How to Choose the Best Employee Scheduling Software

Are you having difficulties in creating schedules for your employees? Does your company need help with planning and managing shift schedules? There are a lot of important questions that employers consider during employee scheduling. You might be wondering, how can an employee scheduling software answer these questions? Will it magically provide employees when there are no-shows or any last-minute Schedule changes? Well, it’s a great place to start. But how do you choose the best employee scheduling software for your needs?

Each business has unique scheduling needs, and the purpose of employee scheduling software is to help the company make informed decisions faster. Can an employer make an informed decision that suits all of the employees? Probably not without any assistance. That’s the role of this software. With the best employee scheduling software for you, you are guaranteed to save time and money!

To elaborate, scheduling is related to other workforce management issues such as absenteeism, employee overtime, employee turnover, etc. These problems cost businesses a lot of money and employers a lot of time in finding solutions to these problems. Employee scheduling software is a great start at tackling a wide range of business problems, even outside of scheduling. With complete automation, schedules will work as per business needs and consequently reduce payroll costs. With features such as shift bidding and autofill rotation, shifts are provided as per employee’s availability, helping improve employee retention. All in all, the importance of employee scheduling software is undeniable.

Now that you know how beneficial it is, let’s talk about how you can find the best employee scheduling software for your company.

What to look for in the Best Employee Scheduling Software Providers

There are plenty of employee scheduling software providers in the market. Many of them offer the services that your company is looking for. Celayix is just one of them. Such a great variety of options gives employers some degree of freedom in decision-making, empowering them to research and find the best employee scheduling software for them. 

This brings us to the first and the most critical step in finding the best employee scheduling software providers: Research. There are many features you require to look at in your employee scheduling software to see if it’s the right fit. Compatibility, for instance, is one of the most critical aspects that can only be realized with thorough research. Compatibility with the employees (ability to use the software easily) to compatibility with their devices (supported on all platforms) is something all software providers work towards. Research enables employers to examine this software based on compatibility. The role of research is to give employers the freedom and the ability to identify all the options available. The final option should then be able to solve all the problems that the company faces.

Nevertheless, research alone might lead to biased information. Some websites/marketing ads may answer your exact question, and some might not. Thus, the employer also requires getting in touch with the salesperson and asking detailed questions regarding their software. This step may entail conversing with them about the product, asking them as many questions as possible to have an idea of what they are purchasing, and letting them know your business needs for the software. Aspects such as integration, pricing, and features of the software differentiate many software providers and hence helps in making any customer’s final decision.

Reduce your risk

Lastly, there must be a sense of guarantee or reciprocity that employers should look for. There are instances where the product, in theory, fits the needs of the company but fails to do so in reality. The best employee scheduling software for your company can only be known once it is tested out. Subsequently, look for free trials that ease the risk for your company and then make a decision. 

Once you have been able to identify the software that gives you the required features, provides industry-specific solutions to your problem at the right price, you should make your final decision! You’ve likely found the best employee scheduling software for your business.

Risks of choosing the WRONG Software

To get something right, you need to know where you could go wrong. Now that you know how to find the best employee scheduling software providers, it is also important to know the risks associated with choosing the wrong Software.

The true costs of choosing the wrong software are not often examined. It is difficult for any employer or manager to see what is deemed a solution as the newest problem for the company. The risks associated with software may be nothing for your devices. Still, they might be problematic for the employees, or worse, they do not successfully solve the problem for your company. The very intriguing question that any employer ends up asking is: Where did this investment go WRONG?

Firstly, it is essential to recall that digitization and automation were developed so companies could achieve profitability and transformation with ease. With profitability and cost savings on the line, businesses have started to look for fast solutions. This means a more liberal evaluating and selecting process. As a result, the game-changing benefits possible from the best employee scheduling software for you are often lost. 

Consequently, some of the effects of choosing the wrong Software are:

Lost revenue

Implementing an ill-fitted software system can create havoc for the company’s day-to-day operations. Such failures could lead to loss of customers to competitors and hence a fall in revenue. Take a security company for example, if they get their guard scheduling wrong, clients are left with unguarded sites. They likely won’t stick around for this to happen again. Don’t risk losing clients, only settle for the best employee scheduling software to suit your needs.

Increased workload & wasted time

Implementing new software within a business is tricky, and it takes time for the workplace to adapt to the new configurations that the new software provides. Learning about the software adds to the workload for the employees and hence takes up more of their time. 

If the software implemented is wrong, or does not fit the business needs, then all the time consumed on learning the software is wasted. Implementing a new software would seem wasteful and less likely to happen, even if the alternative software is a better fit. The more complicated the process gets in installing software, the greater the energy and time spent adapting to it. The best employee scheduling software for any business is one that can be implemented with ease.

Add-ons, upgrades, or customization costs

Sometimes, even the wrong software installed can be salvageable. However, this might require the businesses to ask for various add-ons, upgrades, and customizations that fit the business needs. It’s improbable that any software provider would provide all features without any costs. Some of the premium features can be pretty costly for the software providers to offer and make it difficult for any business requiring those features. It is essential that the business contacts the software providers about any important feature for the business in the research stage and ask whether those features can be provided at little or no cost.

Replacement and Reputational Costs

The capital expenditure from implementing software can be exorbitant, and stakeholders expect returns from such spending. Replacing software can often be tedious and expensive due to the time and energy spent. Overall, this may disrupt the business, eventually causing direct and indirect costs in replacement and reputation. In other words, you want to find the best employee scheduling software the first time round!

Team Morale

Fatigue is prevalent with employees that require to work harder if there are issues with the Software. From meeting with their clients to resolve any software-related issue to learning the new software, employee morale and team morale likely take a dip. Such a process can also create mistrust in business decision-making.

Job losses 

Lastly, the team that is spearheading this procurement of the Software is at risk if the Software fails. If software failure creates considerable financial damage, further redundancies may be the only way for the business to respond. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Choosing and implementing employee scheduling software is time-consuming, so don’t put it off. The sooner you act, the sooner you benefit from it. This isn’t to say that you have to rush the process. Any business decision requires a cautious approach and due diligence. Overall, it’s vital that the provider can cater to your needs. It’s more likely that a “one size fits all” provider will be unable to meet your specific business demands for software. That is why Celayix offers a solution that can be tailored to fit any industry or business and provides full support to any of your queries with the help of our fully trained and qualified employees. If you want to hear more about our employee scheduling software, get in touch with one of our solution advisors today!