Employee Scheduling Software
4.7/5 (305 reviews)Pros
It is easy to understand, set up and the customer service is extraordinary!
Cons
I wish there were more manager capabilities in the mobile app, but the app has improved already since it was first launched, so I imagine it will only get better.
7Shifts has been a tremendous timesaver! We used to spend so much time transferring requests to our paper scheduling forms. Now we can just work directly in the app. Saves paper too! Our staff is incredibly happy we've made this technological leap. Takes some stress out of their already busy lives by being able to switch shifts online. It has also alleviated the issue of "misreading" their schedule. As managers, we love that we no longer have to hear that excuse. Ha ha! Managing overtime is incredibly easier on 7Shifts. Prior to the app, we relied on floor managers to make judgement calls regarding shift exchanges when senior managers weren't available. Labor considerations didn't get factored into decisions and we would run higher labor numbers. Now that fewer managers are part of the shift exchange decisions, we know that the appropriate factors are being implemented into the decision making. The floor managers appreciate not having the pressure of making a decision that could negatively impact a shift. Posting and editing schedules in real time also alleviates issues. We would have people switch shifts and then forget. Now it goes immediately into their schedule once approved. Confusion alleviated!!! We don't use the auto-fill option but find that manually scheduling is so much more efficient in the app than it was on paper. I also love that you accept requests for features/functions and compile them for consideration. The service has always been wonderfully friendly and fast. The tutorials are really helpful and well done. I can't say enough good things. Thank you for creating such a user friendly app. Makes our busy restaurant lives so much easier!
Pros
Easy to use
Great tutorials
Fast and friendly support staff
Efficiency for reviewing labor
Incredibly communication tool between staff and management
Consider suggestions for functions and features and notify you if they become implemented
Fair price for the power of the product
Thanks for the great, in-depth review Tory. We're happy to hear that 7shifts is helping alleviate the classic "misreading the schedule" problem for Beaver Street Brewery. Cheers!
I used to make schedules through Excel, and would have employees email time off requests and availability changes. This software makes everything so much easier. It is so easy to use - copy schedules from week to week, move around shifts, copy shifts, etc. This app made me like making the schedule!
It's also employee-friendly - they can give up and pick up shifts, and manager can approve them. They can communicate with each other through chat. Phone numbers and emails are available, so employees can easily contact each other.
Pros
No glitches ever (previous app we used glitched and made errors to employees' schedules)
Budgeting tool
Ability to put in events
Color coding departments and jobs
Ability to print PDF schedule
Communication (chat and message options)
Employees can trade shifts
Availability and time off request features are perfect
Multiple locations allows you to use employees at different sites, but you can see in lighter color where they are already scheduled to work
Great value for the price
They keep making it better and will let you know when an update has been made
Cons
There's a minimal international fee charged monthly for 7Shifts. But that's all!
Wow, wow, wow. Thanks for the kind words Arpita. We love hearing that you and your team are using every feature available in 7shifts to help Reggae Shack Cafe make scheduling less of a chore. Rock on!
7shifts ties together many organizational tools that has improved communication in our restaurant immensely. We make fewer scheduling errors, our staff can easily contact managers and coworkers through the messaging feature, amendments to the schedule keep everyone in the loop with notifications and the manager log book helps us stay on top of issues and address them quickly and effectively.
I originally decided to try the software because I thought it would save time and keep our BOH and FOH schedules cohesive. It pays for the time it saves and adds much more value with all of the additional features. Don’t hesitate to give it a try!
Pros
Our supervisors use the manager logbook and it has been extremely helpful in keeping everyone up to speed on daily operations, issues and ideas. We act much quicker when addressing problems with staff and maintenance, and reduce the distortion of facts when compared to transferring information along a chain of conversations. This is a valuable feature not to be overlooked.
Cons
Some of our staff members have been experiencing freezing and glitching in the app. Some staff are resistant to change and there was a lengthy transition time to get everyone on board. Now that it’s in place almost every new employee loves the interface and is eager to sign up.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the fantastic, detailed review Shannon. We're thrilled to hear that 7shifts is providing your team with so much value. We looking forward to making 7shifts even more indispensable in the future :)
I can't imagine going back to the old way of doing things! When I've had questions or suggestions the 7shifts team has been prompt to respond and follow up.
Pros
Saves so much time over our old way of using an excel spreadsheet and having to keep track of paper time-off requests. Very easy to start using right away and great advanced features to use once you get into using the software! It was always a headache keeping track of vacation requests and changing availabilities - but now the computer flags them immediately. Employees feel more in control being able to electronically submit days-off requests and availability. Employees are easily able to see who's working or not in order to get their shifts covered/switched. Setting up shift templates and having the computer fill out the schedule according to employee availability is awesome. Employees being able to instantly see schedule and changes when they are made is great!
Cons
I'll never go back to excel for scheduling if that counts as a con?
Lynn, hearing that you will never go back to Excel again is the highest praise we can review. Thanks so much for the great review!
This software previously helped us save time and implement clear communication. It now is unusable and has little to no benefit.
Pros
7Shifts has a clean website that is easy to use when it is up. The best thing about the software was how it worked before they updated the system to be unusable and increased their prices by almost 600%.
Cons
7Shifts' new tools are not thoughtful and don't work with other systems. They have overhauled their system and the new system consistently has issues that make the website and apps unusable. Additionally, the regular system crashes come as 7shifts went from a very reasonable a month depending on the size of your business, to $57 for what we were paying a month for previously. Poor support along with a "Sorry! You are SOL" way of doing business makes 7Shifts a must avoid. Every update from 7Shifts has also included problem after problem. While the system to sign up for their service never goes down, the apps and website are now regularly unusable.
Before, we were using one service for our schedule-making, one for clocking employees in and out, one for payroll, etc., etc., etc. It's great to be able to simplify!
Pros
The number of features under the 7shifts umbrella is quite impressive when compared to their competitors. As a busy manager, it's very helpful to have one resource to do my scheduling, clock-ins and -outs, employee messaging, etc. Furthermore, if they don't have a feature I am looking for, their customer service chat is very helpful. I can be talking to a 7shifts representative in seconds about my ideas for easier use. I have even noticed that they have added a couple of these features.
Cons
We are a unique business, in that we are open 24/7. This service certainly functions well for us, with a few work arounds. However, it would be nice if they expanded their features to cater to different types of restaurants.
Thanks for the review! We pride ourselves on delivering top-notch service, so we are excited to hear that your team has found it fast and effective. We're always looking to improve our app, so any time you have an idea for an improvement just reach out to us ¿ we want to hear it :)
We jumped into online scheduling three years ago with Hotschedules. Good concept but it didn't function as promised and no one could help you. NOT THE CASE with 7shifts!! This system does exactly what it says it will & they are consisting upgrading and making it better. They are on the other end of the phone when you have questions. They are open to your suggestions. They are helpful and nice!! Customer service means everything to me because it is what I do. My expectations are high and these guys deliver!! The functionality is fantastic. It is not too complicated, the reports aren't overkill, great organization of features and the staff loves it. It is easy for them to operate as well. The ap for their phone is free. Just awesome all around. It is definitely worth every penny!!!! Our restaurant is part of a group of four. They are all their own entity with different concepts, employees and managers. But we need to be able to work together still and 7shifts worked directly with us to make it work for us.
Pros
Ease of use by staff. They have no troubles giving away a shift or picking one up. Putting in their availability is a breeze. It's just not complicated or time consuming so my staff is actually using it!
Cons
Odd to me that I can respond to some things directly by responding to a notification email or text but other things I cannot. For instance, availability vs. a shift pick up.
Like I mentioned above in my title and in the 'pros', so much less time dealing with my old Excel spreadsheet ....... schedules are done in a matter of minutes, and less mistakes with availabilities and time off requests.
Pros
I love how easy it is to make weekly schedules. From just copying them week to week, to easily changing a shift when an employees availability is not there, to keeping track of days off needed....... less to worry about! Also, NO MORE EXCEL SHEETS!! No more creating the following week, fixing a cell calculation that got changed, no more adding up all employee hours individually! Just add in 7punches, and all that is taken care of for you! Just close a payroll period, download the excel file and print. Simple. OH, and I forgot to mention the app!! Wonderful, and great updates happening!
Cons
Honestly, it works great. I can't complain. Money well spent!
Wow, thanks for the kind words Steve. We love hearing when we can help our clients get our of "Excel Hell" Let us know if there is anything we can ever do for you and your team!
We used to use a MS Excel spreadsheet that calculated labor and flagged overtime. The problem was the ability to "Break" it by accidentally hitting the wrong key. Any schedule maker who wasn't a MS Excel wiz would then have trouble "Fixing" the schedule. This led to me vetting various scheduling software to find something more user friendly than MS Excel. We tried plenty of them, but 7Shifts stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Pros
It takes the excuse-making out of the scheduling process by keeping the schedule makers organized, informed, and on top of everything. Employee involvement makes the schedule maker's job much easier as well. The user friendliness is far superior to any other software. The iPhone/Android app is seamless and takes only a few minutes to grasp in its entirety. Lastly, if/when we have an issue to resolve, the customer service reps do an outstanding job of being available, friendly, and knowledgeable.
Cons
Occasional bugs...but customer service embraces the reporting of any issues because they want the software to be as good as possible.
We are a fast-casual restaurant group with a dozen locations. We came across 7Shifts after failing to successfully work with a handful of other scheduling systems. researching scheduling software for our scheduling needs. Selecting the proper scheduling software for us is very crucial, as we rely heavily on such systems to efficiently utilize labor and to keep good records. On top of that, it is also very costly to switch systems if one fails to work out, so we wanted to be sure it works for us. We tested out 7Shifts with its trial offer, and gave it a run, and everything worked very intuitively. Jordan (CEO) was also very helpful to address our questions and needs, and works hard to make sure our concerns are addressed. The software has a clean, focused take on scheduling, especially for restaurant businesses, and works well for groups like ours with multiple locations. User interface for scheduling is very intuitive and easy to work with, and reports are readily available. 7Shifts knows how to focus on the essentials that matter instead of frills that the industry just don't need.
Pros
Ease of use; ease of set-up; straight-forward sales and support; affordable pricing; willingness to innovate and grow in features; good report generations
Thanks for the review Jason! Always a pleasure working with you.
We're happy with the main functions of 7shifts and overall it has simplified our scheduling process!
Pros
The best part about 7shifts is that any time I have a question, I write a quick message in the pop-up chat located in the bottom right corner, and someone gets back to me within a few minutes. This program easily tracks employees availability and vacations. It has some great key features, and is easy to use.
Cons
It would be great if when scheduling, you can view the day and have a simple button to view the next day. Instead, you have to close the pop-up window, and select the next day separately. Additionally, it would be better if there was a way to input start and end time by clicking and dragging instead of manually entering each start and end time.
Thanks for the review Kristen!. We've happy to hear that our client success team always is there to support you and your team. Also, thanks for the great product suggestions ¿ I've pass those along to our team. Cheers! :)
I run a 450 seat high volume seafood restaurant with up to 115 employees in the summer. Scheduling the various departments was a on average 4-5 hours of headache filled work as myself and my 3 assistant managers shared request from staff via text messages, Facebook posts, emails, & notes left on desk . It was an overwhelming headache. Schedules were built in excel, printed and posted in the restaurant. Staff members who were off that day would call the hostess or managers to find out there shifts during the dinner rush. I figured there had to be something better. After searching on line I found 7Shifts and gave it a try. The first week we ran 7shifts and the old excel system. Once the staff realized how easy it was to request off and switch shifts (With manager approval) we ditched the excel format completely.
Management: I have been the GM for 10 years. I can honestly say that this app has been one of the single best tools I have ever used. Selfishly I love the fact it saves me time. I am no longer coming into the building and finding out an employee called out and scrambling to find someone to cover at prep time. My managers and I can track the requests, call outs, and swaps to ensure we have appropriate staff for the evening. I wish I found this 10 years ago.
Save labor costs: We had been using Micros Labor Mgmt software but I personally feel that Micros needs to get their software out of the 90's and become more user friendly. Entering forecasting sales data is simple of 7shifts. Editing employee rates of pay and jobs is much faster than on Micros. We were able to avoid potential overtime by the 7shifts alerts when approving shifts being given away.
Employee satisfaction: Our staff was happy to be able to get immediate feedback on requested time off. Instant approval on covered shifts and immediate d notification of schedules. I have staff who have worked at major corporate chains and other independent restaurant. They all have said this makes their life easier.
I can not express how supportive I am of this App!
With using 7 shifts I am able to save so much time and have more efficient schedules. Not only are we able to make better schedules that fit our business and employee needs, we also have improved communication tremendously. Our company has 4 different locations, so being able to share employees and see when they are scheduled at other location really helps the communication process. That is something that we have always struggled with. Now we can send out daily announcements to let our employees know of any events or specials going on. We also have put the responsibility of covering shifts on the employees to get them covered and pick up shifts when needed without involving management. Also they do not have the excuse to say they do not know their schedule when the app makes everything easily available.
Pros
I love that you can make a schedule template for each role, it is a huge time saver to plug in all of the shifts.
Cons
For the mast part 7 shifts covers all of the basic needs. I just wish their were more features.
Thanks for the review! :)
Saves me time from using excel documents to post the schedule
Pros
The concept of the scheduling software is fantastic. It's very user friendly. It saves so much time with managing the employees time off, shift changes etc. Anyone in the restaurant industry looking for a quick fix for making their schedules, this is it!
Cons
Have had some issues with the app. They keep updating it which is a plus! You should be able to not put in a time under events for all day events. It should not automatically default to 12am. Different Managers should be able to have their own default schedule that it automatically goes to.
Thanks for the review Elena! We love the whole Binga's team and are excited to continue working with you :)
Pros
The software is untuitive and easy to use, thus easy to train new staff and managers. It helps all facets of our business remain on the same page and has become a "must read" every morning for all managers. Sharing weekend special information and procedural changes has never been easier and I couldn't imagine trying to run our two restarants without it! Thanks for all the support 7Shifts!
Cons
It's more so having to train our staff that it is still their responsibility to have their shift covered - just putting it up for grabs and hoping someone will pick it up is not enough! ;) I realize this isn't a software problem... it's more of a soft-staff problem.
Thanks for the review Jay! It makes our day to hear that 7shifts is a 'must read' for all of your managers. We look forward to serving you and your business for many years to come.
7Shifts has made our lives a lot easier. It has all the features we need and the mobile app is great for staff to use. A few nice things about it:
1) It automatically calculates labor cost (and % sales if you input sales)
2) You can send announcements to staff (directly to a person, position, location, etc.) and, like schedules, it goes to their email and phone via SMS
3) There's add-ons like a clock-in/out system (7punches) and Manager's log book that we think are really great
Overall it's does a good job of scheduling essentials. For example, letting staff know when they're working (text and email), collecting staff availabilities, allowing staff to trade shifts, dealing with time off requests and making sure you don't schedule during approved time off. It also tracks how much time each member of staff has taken off, which is nice to see.
Pros
Good mobile app, staff like it
Cons
Website can be a little slow and a bit hard to use for certain things.
7Shifts has improved how we run our business. Most often a great product helps in solving one problem. This is one of those rare times when several problems are solved at the same time. Improving communication between our team where everyone can easily be in the know. Establishing consistency across our stores and saving time while doing that. Simplifying the payroll process and reducing labour cost. It is feature rich and easy to use. The numbers speak for themselves, and the cost of 7Shifts is easily paid from the savings in reduced labour cost. It's the savings in time that I love, not just for me, but how it is simplifying the lives of both management and staff.
Pros
1) Feature rich - scheduling, punchclock, management log, communication. and useful reporting.
2) Easy to use and very intuitive.
Cons
none
I can schedule weeks in advance now and not worry about conflicting with my employees school schedules, and when they go out on breaks from school I just enter it into 7 shifts and it lets me schedule them for more hours during holidays. It’s awesome.
Pros
I love that this is available. When I opened my coffee shop I was struggling with everyone’s available hours to work and the hours I needed someone to work. We are in a college town so all of my hires were college students or seniors in high school all with limited but different times they were available. 7 Shifts allowed me to input their available times and create a schedule that worked both for me and for them. I highly recommend 7 Shifts if you are struggling with your scheduling.
Cons
Nothing, it’s great, easy to use no training needed.
Thanks for the amazing review Annette. Hearing how our customers like you use 7shifts to overcome their scheduling difficulties makes it all worth while. Cheers!
Overall the program is a must for any business owner.
Pros
I really enjoyed 7shifts for me company. We had just under 20 employees not having a time shift scheduler like this would take hours. My favorite features is being able to see what our company is estimated to spend on payroll. Also project sales and needed labor times from past sales.
Cons
I wish it was a little easier for employees to use the app on their phone. Several of my employees had issues.
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks so much for the review! We're happy to hear that 7shifts is continuing to work well for Deli Boys and we looking forward to working with your team into the future.
With the release of our new mobile app for staff we're confident that any issues they have had should be resolved.
Happy scheduling!
7 shifts is great to use! It was easy to learn, if I have questions all I need to do is email support and I get a response immediately 99% of the time! Our staff love the ease of use with this application, they are able to see their shifts, submit time off, and swap shifts with coworkers! 7shifts is constantly updating their app and actually using their customers suggestions! Highly recommended!!!!
Pros
I love the convince of the app, and the separation of roles and employee lists when creating schedules (love the new update where I can move employees around in scheduling view).
Cons
A better way to rotate shifts would be nice
already posted in review
Pros
*Ability to modify manager log book sections.
*Roles / Time frames
*Ability to view schedule based on time frames to make sure there aren't any holes in the schedules (you won't miss filling a spot needed!)
*When customer service is live and can chat online, you get quick helpful responses
Cons
*customer service offline- not helpful. Poor responses and long response times
*server down for over 4 hours and no real reason why on it took them so long to realize it was down
*print functions are horrible
*you pay for better package but you canNOT see the sections you now have access to (which I paid for!) Ridiculous you can't see it on a printable version or for each employee. Only a manager can see it
*glitches in posting in manager log on phone versus online. Since they couldn't replicate the error, they can't fix it. Lame... I sent pictures as proof, yet they can't figure out their programming issue?
*They need to fix a plethora of issues. I can't remember them all off the top of my head
Hi Susie,
Thanks so much for your review and your suggestions. We are always looking to make improvements to 7shifts, so your suggestions go a long way in helping us do that. Thanks for your support!
I am a District Manager of 6 Retail Stores in Louisiana and have been using 7Shifts for about 9 months now. This software has not only made employee's (Store Level/Home Office) breathe easier with time off requests, schedules and availability changes... but the Leaders in the stores could not schedule any other way!!!!
PRO'S (EVERYTHING :) )
-Again, I am constantly on the road... or we are opening a new store every few months, and the guys at 7SHIFTS are my heros... the level of customer care they have, is mind blowing. ANYTHING I need there help with regarding the software, immediately they are helping me.
-They take time with you on every aspect of the software on how to be more efficient with scheduling. Manager Log Book/Templates for the perfect schedule are my two favorite features.
-Managers spend less time scheduling and save more money by not killing the enviorment with all the paper they used for "Time Off Requests Forms" "Schedules" "Notes For the Staff" ... because communication is done all on the app.
-We require the leaders in our buildings to communicate at the end of every shift using the manager log book "Stellar Status Staff" "Needs Improvement Staff" "Customer Complaints" are the titles of the logs... so everyday we know who is the top performer of the day...who is not so great for that day... and any customer issues that happened for that day. It keeps everyone in the loop on WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR STORES! I JUST LOVE IT
For Cons
-I honestly have none. Everything I would have listed as a con, was simply because I didn't understand a certain feature with notifications, and again.... the guys at 7shifts actually answer your questions.... so I have no complaints at all!!
YOU GUYS ARE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB!
It is easy to use and someone is always there to help if we have questions, comments or concerns. It has made scheduling easier on us and our staff. Everything is right there on your phone.
Pros
We have 50+ employees at our restaurant. It used to be difficult looking up everyone's availability and time off. Now with just a mouse click everything you need to know about each individuals availability and time off is at your finger tips. It saves our management team so much time!
Cons
When you decline a request off and put in a reason why we can not figure out how the staff member sees those. It's most likely us and user error?
Thanks for the review Mallory!
Overall, it has made our scheduling much easier and intuitive to use. Our employees have much better access to the schedule and the ability to request time off and make changes.
Pros
Setup was simple, customer service was excellent all the way through the process and continues to be helpful! The ability to read reports and easily get data on a daily basis really has helped with making smart business decisions.
Cons
Ability to post schedule from the app or a managers app would be helpful.
Thanks for the kind words Fenn. We really enjoy working with your team at Higherground and look forward to rolling out improvements to our manager app in the future to do exactly what you envision. Thanks!
I used to schedule my staff with an excel spreadsheet, screenshot and posted to a Facebook Forum. It was a madhouse trying to deal with shift swaps and reading the staff clockin/out cards to match their shifts. With a growing company this just wasn't gonna cut it anymore. 7shifts popped up in my personal Facebook feed and the rest is Kismet. The software has helped clean up so many of my payroll processes, allows my staff to switch shifts with only others of the same experience level or higher (so I ALWAYS have a manager on shift and not a hoard of brand new employees), helps my managers reach staff more easily, is so easy to understand that I haven't had to train the new staff on it and combined with the 7punches Clock-in/out software- I can relax knowing my staff can't clock in if they aren't on the schedule and my staff can breathe easily with the ability to calculate their paycheck in advance! The staff at 7shifts has always been extremely helpful and always welcoming for suggestions and updates. I can't imagine moving to any other system and am so glad I found it!