these best practices will ensure your scheduling software implementation delivers genuine impact versus fading out from lack of stickiness. Ongoing user feedback and engagement is critical.
For a deeper guide on deploying scheduling technology specifically for the healthcare industry, see this detailed case study.
Employee Scheduling Software Success Stories
Hearing real-world examples of scheduling software usage helps illustrate the tangible benefits:
Pet Goods Retailer Fetches 46% Savings
A national pet supplies retailer struggled with overstaffing across 450+ stores which lead to inflated labor costs. By leveraging Reflexis automated demand-based scheduling system, the retailer was able to align staff hours to match customer traffic patterns by leveraginghistorical analytics. The impact was $15 million saved annually through 46% lower labor costs. Employee retention also improved with more consistent schedules and fewer last-minute changes.
Healthcare System Recovers $750,000
A large Boston area hospital group incurred major expenses from clinical staff overtime and contract labor due to understaffing. By optimizing nurse schedules with API Healthcare (now GE Healthcare), the system generated $750,000 in cost recoveries through 5% increased productivity and 41% lower overtime spend in the first year. Patient length-of-stays also improved.
Marriott Franchise Owner Cuts Payroll By 11%
The owner of 12 Marriott hotels leveraged HotSchedules automated scheduling algorithms to accurately align staffing levels across locations to guest occupancy, events and seasonality. This enabled the owner to reduce payroll expenses by 11% annually (~$500k) through demand-based staff planning. Employee satisfaction also rose with more consistent schedules and overtime declined.
As these examples illustrate, today’s AI-powered scheduling systems can drive significant labor cost reductions while improving both customer experience and employee engagement.
Start Getting Value From Automated Scheduling
This guide provided a comprehensive overview of today’s best employee scheduling software systems and buying considerations. Key takeaways include:
- Scheduling software centralizes staff planning, time tracking, compliance and communication for better workforce visibility and efficiency
- Matching software capabilities like scheduling algorithms, analytics, accessibility and configurability to your needs is vital
- Systems like WorkSchedule.net cater to complex shift planning for healthcare and regulated industries exceptionally well
- Implementation best practices like training and customization ensure employee adoption success
- Major cost reductions, productivity gains and workforce optimizations are achievable
With hundreds of options now available, the platforms highlighted in this guide represent proven solutions for simplified scheduling. Most offer free trials – so you can experience benefits first-hand.
Visit our employee scheduling software finder tool for personalized recommendations based on your specific requirements. Or browse 200+ other HR technology reviews covering everything from payroll and LMS to recruitment, performance and culture.