In the past few decades, the modern workplace has become increasingly more flexible. More employers than ever allow their employees to work remotely or are flexible about the employees working hours. While this flexibility generally enhances employee productivity, small business owners still need to oversee the work that is to be completed. Without clear employee time tracking, your team members might take advantage of your flexible hours, and you could end up with unfilled shifts or unplanned overtime costs.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of an employee scheduling app to bettermanage your operations.
There is no singular best employee scheduling app on the market, as each of these online schedules has pros and cons. However, below are some of the best employee scheduling tools available:
Consider testing out a few of these employee scheduling tools to see which ones you like best. There may be a learning curve associated with teaching your employees how the system works, but soon everyone will check their schedules and apply for PTO through the app as you expect them to.
Work schedule apps allow employers to record when employees will complete assigned work. Instead of posting a printed schedule in the break room or emailing updates to employees, schedule apps can be accessed from a smartphone and they can be updated automatically with any changes.
These tools also help employers see how many hours each employee worked and which employees qualify for overtime. Some tools also allow managers to approve paid time off or allocate sick pay all within the software.
As you start exploring your employee scheduling app options, you might come across different terms for work scheduling. Some apps are made for specific types of businesses (such as a 24-hour manufacturing firm or a service-based company) while other tools are more generic.
The concept of employee scheduling software and shift planning software aren't too far off. You might work 9-to-5 Monday through Friday in an office, but that is still technically your shift.
When you are looking into a scheduling system, check to see if it can accommodate different types of workers. You may only run a small business now, but you could expand over the next few years as you hire additional employees and grow your brand. Your scheduling app needs to cover hourly employees, shift employees, and salaried employees. It is also a bonus if it can track the hours that contractors put into a project. These options will help you grow your business with whichever form of labor you need.
The types of scheduling apps include:
Even if you work with a great team that does its best to meet deadlines and put out a quality product, it's still important to use employee scheduling apps. Your team members will be less stressed when they know exactly what their schedules entail and you can have a clear view of their total hours worked. A few key benefits of using software scheduling include:
By opting for an employee scheduling app, you are providing a service to your employees while making it easier for you to track and manage your team. Both parties benefit from this type of software.
The diversity of features across prominent scheduling apps is staggering. Amid this breadth of features, the most important to consider include: