Staff rota software brings your rota, your team’s availability and the hours worked together in one system. Your team tells you in an app when they can work. You put the shifts on the rota and publish it. Then your team clocks in and the approved hours go straight to payroll. No spreadsheet, no photo of the rota in the group chat, and no ringing round when someone drops out.
Below you’ll find how that works in a normal week, with examples from hospitality and retail, where the rota is different every week.
How staff rota software works in 7 steps
1. You set up your business once
First you fill in the basics: your sites, your roles (such as bar, kitchen or till) and your staff with their contracted hours. Shifts that come back every week you set up once as well. After that, you only update what changes.
2. Your team passes on their availability
Staff enter in the app when they can and can’t work, for a single day or as a repeating pattern. Students add their school timetable. You set a deadline, for example Thursday for the following week. No more chasing people, and the answers are ready when you sit down to plan.
3. You build the rota
On one screen you see who is available and how many hours each person is contracted for. You drag shifts into place, or load a week that went well as a template. Under each day you see what the staffing costs, so the wage bill doesn’t catch you out afterwards.
4. You publish the rota
While you’re still moving things around, your team sees nothing. Before you publish, you see which shifts clash, such as someone booked twice or outside their availability. Once published, everyone sees their shifts in the app straight away. No more printout on the staffroom wall that’s out of date by the next day.
5. You deal with changes
Someone calls in sick or wants to swap. Instead of ringing round yourself, you open the shift up. Colleagues with the right role see it in the app and respond. You choose who gets it. Shift swaps between colleagues work the same way: you approve, and the rota updates.
6. Your team clocks in
Staff clock in on a tablet at work, in the app, or enter their hours afterwards. The software puts the hours worked next to the rota. Anyone who clocked in late, or not at all, stands out immediately.
7. You approve the hours and export them
You only look at the exceptions and approve the rest in one go. The hours go to payroll, including any enhanced rates. With an integration you don’t retype anything.
What does staff rota software give you?
Always enough people on the floor
You see in advance whether every shift is covered. That stops long waits on busy evenings and an unstaffed till on Saturday.
A team that feels listened to
Staff pass on when they can work and see their rota on their phone. Fewer misunderstandings, less back and forth about who’s working when.
Less time spent on planning
No spreadsheet to maintain and no messages to find out who’s free. A week that went well, you reuse.
Control over wage costs
You see the cost per day while you plan. So you spot overstaffing and overtime before they cost you money, not afterwards.
Quick to adapt when it’s busy or someone drops out
When someone’s off sick or it suddenly gets busy, you open a shift up and your team responds. All you have to do is choose.
What to look for when choosing
An app your team actually uses.
If staff don’t open the app, you’ll still be sending messages.
Paying for who works.
In hospitality and retail your team changes with the seasons. With a price per active member of staff, you don’t pay for summer staff who aren’t working in winter.
A link to your payroll.
Otherwise you’ll still be retyping hours.
Help with setting up.
A real person on the phone saves you a lot of time in the first weeks.
A free trial with your own team.
Only once you’ve actually planned a week do you know if it works.
How it works in Tiemdo
Tiemdo is staff rota software for hospitality, leisure and retail. Every step above is included: availability with a deadline, open shifts, templates, wage costs per day, clocking in and payroll integrations. You pay £1 per active member of staff per month for rota planning, or £2 with clocking in and time tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Is staff rota software also suitable for a small team?
Yes. As soon as your rota changes every week, you’ll notice the difference with just a few staff. With Tiemdo you pay per active member of staff: a team of 12 costs £12 a month.
What’s the difference with a rota in Excel?
Excel is a separate file. You keep track yourself of who’s available, who’s swapping and who worked how many hours. Staff rota software links availability, rota and hours together. Read more in Scheduling staff in Excel for hospitality.
How quickly can I get started?
You create an account and plan your first week straight away. Help with setting up is included.
Conclusion
Staff rota software takes over the work you now do in Excel, the group chat and loose lists. Your team passes on availability, you plan and publish, and the hours go straight to payroll. Curious how that works for your business? Take a look at our staff rota software or try Tiemdo free for 30 days, no credit card needed.