Employee roster apps help you manage your team members in one convenient location. Learn the pros and cons of some of the best rostering software around.
From spending hours getting them right to managing the last-minute adjustments, creating employee rosters is one administrative task most team leaders would rather skip. Luckily, there are tools to help you manage your rosters while leaving the headache behind. We’ve reviewed the best rostering software available today to help you find the right fit for your business.
What to Look for in Employee Roster Apps
Some of the top things to look out for in employee roster apps include:
- Robust features: Features like shift duplication can save your company time and energy while creating employee rosters.
- Ease of use: Look for software that’s easy for both managers and employees to learn to use on a daily basis.
- Communication features: The software should facilitate communication between employees and managers so schedules can be updated as needed.
- Accessibility: Employees should be able to access the rosters from any device in any location.
- Integration with current software: Finally, look for something that integrates seamlessly with the technology you’re already using.
Best Rostering Software, Reviewed
Homebase
Homebase is one of the best rostering apps for small businesses. It’s specifically designed with hourly workers in mind and allows managers to create rosters based on specified sales and labor targets. In addition to traditional employee roster features, Homebase offers hiring, onboarding, HR management, and compliance features, allowing you to house your key administrative tasks in one place.
Homebase offers flexible scheduling, allowing managers to adjust schedules at any time from any location, which is perfect for small-business owners whose employees have rapidly changing availability. It also has auto-scheduling and templates that streamline the initial employee roster creation process. Schedules are presented in a clean, easy-to-read layout reminiscent of Google Calendar or Outlook.
Finally, Homebase’s time-clock feature means employees can enter their work hours, breaks, and overtime directly into the system. The time clock works on phones and other devices, so if any employee forgets to clock in when they first arrive, they don’t have to go to a central office to do so; they can clock in directly from their phone without abandoning their workstation.
Work hours are tallied automatically, setting your team up for a streamlined payroll process as well. You can also take this a step further by choosing the add-on payroll feature, which integrates your payroll process directly into the app.
Key Features
- Access rosters from any internet-connected device
- Track availability, overtime, and breaks in one location
- Employees receive automatic shift reminders
- Integrates with a variety of business management tools, including Clover and Toast
Pros
- Integrates seamlessly with payroll processes
- Easy-to-use interface
Cons
- Can get expensive for businesses with multiple locations
- Four plans, with the most robust features available only with the more expensive plans
Connecteam
An all-in-one employee roster app, Connecteam works for companies of all sizes, allowing team leaders to manage employee rosters from any location.
In addition to managing single or multiple shifts, Connecteam offers tools like shift copying, recurring shifts, and customizable templates to make scheduling as simple and automated as possible. Connecteam helps you avoid scheduling mistakes by flagging interferences with time-off requests. The system can also flag schedules that would lead to overtime pay or times when you have an employee scheduled to work two shifts at the same time.
The shift-replacement feature allows employees to swap shifts with qualified team members without having to notify management first, saving everyone time and ensuring you have appropriate coverage when needed.
Connecteam also offers a time-clock feature so employees can clock in and out, track breaks, and more. Automatic hour tallying means that payroll also becomes significantly easier when you use Connecteam.
Key Features
- Sleek drag-and-drop features and customizable templates that improve ease of use
- Overtime notifications that help your team stay under budget
- Automated scheduling process, including capacity for scheduling recurring shifts
- Shift notes, attachments, and in-app chat
Pros
- Budget-friendly solution, with a robust free-for-life plan as well as paid premium plans starting at $29 per month
- Great customer support that helps you make the most out of this all-in-one solution
Cons
- Though it currently integrates with Gusto and QuickBooks, integrations with additional solutions are still in development
mHelpDesk
Created to manage tasks in the field service industry, mHelpDesk is designed to be an end-to-end, full-service SaaS solution that can help with creating and managing employee rosters.
Although the mHelpDesk scheduling feature has a similar feel to Google Calendar or Outlook, the tool allows you to see your employees’ availability, view jobs and customer details, and assign tasks in one convenient location. By helping automate this process, mHelpDesk can free up time and save money while ensuring your clients and employees get exactly what they need.
Key Features
- Automatically schedule recurring jobs and contracts
- See all open jobs, as well as employees’ availability, and ensure logical assignment pairing through “Assignment View”
- Seamless integration with Google Calendar
- Includes a color-coded view for tracking jobs and contracts
Pros
- Offers automatic shift reminders to staff members
- Provides additional management tools that larger businesses may find useful
Cons
- Smaller businesses could end up overpaying for features they don’t actually need
- Pricing information isn’t available on the website
7shifts
If you own a restaurant, 7shifts may be the employee rostering app you’ve been looking for. By niching down, 7shifts has been able to deliver an employee roster solution that specifically caters to the needs of restaurant owners.
One of the great features 7shifts offers is its “shift pool,” which allows employees to swap shifts efficiently and get managerial approval. Text notifications sent before shifts also cut down on the risk of employees missing their shifts and leaving restaurants in a lurch.
7shifts also immediately notifies restaurant owners if employees are receiving overtime pay or if the restaurant is running into any problems in the labor compliance department. It calculates labor spending in an instant to help restaurants stay within their budget despite frequent schedule changes.
Key Features
- Easy-to-use drag-and-drop features
- Instantly calculate labor spending
- Receive overtime and labor compliance notifications
- Approve or reject time-off requests and shift changes even on the go
Pros
- Easy to use with a painless setup process
- Free plan for up to one restaurant with up to 15 employees
- Integrates with a variety of business management apps, including QuickBooks, Clover, Toast, and CAKE
Cons
- Can get expensive for restaurants managing multiple locations
- Budgeting tools and templates aren’t available with the free plan
Fourth
Specific to the hospitality industry, Fourth is a full-suite management solution. In addition to a host of workplace management features, Fourth includes a robust scheduling tool that allows employees to view their roster, swap schedules, request time off, and communicate with team members in one convenient location.
One of the biggest features Fourth offers is its schedule forecasting tool, which helps managers predict future scheduling needs and prepare accurate schedules. Using this tool, managers can reduce overtime, ensure compliance with local labor laws, and keep their businesses running smoothly.
Key Features
- COVID-19 health-monitoring features
- Forecasting tool to improve schedule accuracy
- Labor law compliance monitoring
- Integrates with hospitality management apps, including Toast, Restaurant Manager, and Upserve POS
Pros
- Health-monitoring function keeps businesses in compliance with COVID-19 restrictions
- Unique forecasting tool reduces the risk of overtime or labor law noncompliance
Cons
- Pricing information isn’t available on the website
- Features can take time to get to know
What Are Employee Roster Apps?
Rostering software is a type of workforce management app that’s dedicated to creating and managing employee rosters in one convenient location.
With employee roster apps, you can:
- See employees’ availability
- Schedule rosters and make changes
- Approve time-off and shift-change requests
- Create alerts and communicate with your team
Additionally, members of your team can:
- Request time off
- Request shift changes or swaps
- View their schedule
- Receive notifications for schedule changes
The best rostering software is a seamless communication and management solution that benefits you and your employees.
Benefits of Employee Roster Apps
Employee roster apps are convenient, time-saving solutions that benefit the whole team. Automating the scheduling process gives you more time to dedicate to other tasks.
Employee roster apps also cut down on the mistakes schedulers often make when trying to keep track of employees’ availability, new hires, and time-off requests manually. As a result, employees experience less scheduling-related frustration and confusion, and you’re less likely to lose money due to employees showing up at the wrong times.
