Program scheduling employees

And the good, old-fashioned pen-and-paper method does have its advantages. Any changes to the schedule require another round of printing and distribution. It takes a little time to learn the ins-and-outs of any new system or process, and free employee scheduling software is no exception.

Until you become acquainted with the software, it might feel a bit cumbersome. Using free employee scheduling software also assumes that all of your employees have access to the internet and a device they can use to get online.

This might seem like an issue, but a recent study from Pew Research Center shows that 77 percent of Americans own a smartphone. Those numbers are even higher for younger people: a full 92 percent of Americans aged own a smartphone, and the figure drops only slightly to 88 percent for Americans aged Now for the advantages of free employee scheduling software. Even the most basic software can provide all of these benefits.

And advanced, industry-specific software can actually do much, much more. That makes it pretty clear that software trumps pen and paper because software offers all the advantages of the pen-and-paper method, and then some. When making your schedule, there are a number of factors that you have to consider. Any free employee scheduling software worth its salt should take those changing elements into account, too.

For example, if an employee is scheduled for too many shifts and will have overtime hours, that should be made clear in case changes are necessary.

So what program can handle all of these tasks? Microsoft Word or some other word processing software is basically just glorified pen and paper. Word processing software was created with the written word in mind, not scheduling.

That step could be printing it and posting it or handing it out. And while it is more-or-less free, there are certainly better free alternatives out there. Keep reading to find more. Excel is a more common replacement for pen and paper. Excel allows you to easily resize rows, columns, and even individual cells. Excel was designed as a database and accounting tool. It is in these tasks that it excels no pun intended. It can also reach a large number of people quickly. Dropbox is another option that can facilitate your schedule distribution.

With Dropbox, you first create your schedule then upload it to Dropbox, where you can specify who is allowed to access the file. Dropbox can then be instructed to send notifications to all parties involved via email, text, and various other means to let your employees know that a new schedule has been posted.

Is there a way to combine the creation process and the distribution process into something a bit more streamlined? Read on to find out. Google Docs takes the creation of your employee schedule and puts it firmly in the cloud.

You create your document online. And you can specify who has access to the document. With Google Docs, the distribution has been streamlined considerably, but the creation still leaves a lot to be desired. Like Word, Google Docs was meant for text-based projects like letters and reports. As such, its most powerful features are focused along those lines and not toward making the scheduling process easier for you. You can also add color-coded blocks to delineate employees and include tasks and responsibilities in a more logical and visually appealing way.

Google Sheets, like Docs, can be distributed quickly and easily by sharing the document with specific users. Those users can then access the document whenever and wherever they choose.

The ease of distribution is certainly a plus and the fact that Sheets is much easier to manipulate for scheduling purposes than Docs makes it a better choice amongst free scheduling tools. But is there yet a better option? Calendar software like Microsoft Outlook can be an excellent replacement for pen and paper, word processors, spreadsheets, and their cloud-based counterparts. And chances are you have a free scaled-down version of Microsoft Outlook on your computer already. So what makes Microsoft Outlook a viable though not ideal choice for free employee scheduling software?

Microsoft Outlook is much more amenable to scheduling because it was created with that in mind. Times, days, weeks, months, and even years are already present and can be manipulated with ease. In addition, creating shifts, which on most calendars would be tasks or appointments, is as easy as clicking a time slot and labeling it accordingly.

For one thing, Microsoft Outlook was made for the use of a single individual. Because of that, it can be a bit difficult when you have to schedule more employees than you can count on one hand. Remember, it was intended for one person who could only be in one place at a time.

Microsoft Outlook also faces the same distribution challenges that make native word processors and spreadsheet programs like Word and Excel obsolete e.

Google Calendar combines the ease of online creation and distribution with the power of a calendar specifically designed for scheduling. Though Google Calendar was originally designed to be a personal calendar, with some work it can be altered to schedule multiple employees. From either the day view or the week view, you can click on a time to add an event. You can also color code the event for easier viewing, attach email addresses to the event for simplified communication, and set up automated notifications to keep your employees informed.

Though Google Calendar may look like the answer to your scheduling prayers, it can be a bit tedious if you have more than 4 or 5 employees. In addition, it can be difficult to decipher if you have overlapping shifts and other complicated scheduling. Only one tool was.

One of the biggest challenges you face as a manager is distributing the schedule to all your team members. You have to consider questions like:. The unique thing about group chat apps is that they allow you to exchange messages texts with one or all of your employees without paying SMS fees. Keep in mind that group chat apps do require a smartphone or mobile device with cell service. You can store the finished file on Dropbox and then send the link to your team members using a group chat app.

If you choose to use pen and paper, you can take a picture of the finished schedule and send it to everyone using the group chat app. Distributing the schedule like this is a quick and easy way to reach all of your team members at the same time.

Employing three different tools e. The benefits of using a combination of free tools are instant communication and simplicity for your employees. The drawback is that all of your employees have to use the tools you use. Requiring that your employees download two or three separate programs to access their schedule is a bit much. And for some programs like Excel , the learning curve can be quite steep. Second, those programs take up valuable space on their devices. It would be better if you could just text a link and be done.

You send your employees a link to a cloud-based document, and they can access it anywhere, anytime. No need to download multiple complicated, memory-heavy apps to their device.

No learning curve that could make accessing and reading the schedule difficult. Just easy schedule access at the click of a button or tap of the screen. Another viable free scheduling software option is Google Drive. With Google Drive, you can create shared folders and give specific individuals access to those folders. You can create one folder where everyone can view the schedule. You can create another folder just for servers. Connecteam is one of the more robust employee scheduling apps.

Beyond scheduling features, the software also doubles as an employee engagement tool. Notable features of this software include virtual onboarding and training tools, surveys and polls, and a social-media style news feed that facilitates peer recognition. The software permits leaders to not only assign shifts but also tasks, making Connecteam a great choice for managing salaried and contracted employees as well as hourly workers.

The program enables employees to reject or accept shifts and provides action updates, and color-codes in-app behavior. Connecteam streamlines communication and assignments and functions as an all-in-one hub for dispersed teams.

Clockshark is a mobile time tracking and scheduling software designed primarily for field service companies. The program enables managers to set specifications for jobs and oversee assignments.

Clockshark provides GPS-functionality and location tracking to restrict clock-ins to on-site areas and help employers keep tabs on workforce distribution. The program helps with payroll by providing quick and easy reports and enabling administrators to input multiple billing rates as well as distinguish between billable or non billable hours.

Clockshark has simple scheduling functions and an easy to use mobile application. Learn more about Clockshark. Float is a resource management software geared towards creative and collaborative projects. The central dashboard has a clean, color-coded layout that makes it easy to view workloads at a glance. Assigning or editing tasks is a simple, single-click process.

The platform is searchable and contains a designated area for updates. Float includes project management tools like boards and budgets, and even the ability to plan roles for future hires. The platform is ideal for scheduling creative, project-based teams.

Learn more about Float. Resource Guru is a task scheduling software with a drag-and-drop team timeline. Managers can search for capable staff within a centralized directory and contact team members within the app. The platform makes it easy to view team assignments and progress at a glance, is searchable, and includes filtering options. Resource Guru also provides a meeting room scheduling feature and equipment management tool.

The software also has milestone tracking and project forecasting tool, making it easy to conceptualize progress and keep assignments on schedule. Plus, administrators can grant permissions and visibility to other users, enabling leaders to share updates with teammates, clients, and shareholders. Scheduling is an important responsibility, and can be time consuming without the right tools. Luckily, the automation and templates that software provides can cut down the assignment process significantly.

The data-driven, unbiased nature of the programs eliminate accusations of unfair scheduling or favoritism, and self-serve portals give employees the power and responsibility to find coverage. These programs provide valuable analytics and insights that help organizational leaders improve human capital management, budgets, and general operations, and generate actionable reports. Plus, many software tools include compliance features that help organizations adhere to labor laws.

Workforce scheduling software can even aid with payroll and billing. The help these programs provide is substantial. By handling the routine aspects of staff assignment, scheduling software empowers employers to focus energy on higher-level functions like improving products and services, boosting output, and building better company culture.

Next, check out our guide to team management skills. Employee scheduling software are online computer programs that facilitate the scheduling of shifts and tasks to employees and the workforce. These platforms often include time tracking and attendance features as well as mobile apps and built-in chats. The software also commonly includes dashboards, data analytics, and reporting functions that provide managers with valuable staffing insights.

The main function of the programs is to automate the schedule building process and to gather data that informs future staffing decisions. The benefits of employee scheduling software include saving time and automating the assignment process for your workforce. Most programs include mobile versions and employee portals that make it easy to swap shifts on the go and give all staff access to the most accurate schedules. Data-driven scheduling reduces suspicions of unfair assignment practices, and program compliance features help employers adhere to labor laws.

Plus, the software collects, analyzes, and presents shift and project insights in a way that helps employers improve staffing processes. Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses. Skip to content You found our list of the best employee scheduling software. This article contains: online employee scheduling apps free staff scheduling software work scheduling software workforce scheduling software shift scheduling software Here is the list!

List of employee scheduling software Here is a list of the best work scheduling software for both hourly employees and salaried workforces. ZoomShift ZoomShift is a scheduling tool for hourly employees. Easy to use clock in and clock out functionality.

Timesheet error prevention measures Customizable payroll reports Learn more about ZoomShift. Workforce Workforce is one of the most popular employee scheduling platforms. Humanity Humanity is an enterprise shift scheduling software built to integrate seamlessly with leading HR software. Homebase Homebase is one of the better free employees scheduling tools.

When I Work When I Work is a standard workforce scheduling software that facilitates the building, sharing, and tracking of schedules.