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Summary: Employee rostering software helps businesses automate and optimize staff scheduling. Learn how it works, its key features, and how it improves workforce management.
Also known as employee scheduling software, employee rostering software refers to applications used to manage and communicate employee shift schedules. This software is used to automatically manage schedules for teams of workers, even if their shift patterns don’t align. It can take different types of employees into account, including full-time, part-time, hourly, and even temporary workers. Rather than requiring an administrator to manage and harmonize all of these different schedules, rostering software uses algorithms that help organizations save time and difficult administrative work.
This software can be used by any type of organization. However, those that focus on shift work and manage large numbers of different kinds of workers generally gain the most benefits from employee rostering software. These applications are used widely in healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, retail, construction, security, and other industries with complex workforces.
How Employee Rostering Software Works
Employee rostering software replaces paper scheduling systems and even shared spreadsheet files with something much more comprehensive and substantial. This kind of software package typically involves decentralized data sharing, which means that employees, managers, and administrators can all make changes to schedules, or at least contribute to them. They share a central calendar or Gantt chart that lets them quickly view all relevant schedules as needed. Workers can open their schedules and see when they’re meant to work and when they have time off. If they have conflicts, they can make shift change requests, and managers can approve or deny them within seconds. This allows for near real-time updates. They may also be given open permission to trade shifts with other qualified workers so they can swap freely with no need for administrative approval.
Rostering software also normally includes time and attendance tracking tools. They let administrators record real attendance and compare it against the schedules that were planned. This helps them analyze overall staffing statistics or focus on individual employees to isolate attendance issues. This software helps organizations reduce scheduling errors and identify times when more workers are needed, thereby reducing expenses caused by inefficient workforce management.
Different Types of Employee Rostering Software
There are many different employee rostering software packages available for use by different types of organizations. They can be defined based on the following criteria:
Public vs. Private
While most applications are publicly available for sale, many are specifically built for certain organizations and are kept private.
Cloud vs. Local
Most modern software packages are cloud-based, meaning they can be accessed from anywhere and by anyone as long as permission settings allow. Conversely, some packages may only be available on local networks, usually those used by organizations that require extra security.
Standalone vs. Integrated
Some employee rostering software applications are independent apps that focus solely on this function. Others are included as modules within HRISs (human resources information systems) or ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems.
Typical Features of Employee Rostering Software Packages
Employee shift scheduling software applications can vary from very basic packages with limited functions to extensive packages full of tools and modules. While in no way a comprehensive list, the following are some of the more common features of this kind of software:
- Schedule management – The core of any rostering software is the ability to create work schedules and assign workers to them. Administrators can set permissions for different levels of managers and supervisors, and even let employees make changes to their own schedules in some cases.
- Mobile access – Except for highly protected, localized systems, most rostering software is cloud-based, meaning that anyone with permission can access their schedules from anywhere. This allows great flexibility for managers to send schedule updates and employees to make requests quickly while on the move.
- Communication channels – Many rostering software packages include built-in messaging functionality, which allows workers and supervisors to communicate about schedules using the same software they plan them in.
- Scheduling coverage warnings – With complicated manual scheduling systems, administrators could overlook scheduling conflicts or accidentally leave gaps in their shift coverage. With automated scheduling software, however, these scheduling issues are largely eliminated through the use of warnings and notifications, which let admins know when they’re in danger of making errors.
- Overtime management – As with scheduling warnings, admins can usually choose to activate overtime warnings, which let them know when staff members might be reaching the limits of their regular hours. This helps them stay aware of the extra costs that unnecessary overtime can incur. Rostering systems also keep track of scheduled overtime and can be compared with time and attendance records to see how dependably workers are filling their shifts.
- Labor cost management – Many rostering programs can help you build rosters to a budget, rather than simply filling empty hours. This allows administrators to choose the right number of workers for a schedule and plan their shifts to keep them affordable.
- Time-tracking tools – While you can use external tools to track employee time and attendance, it can be more convenient to use tools that are built into your rostering software. With the mobile apps they already use, employees can use their devices to sign in and out of work, eliminating the need for other tools or software subscriptions. These tools can also collect and store data, or even share it with payroll software.
- Software integrations – Most modern employee rostering software packages come with dozens or even hundreds of pre-built integrations with other applications. These out-of-the-box integrations allow them to effortlessly share information with payroll, HR, accounting, and other apps without data loss or the need to reconcile data formats.
- Compliance – Using rostering software helps administrators manage workers’ schedules in line with labor regulations. Rules can be set up to follow state and federal laws for breaks, working hour limits, overtime, and more to ensure that your employees’ rights are always respected and your schedules are always compliant.
- Analytics – Employee scheduling software can store all of your scheduled shift information, and often track real timesheets as well. This data can be used to analyze your staffing metrics, like labor costs and employee hours. Some software includes built-in analytics and report-generating tools so you can manage your data in a single location.
Pros and Cons of Using Employee Rostering Software
All tools have their benefits and downsides. Using rostering software can be a good choice for many organizations, while others may find that the negatives outweigh the positives.
- Pros
Rostering software helps to greatly reduce the time needed to manage schedules.
The high accuracy of this software allows managers to see or even be alerted to scheduling gaps so they can maintain coverage at all times.
This software can manage schedules for tens of thousands of employees at once with a high level of accuracy.
Managers and employees can see schedule changes in real-time, so they can make better decisions and be more flexible to each other’s needs.
Rostering software normally records PTO, payroll, and time & attendance data for future analysis and reporting.
- Cons
Software packages normally require paid subscriptions, which increase operational expenses for their users.
This software relies on employees having access to a certain level of technology (like smartphones), which may not be practical in some locations.
If a system fails, the client organization may not have the capacity to replace it with a manual system.
This software can be very complex and present a steep learning curve when first implemented in an organization.
Scheduling Success with Employee Rostering Software
Using employee rostering software is a highly effective solution for organizations with large staff teams and highly complex scheduling needs.
These software packages make scheduling efficient, fast, and easy, helping organizations reduce the time they need to spend on administration, while also increasing the accuracy and compliance of their staff schedules.
Businesses can benefit from the flexibility, mobility, and integrability of these applications to handle their staff teams with ease and reduced administrative requirements.
Charlotte is an Human Resources Information Systems and Martech expect, Charlotte has worked for major brands in the industry including FactorialHR and Tooltester. Originally from Manchester, UK, with a Bachelor's degree from the Manchester Metropolitan University, Charlotte currently lives in Barcelona, Spain.