Employee Scheduling Software – Uses and How to Choose One
Employees are the most valuable resource of any company. The human resource of an organization is responsible for driving its growth, expansion, and development. Companies that harness the strength of their workforce and keep them productive and motivated are likely to grow and succeed. With employee scheduling software , companies can streamline and navigate the process effortlessly. Web-based employee scheduling software tools automate the process of creating and maintaining a schedule for employees.
Benefits of employee scheduling software
Organizations use time clocks and scheduling software due to their versatility across multiple industries. Essentially, every company has to manage employees, so the relevance of any employee scheduling app for businesses always remains high.
Creating employee schedules effortlessly
The best service scheduling software tools automate an organization’s employee scheduling, shift planning, and the inclusion of activities in the schedule. Earlier, these tasks would be handled manually by an HR representative, increasing the scope for errors, particularly calculation mistakes. An employee scheduling app for businesses does these tasks for those who work traditional day shifts or around the clock. By eliminating the human error aspect from the equation, companies can save a lot of time , and by extension, money by choosing the right employee scheduling software.
Avoiding scheduling clashes
One of the biggest issues a manager can face is scheduling clashes and the conflicts that arise from them. Whenever last-minute changes need to be made in an employee’s availability due to unforeseen reasons, the planning and scheduling of a company get jeopardized. To counter this, all an organization has to do is use a web-based employee scheduling software.
Such software tools take away the task of manually filling any scheduling gaps out of the hands of the manager. What otherwise would need the manager to scroll through spreadsheets and make multiple phone calls comes down to just making a few clicks on the software to fill schedule gaps and reschedule the workflow to adjust last-minute changes. The best part is that all these changes can be made in the blink of an eye with the right employee scheduling software.
Saving labor cost
Labor information is critical for any organization. Having all the data in one’s hands enables companies to get insights into how much labor costs a company incurs already and forecast how much it will incur in the future. With employee schedule management software, companies can run reports, track overtime, and identify when employees have worked less than their scheduled hours. The tool tracks down this data in real-time based on employee check-ins at the workplace or from their log-in and log-out times.
This information is enough for the tool to accurately calculate salaries and other labor costs at the end of a pay cycle. Automating labor cost computing is a massive blessing for HR managers. Also, with the electronic proof of labor hours stored securely within the software, HR managers can pull out data anytime a potential salary-based conflict is waiting to arise .
Flexibility in accessing employee schedules
As discussed earlier, a major benefit of using a time clock and scheduling software is the option to view every employee’s schedule and corresponding salary to be paid. This information is crucial for HR managers to use when the appraisal cycle is about to begin. During that time, the managers can accurately list down an employee’s presenteeism and absenteeism records for them to see.
Convenient leave management
The automation of scheduling also makes leave management easier. An employee scheduling app for business can check in a millisecond the employees available for a workday and the ones who are scheduled to be on leave. So, if an employee wishes to take the day off, they can simply apply for it in advance using the tool. The software will check the availability in the workforce ranks before approving or rejecting the leave for the employee. Again, this saves managers hours of going through spreadsheets to determine the leave availability of employees in large organizations with several thousands of workers.
Improving employee experience
An employee scheduling tool comes with an intuitive and appealing user interface for workers to record their work hours. The ease of operation of such tools makes it great for employees to use on a daily basis.
How to choose the right employee scheduling tool?
Mainly , companies should consider certain factors before investing in employee scheduling software.
- Define the company’s scheduling needs and objectives
- Prioritize user friendliness
- Emphasize customization options
- Evaluate customer support
- Check for data security and privacy
- Consider scalability in the future
- Review the pricing structure of the software
Average cost of employee scheduling software
The cost of employee scheduling software tools ranges from about $4 to $16 per month. In fact, the cost of certain software solutions can go up to $30 as well , depending on the features required. Certain software tools are free, while some come with monthly or annual billing plans. Companies must assess their requirements and budget before investing in one.
Top employee scheduling software tools
- Connecteam
- Acuity Scheduling
- ClockShark
- Homebase
- DeskTrack