Employee Scheduling Software

Employee scheduling software helps businesses manage employee work schedules while providing them with access to important information about their shifts and the wider schedule of their team. Ultimately, the software can assist businesses and employees with everything from task assignment and work rota creation to the management of employee availability and other personnel issues.

With employee scheduling software, a business can create a schedule that outlines when employees need to work, who they will be working with, and what needs to be done. The software allows users to carry out these scheduling tasks while providing quick and easy access to relevant information, such as employees who will be unavailable due to being on holiday or sickness. This can then result in more robust scheduling, with a reduced need to make changes to the planned work rota at a later time.

Employee scheduling software is primarily used by small and medium-sized businesses, although any organisation may use it with a need to engage in work rota management and staff planning activities. Software of this type has various other names, including shift management software and workforce rostering software.

Employee scheduling software is often distributed as a standalone solution, although it can also form part of a wider personnel management package. Software applications of this kind are categorised alongside similar solutions, including attendance tracking software, clocking systems, and HR software. These different applications can be integrated to form a more comprehensive workforce management strategy.

Some employee scheduling software may target a specific industry or sector, while other options are more generalised and aim to appeal to a wider range of businesses and organisations. This can mean that precise features may vary from one program to the next. Furthermore, there are a number of core features that are present in almost all applications of this kind. There are also common features that are present in most solutions. In general, employee scheduling applications will allow users to carry out the following tasks:

• Create, manage, and access information related to employee scheduling, such as work rotas
• Oversee a database containing important information about employees or personnel
• Monitor the in and out times of employees at the workplace through the use of a time clock
• Facilitate shift swapping and manage employee requests for holidays or annual leaves

What is employee scheduling software?

Employee scheduling software, also known as shift management software or staff scheduling software, is the name given to software solutions that help organisations to manage work schedules. Users can perform various tasks, such as allocate shifts to employees, manage staff holidays or annual leaves, and oversee the number of times employees go in and out of work. Additionally, software of this kind can often facilitate task assignments, too.

Through this software, organisations can maintain an employee database and quickly and easily access information related to work schedules. Moreover, organisations can use the software to create a work schedule, update that work schedule, and access relevant information, such as requests for time off and the number of hours that employees have worked. Ultimately, this allows for more effective management of a workforce, fairer work scheduling, more effective allocation of work tasks, and greater flexibility.

Small and medium-sized businesses most commonly use employee scheduling software solutions, but these applications can also be used by larger enterprises and organisations that need to manage work rotas or general shift scheduling. In addition, it is critical to understand that employee scheduling software often has components geared towards employees, allowing them to access their schedules and swap shifts.

What are the benefits of employee scheduling software?

The benefits of employee scheduling software relate to its ability to help companies organise workforces more effectively. They also have access to all the critical information needed to create robust scheduling. With that said, software in this category can also benefit employees by improving flexibility and transparency. Some of the specific benefits associated with the acquisition of employee scheduling software are explained in more detail below:

• More efficient employee scheduling: Among the main advantages of utilising employee or team scheduling software is the ability to improve efficiency when creating work schedules. The manual creation of work schedules can be time-consuming because those responsible for scheduling need to consider all employees, their contracted hours, staff absences, general availability, etc. When making use of scheduling software, the entire process becomes much faster because the data related to availability can be easily accessed, while a basic scheduling template can be used and reused. Many solutions will also provide automation options, creating basic work schedules that can be amended when more information comes to light.
• Greater employee flexibility: One key benefit tied to employee scheduling software involves providing employees with more flexibility over their own work schedule. Aside from serving as a tool for businesses and other organisations to create schedules, many of the best solutions will also include self-service tools for employees to use. The most important of these options is the ability for employees to swap shifts. This benefit provides staff with the ability to drop shifts that they cannot attend or seek additional shifts if they would like to boost their earnings. In many organisations, including retail shops, this flexibility can help keep employee morale high, and the ability to swap shifts can also reduce the workload for managers who would otherwise need to manually seek out replacements for employees who drop shifts.
• More robust schedule creation: Creating work schedules can be a complicated matter because there are so many different factors that need to be taken into account. However, in addition to making schedule creation more efficient for an organisation, employee scheduling software also has the potential to make the schedules created much more robust. As schedule creators will have all of the information they need at their fingertips, it becomes much easier to make a viable schedule, which will only require an amendment if employees opt to swap shifts. Issues like sick leave, holidays, and employee contracts can be factored into decision-making, ensuring that all employees work their minimum contracted hours and that any additional shifts are allocated fairly.
• Improved employee recognition: Another key benefit associated with employee scheduling software is the various ways it can assist with employee recognition. The time clock feature on an employee scheduling program can make it easier to access an overview of which employees have worked overtime and which staff members have accumulated the most overall work hours in any given week, month, or year. Beyond this, the software can also potentially allow managers and business leaders to see which employees are most frequently stepping up to cover shifts when employees are absent or when employees make requests to swap shifts. This ability makes it easier to single out team players and top performers for recognition. Employee recognition is critical because Capterra's research shows that 81% of UK employees consider it a strong motivating factor, while 53% of workers believe they do not currently receive sufficient recognition in their job.
• Compliance with employment laws: Using employee scheduling solutions can also help organisations ensure they are fully compliant with the employment laws in the United Kingdom. Through this software, users can access real-time information on the number of hours each employee has worked and their contractual status. Furthermore, overtime and bonus payments can also be calculated using the software. This benefit can help prevent situations where employees are working too often or are not being adequately compensated for extra work they carry out beyond what their contract mandates. Scheduling software can also help ensure that employers give workers adequate time between working two shifts, and this can be especially important in some industries, like the hotel and service industries, where there may be demand for late and early shifts.

What are the features of employee scheduling software?

Employee scheduling software features aim to assist organisations with various tasks related to creating work schedules, managing work rotas, and tracking employee holidays and leave requests. There can be significant variations in the precise features on offer and how these features are implemented. The following can be described as core features that buyers can expect to find in the vast majority of software solutions within this category:

• Employee database: Build and maintain a database for all employees for all information relevant to scheduling to be easily accessed on demand. For each entry within the database, several details can be added or amended, including names, contact information, each employee's role within the company, their rate of pay, and more. This information can then be used by organisers or by the software's built-in scheduling engine to create logical work schedules, with the right employees being selected for the right roles. In some cases, demographic information may also be included, such as age and gender, which can allow for the creation of inclusive schedules that provide the best demographic makeup. For example, it can avoid situations where men outnumber women or when all employees scheduled for a shift are younger or inexperienced.
• Employee scheduling: Create employee schedules so that all the workforce members know what shifts they are working. Most software will facilitate both manual and automated schedule creation. Furthermore, allowing organisations to have the choice to manually allocate shifts to employees or utilise automation tools to create a logical work schedule based on the information contained within the database, such as employee availability information. Automated scheduling within some software solutions will utilise artificial intelligence and machine learning to continually improve the quality of automated schedules. Of course, once a schedule has been created, it can be amended at any point, allowing businesses to contend with staff absences or other unexpected eventualities. Many software applications will also allow employees to access their schedules using their own devices. The schedule itself is usually displayed using calendar functionality so that users can see past, present and future shifts.
• Online time clock: Records in and out times of employees through an online clock. With this feature, users can clock in when they arrive in the workplace or begin their shift and then clock out when they leave or end their shift. The best software solutions of this kind will offer real-time visibility into who is clocked in at any given time, which can be especially important in emergencies when a headcount may be required. Providing employees with the ability to quickly clock in and out can also result in more accurate payroll. Furthermore, the online component also has the potential to allow employees to clock in and out when they are working remotely, which is becoming an increasingly important consideration for many businesses.
• Holiday/leave tracking: Oversee all information related to employee holidays and leave requests. Any approved holiday periods should be visible within the software so that leaders within an organisation can plan their schedules accurately and with all of this information. Many solutions will allow employees to submit requests for time off, and these requests can either be approved or declined by managers and other senior figures within an organisation. Another key feature is the ability to track the amount of time off each employee has taken over the year or another defined period. This then makes it possible to automatically decline requests, where leave would exceed the amount of time off employees, are contractually and legally entitled to. In software packages with a strong automation component, there may be options to enable or disable automated approval for holidays and leave, depending on the organisation's needs and based on the information in the database.
• Shift swapping: Provide employees with the ability to make requests for shift swaps. This functionality can allow staff to drop shifts that they cannot attend to or pick up additional shifts if they need more work. Shift swaps can be completed on a self-service basis, and some software packages will provide options so that organisations can approve or disapprove individual shift swap requests. Ultimately, this allows for a more flexible approach to scheduling and can avoid situations where an organisation is left understaffed due to absences.
• Mobile access: Make employee work schedules and other relevant information accessible to users on mobile devices, including mobile phones and tablets. Mobile accessibility is becoming a more critical feature within employee scheduling software systems, especially for organisations with field agents or remote workers, as they may need to rely on mobile devices to access information. Some cloud-based software solutions can be easily accessed using various internet-enabled devices, while other solutions may provide a separate dedicated mobile app that offers many of the same core features. Regardless of the delivery method, high-quality software that prioritises mobile accessibility will also ensure that content is optimised for mobile screens.

Capterra's software directory makes it easier for organisations to find the best employee scheduling or workforce rostering software for their specific needs. Using the search tools provided, users can explore the potential options within this category and sort them according to the features they contain. It allows organisations and other buyers to streamline the entire search process by focusing on options that contain required features and functions while simultaneously eliminating any products that are least likely to be suitable.

What should be considered when purchasing employee scheduling software?

When purchasing employee scheduling software or exploring the various options on the market, many different considerations need to be focused on. It is crucial, after all, for buyers to prioritise finding the best solution for their needs rather than simply looking for the best overall solution. An effective way to approach this is to ask some critical questions and attempt to come up with answers that will help guide the purchasing process. Some of the main questions that users should ask include the following:

• How much does employee scheduling software cost? The price of software is always a critical factor in any buying decision, but with employee scheduling software that will be used over the longer term, buyers need to think about the total cost of use over the full ownership cycle. That means thinking about the complete cost of purchase and any other startup fees linked to installation, data storage, and security measures. In the case of cloud-based software, there may also be subscription fees involved, and these need to be factored in over the entire duration of the subscription agreement. Furthermore, buyers should also think carefully about any 'hidden' costs that may be associated with acquiring future software updates, and new versions, accessing technical support, and training employees or onboarding managers so that they can fully utilise the software effectively.
• What is the best software deployment method? Buyers also need to consider which approach to software deployment they will use. Most people are familiar with an on-premise deployment, where the buyer acquires the software licence and then takes responsibility for installing the software on their systems. This method has high upfront costs and limited flexibility, but it does provide a greater sense of control, and the long-term costs can be lower than the main alternative, cloud-based software. This refers to software delivered using cloud technology, usually on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis. With such an approach, a third-party service provider charges a subscription fee in exchange for taking on the responsibility of remotely deploying the software and handling technical issues, like security and data storage. Cloud-based software has low upfront costs, although the long-term costs can result in much more than on-premise deployment due to the ongoing fees. The key benefit of cloud-based software is its flexibility, as it can be accessed using a wider range of devices, and this can be especially beneficial for organisations employing remote and hybrid workers or field agents. Coming to a final decision on the on-premise vs cloud software debate will require buyers to think about where priorities will lie in terms of flexibility, upfront costs, and ownership or control of the software.
• Which reporting and analytics features are available? Many employee scheduling software packages will include additional features, and an effective example of this is linked to the area of reporting and analytics. Best-in-class solutions may include a dashboard with key information about shift durations and employee workloads. This information can potentially be used to make decisions regarding how many staff members need to be in during a particular shift, and how many people need to be employed for each role.

What are the most relevant employee scheduling software trends?

The most relevant employee scheduling software trends also need to be carefully assessed before deciding which product to purchase. Buyers need to know that the software they are acquiring has been designed and developed with an awareness of the main trends currently emerging. This is one of the top ways to ensure that the software is suitable for long-term use and is as future-proof as possible. Some of the most significant trends related to employee scheduling and software of this kind include those outlined below:

• Increased use of AI technology: Artificial intelligence is a technology that is being deployed more and more, especially as it has become more dependable. Scheduling software with AI functionality already exists, and this AI tech can help automate many of the most common scheduling tasks so that only small changes may be required. However, AI can also be used to improve the actual quality of employee scheduling, too. As an example of this, AI may be able to detect the ideal number of employees in the workplace for specific shifts. Then this can then help businesses optimise their staffing levels, potentially reducing costs during less busy periods while also avoiding instances of understaffing during busier times. Buyers need to consider the various advantages related to artificial intelligence and acquire work scheduling software that delivers these benefits.
• Use of chatbots for simple requests: As with most software packages, users of scheduling software may require technical support from time to time. A growing trend within software development as a whole, but especially with workplace management solutions, is the use of chatbots to handle many of the most basic questions users may have. Chatbots are powered by AI and can provide an experience similar to communicating with a human via a live chat feature. The chatbot will interpret questions from users and provide answers where possible. In a situation where the chatbot cannot deal with the request, the transcript can be sent to a human who can then pick up the issue and provide more in-depth support. Crucially, however, chatbots are more than capable of providing technical support 365 days a year on a 24/7 basis, with no need for sleep, breaks, or time off.
• Flexibility for mental health support: An important consideration for businesses managing a work schedule is the creation of a robust mental health policy. Indeed, research shows that as many as one in five adults may be experiencing depression at any given time, so this may often include many people within the active workforce. Beyond this, mental health problems and related absences cost companies billions every year. A good, evidence-based mental health policy can help to limit the costs and reduce long-term absences by providing employees with a greater degree of flexibility. This could include providing shift-swapping options for workers who may be struggling or offering remote working opportunities if people are having difficulty commuting to the workplace. Quality scheduling and staff planning software should be designed to help organisations facilitate this kind of flexibility.
• Remote and hybrid working models: Finally, businesses need to invest in employee scheduling software that provides any necessary features related to remote and hybrid working models. The COVID-19 pandemic represented a watershed moment for many industries and their workers, and remote work is a much more common practice than before the pandemic. Employee scheduling solutions have started to adapt to this change, with features including the ability to differentiate between remote and on-site workers within an employee schedule and options to rotate remote working privileges. Companies should try to identify software that includes any remote and hybrid working features relevant to their scheduling efforts.