5 Top-Notch FREE Employee Scheduling Apps In 2022

If you manage a team of employees, you know how important it is to have a sound scheduling system in place. Employee scheduling apps and software can help you create and manage employee schedules more effectively. With the right scheduling tool, you can save time and improve communication with your team. Here are some of the benefits of using employee scheduling apps and software: 

1. Easier schedule creation

Scheduling tools can make it easier to create and manage employee schedules. With the right tool, you can quickly add or remove employees from a shift, view the schedule for a specific day or week, and make necessary changes.

2. Improved communication

Employee scheduling apps and software can help you communicate with your team more effectively. With the right tool, you can send notifications about schedule changes, share the schedule with employees, and track employees’ shift requests.

3. Increased efficiency

A good scheduling tool can help you optimize your team’s schedule to improve efficiency. With the right tool, you can track employee availability, identify gaps in coverage, and ensure employees are working the hours that suit them.

There are many to choose from, but you don’t have to shell out a bunch of money to get a great application. Here are five top-notch free employee scheduling apps for 2022.

1. Homebase

Employee schedules, timesheets, and payroll may all be organized and managed by human resources staff using Homebase, a cloud-based time tracking and scheduling service. It offers services to companies in various sectors, including software, healthcare, retail, and food service.

Pros:

• User-friendly, not much training is required to use the application.
• Flexibility of permission levels.
• Hiring posting online for free.

Cons:

• An abundance of notifications on all employee activity.
• Delay of notifications to employees of schedule changes

2. Connecteam

Connecteam is an all-in-one mobile app that allows you to manage and engage non-desk personnel easily. Its robust, mobile-first platform allows Connecteam to speed up daily tasks, enhance communication, and save time.

Pros:

• Just include the features you need. No bloatware or features that you will never use.
• Supports overseas workers in other nations like the Philippines.
• Lots of updates to improve features.

Cons:

• Some delay in notifications.
• Difficulty connecting applications with personal calendars.
• Some features unavailable on a free account.

3. Shiftboard

Shiftboard is a cloud-based workforce management and scheduling tool appropriate for companies of any size with hourly or shift-based workforces. Employee management, scheduling, timekeeping, applicant monitoring, and onboarding are essential.

Pros:

• User-friendly, ease-of-learning software.
• Custom parameters for running reports.
• Shiftboard allows employees to request time off, report sick, or give up a shift, and it instantly alerts all other current employees assigned to the same team that a shift is available.
• Import schedules from Excel into to application.

Cons:

• Employees must opt-in for text messaging and cannot text through the application itself.
• Loss of access during maintenance updates.

4. 7shifts

By using 7shifts to free up your manager’s valuable time, you’ll have more time to concentrate on your clients. Powerful, adaptable restaurant scheduling software makes team management easier for eateries of all sizes.

Pros:

• Easiness of clock-in and out features for employees right on the phones.
• Responsive help desk.
• Immediate notifications of changes to schedules.

Cons:

• May not work well for industries not food service related.
• Messaging features can potentially be overused.

5. Sling

Employers may manage employee shifts, work hours, payroll, costs, and more with Sling, a software program for scheduling employees. The platform enables small businesses to create unique shift templates for scheduling work, viewing personnel availability, and managing time-off or shift-swap requests through a centralized dashboard.

Pros:

• Ease of use in application by all parties.
• Ability to share documentation in application.
• SMS notifications of shifts sent to employees and daily emails to managers of the whole schedule.

Cons:

• Lack of personalization in timeclock when it comes to shift amounts. (ex 10 hr day employee vs. 8 hr day employee requesting time off defaults to 8-hour days)
• Customer support has more to be desired.
• Archiving personal messages can be tedious, with no feature to delete.

So, there you have it! These are five of the best free scheduling applications currently on the market. Employee scheduling apps or software offer several benefits for small businesses. Hopefully, you can implement one of these applications if you don’t already utilize their services.

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