Manual scheduling is time-consuming and ineffective. Use these apps to make the process easier.
Creating and distributing schedules often takes hours and multiple tracking tools. It may also lead to scheduling errors that make employees tired and less productive. Help optimize your team with work schedule maker software that balances the needs of your team with those of your business.
What To Look For in Work Schedule Maker Software
A work schedule generator should make your job easier, so look for software with these features:
- Easy to use: Many work schedule generators offer customizable templates, drag-and-drop tools, and other features that help you automate the schedule creation process.
- Communication tools: Choose a platform with communication features such as chat and messaging so employees can easily communicate availability or swap shifts.
- Notifications: Keep your team members informed with real-time shift notifications and schedule change updates, such as new open shifts or shift requests.
The Best Work Schedule Maker Apps of 2023
1. Homebase – Good for Mobile Scheduling
Homebase offers a sleek, easy-to-read schedule builder with copy/paste tools and templates that make scheduling a breeze. You can create schedules based on availability, staffing needs, or projected sales, helping to ensure you have enough staff in place at all times.
With Hombase’s mobile app, your team members are notified of their schedules instantly, and they can message you if they’re running late or unable to make their shifts. In this case, you can look up staff availability and send a message to get coverage on the fly. You can also set parameters for time off requests, even blacking out the busiest dates.
This platform’s free option offers many of the same features as its paid version, which is great for business owners who want to increase productivity without spending a lot of money. It’s also easy to add new members to the team as part of the onboarding process. You won’t have to find interim scheduling solutions for new employees.
Key Features
- Employee availability
- Real-time notifications
- Overtime alerts
- Templates
- Attendance tracking
Pros
- Integrates with payroll and human resources application
- Easily accessible
Cons
- It’s difficult to correct mistakes
- The login feature is not intuitive
Pricing
Starts at $19.95/month per location
Free Option: Yes, for one location
Free Trial: Yes
2. Shiftboard – Good for Intelligent Scheduling
With multiple automation tools, Shiftboard helps you optimize your team while reducing the time to set a schedule. These tools can be customized based on your industry, which helps you manage overtime regulations, union agreements, internal rules, and more. The platform can block you from scheduling an already scheduled employee for their maximum hours, eliminating potential mistakes that can lead to burnout.
Its overtime rules help you manage overtime, allocating it fairly and avoiding overscheduling employees. Although you can allow your employees to claim available shifts, you can keep them from claiming too many hours within a certain period. With this tool, overtime shifts are easily distributed to those who want them without costing you too much money in overtime expenses.
Your employees can use Shiftboard to send their scheduling preferences, claim open shifts, or swap with other team members. Set break reminders to alert your busy staff members about upcoming breaks so they can prepare and get coverage.
Shiftboard allows you to create schedules for multiple locations, helping ensure that you always have coverage based on potential customer volume.
Key Features
- Overtime management
- Shift swapping
- Mobile schedule access
- On-demand list of available workers
- Job classifications
Pros
- Intuitive platform with self-help features
- Clean user interface
Cons
- No drag-and-drop feature
- Not as customizable as it could be
Pricing
Starts at $45 a month for up to 35 employees
Free Option: No
Free Trial: No
3. Connecteam – Best Overall Work Schedule Maker
Connecteam offers everything you need to create and distribute schedules with ease. Its drag-and-drop feature makes it easy to build weekly schedules. You can set recurring shifts, create custom templates, and duplicate existing shifts to make one-offs for special circumstances.
This work schedule maker also flags scheduling errors. Set overtime limits or set the system to notify you when you schedule a worker for multiple close/open shifts in a short time. Add instructions and task lists to schedules so your team members are prepared for daily tasks before they get to work.
Connecteam also offers a variety of beneficial communication tools for keeping employees engaged and informed. The in-app chat and messaging features keep your management team from having to toggle back and forth between programs when making new schedules for the week. They can see chats and messages and note schedule concerns in the app. This platform also gives managers the ability to shout out and reward team members for a job well done, which is a great motivator.
Key Features
- Customizable templates
- In-app chat and messaging
- Tasks lists and notes
- Recurring shifts
- Real-time notifications
Pros
- All-in-one scheduling solution
- Good value for the price
Cons
- Some integrations are still in development
- Requires multiple upgrades
Pricing
Starts at $29/month for up to 30 users
Free Option: Yes
Free Trial: Yes
4. Humanity – Good for Automated Scheduling
Created by TCP software, Humanity is a cloud-based scheduling platform that makes work schedule creation faster and more effective. This platform offers reporting tools that let you see peaks and lulls in your schedule so you can optimize your staffing levels.
You can enter time off requests, availability, job skills, and other data into the platform to automate your optimal schedule. Your team members can easily access the app from their smartphone or smartwatch, receiving schedule notifications and messages. Set predefined rules that make it easy for your team to request time off, claim shifts, and trade shifts without waiting for approvals.
Its interface is intuitive and easy to use, so you don’t have to spend as much time training your employees to use the app. This platform also offers filters. If you operate a business in which different teams have a variety of functions, each manager can use the filters to easily manage their team without having to wade through all the others in your business.
Key features
- Scheduling automation
- Mobile user support
- Data-driven reporting
- Ability to define user roles
- Time tracking
Pros
- Easy to use
- Good customer support team
Cons
- Unable to duplicate shifts
- Sometimes app loads slowly
Pricing
Contact vendor for price
Free Option: No
Free Trial: Yes
5. Sling – Good for Managing Schedule Conflicts
This cloud-based work schedule creator helps you manage schedule conflicts with ease. Sling allows your managers to see staff schedules from anywhere through the mobile app. They can access time off requests and availability in the app even with the scheduling tool open, avoiding mistakes that lead to dropped shifts.
Your management team can schedule employees in multiple locations and message them through the app regardless of their location. Your employees can update their availability in the app and receive notifications when they are scheduled. If they work in multiple locations, you can add the precise store to their alert.
For business owners whose employees work on multiple job sites, Sling lets you drop a pin on work locations and attach them to a work schedule. This lets your team know where to go before they start their shift. If an employee gets lost on the way to a work site, they can message other team members in the app to help get them where they need to be.
Key Features
- Ability to schedule for multiple locations
- Task assignments and delegation
- In-app communication tools
- Schedule conflict alerts
- Customizable templates
Pros
- Easy to use
- Responsive customer service team
Cons
- Easier to use for smaller teams
- You aren’t able to monitor messages between employees
Pricing
Starts at $1.70 per user per month
Free Option: Yes
Free Trial: Yes
What Is a Work Schedule Maker?
A work schedule maker is an app or software program that helps business owners and managers create and distribute schedules. With these tools, managers don’t have to access handwritten notes or spreadsheets and create schedules by hand. They can easily access availability, time off requests, and other helpful information in the app, allowing them to schedule based on employee and business needs.
Benefits of Work Schedule Makers
Scheduling can be one of the most time-consuming parts of management. With work schedule makers, your management team can use templates, drag-and-drop, and copy-paste functions for faster schedule creation.
Since many of these platforms offer overtime warnings, you can save money on costly scheduling errors. You can also monitor scheduling inconsistencies and create predictable schedules that fit your employees’ needs. With accurate scheduling out of the way, your managers can do more with their time.
Free up your managers to handle other parts of their jobs with the best work schedule maker software.
