Tips for reviewing and choosing hospitality rota software

Identifying when rota software is right for your hospitality business 

The first question to answer when reviewing and choosing hospitality rota software is ‘Do I need it?’. 9 times out of 10 the answer to this question will be yes. But before we move onto that, here’s why it might not be right for you. Put very simply, if you operate one site with less than five employees, rota software may just not be necessary. You might be quite happy building your staff rotas on Excel and sharing them with your team via WhatsApp, for example. The financial investment in rota software, simply is not justified by the time and effort it would save you. 

However, if you’re reading this, it’s likely you fall into the other category. You’re aware that there is a financial investment involved, but this investment is outweighed by the benefits. You’ve identified that rota software IS right for your hospitality business because of what you gain from using it, for example...   

• Time saved on building and editing staff rotas  
• Greater visibility and control over costs 
• Improved payroll accuracy  
• Effortless time & attendance management  
• Better employee communication 
• Empowered employees, as a result of giving them the right tools for the job 

… the list goes on 

Rota software, also often referred to as a workforce management solution, comes in a whole range of shapes and sizes. Meaning there’s something out there for everyone, regardless of your business size and set up. So, the question really is ‘WHICH rota software is right for my hospitality business?’. And we’re well aware that finding the answer that question can be daunting. Fortunately, we’re pretty well versed in the world of rota software here at Access, so we’ve pulled together the key functionalities to look out for and the questions you should be asking to ensure you choose the perfect solution for you.   

Key features and functionality to review when choosing hospitality rota software 

As mentioned previously, exactly what you need your rota software to do will depend on your business size and overall set-up. So, before you set about your search for the perfect staff scheduling partner, make sure you have a solid list of requirements in place. Get your key stakeholders together and identify exactly what’s needed. Here we discuss some of the key features and functionalities to look out for, why they may or may not be a priority for you and examples of some of the questions you might want to ask potential vendors… 

Rota scheduling 

Regardless of your business size, this one is a minimum requirement of any rota software. Does it enable you to easily build staff rotas? If the answer is no, then you’re not off to a great start. 

When it comes to rota scheduling, you may also want to consider if the solution has a template or automatic scheduling functionality. There will be a degree of similarity between your staff rotas, so one of your requirements may be for a solution that allows you to create templates to specify your fixed or baseline staffing levels. This functionality will enable you to automatically assign shifts to available & eligible employees, and ideally balance rest and fairness across your workforce, if there’s room to do so. 

To help you identify these similarities automatically, another functionality you may want to add to your list of requirements is shift recommendations; essentially the rota software’s ability to learn from your past choices and recommend shifts based on that insight. A feature of this ilk could save you a huge amount of time when building and modifying rotas, as well as help improve the efficiency of your staff rotas. 

Questions you may want to ask about rota building… 

• Is there a drag and drop functionality?  
• Can I create templates for common scheduling trends? 
• How long will it take me to build a staff rota? 
• As I make changes to the rota, are those changes validated against my business requirements? 
• Can I see the wage cost of my rota whilst I am building it and compare this to my budgets? 
• Can I see upcoming covers & reservations whilst I am building my rota? 
• Can the rota software intelligently recommend shifts?  
• What logic informs the shift recommendations I am given? 

Time and attendance management 

With a solution that tracks staff time and flags any attendance issues, you can always be sure that you’re paying your staff accurately.   

For many hospitality operators a system that automatically applies your rounding rules, such as when someone turns up early or leaves late, can be a huge benefit. Accurate time and attendance data is crucial for accurate payroll, so a solution that takes care of this for you will be a big time saver. 
 
Another factor to consider here is how employees clock in and out. The approach you want to take will likely depend on your business set-up but make sure you’re chosen solution has an option that works for you. Popular choices include mobile clock-in using, the use of biometric devices or clocking-in and out via an on-site device, such as a tablet. 

Questions you may want to ask about T&A… 

• How will my employees clock in and out. And does this suit my business set-up?  
• Are any attendance issues flagged automatically?  
• … how easy are these to resolve? 
• Is the time & attendance data captured accurate enough to directly inform payroll? 
• How easy is it to manage sickness & no shows? 

Intelligent forecasting  

You’ll know as well as us that there are many different factors that can influence the footfall to a pub, bar, café or restaurant. Whether it’s a change in the weather, sporting or seasonal event, there are a number of things to consider. For a single site pub, bar or restaurant with a relatively consistent footfall, this feature may not be high on the priority list. But for a multi-site hospitality business with different locations and business models; rota software with a demand forecasting functionality, could be of great benefit.   

A workforce management solution that uses artificial intelligence to forecast footfall and revenue, combined with live weather forecasts, will help you make more informed scheduling decisions with minimal manual input. Meaning you can be confident that you’ll always have the right number of staff on hand to meet demand. 

Questions you may want to ask about forecasting… 

• What factors/metrics are used to predict sales? 
• How accurate are the sales forecasts? 
• Can you forecast hourly as well as daily? 
• Can you forecast by revenue stream e.g., wet/dry? 

Payroll and tip distribution 

Staff scheduling goes hand in hand with payroll. So, whether it comes as part of your rota software, or is integrated via another system, it’s an important one to consider. The main benefit of an integrated approach to payroll is the time saved for your payroll team, as well as the accuracy you gain from using signed off time & attendance data from your rota software, to inform payroll. 

Part of your consideration here will likely be for ensuring fair tip distribution. If that’s something your business typically struggles to calculate, or you are in the process of finding an approach that works for you and your team, then tronc calculations may be another one to add to your list of criteria. Many workforce management solutions offer a feature that enables you to automatically calculate and process tronc payments in a fair way, that also suits your set up. 

Questions you may want to ask… 

• I have an existing payroll solution that I would like to keep, does this rota software integrate with it? 
• I don’t currently have a payroll solution, what are my options?  
• Is there a way for me to distribute tips easily and fairly, like a tronc tool?  
• Do I have options around how I distribute tips e.g., based on hours worked or a points system? 

HR functionality 

As is the case with payroll, HR goes hand in hand with staff scheduling. Whilst HR covers many areas, there are a few that are particularly crucial when building staff rotas and may be an essential requirement for your chosen rota software to have. Here are a few key factors you may want to consider… 

Compliance (HR)   

Making sure you’re hitting the right standards when it comes to the likes of the working time regulations and break policies can be easier said than done; especially if you have lots of staff and multiple sites. If your rota software automatically considers the following when building staff rotas, and flags up any issues, you can assure compliance with minimal effort:

• • Working time validation  
  • Contractual obligations  
  • Overtime rules  
  • Break policies 

And of course, there’s GDPR compliance to account for when it comes to handling employee information. Which leads us on nicely to…  

Employee information & document management (HR) 

Typically, you will require certain information from an employee when they first join your business. And it makes sense for a lot of this to be hosted within your rota software, as information such as date of birth and contracted hours will be used to inform scheduling decisions. You’ll also want to make sure that any sensitive information or important documents, such as employee contracts and passport details, are being stored securely. So, make sure your rota software offers secure document storage and flexible permission levels to help you remove the risk of employee information ending up in the wrong hands and ensure GDPR compliance. 

You may also want to consider how this information is captured. Rota software with an employee self-onboarding functionality could be a big time saver for you and your business and help improve accuracy of employee data 

E-signatures (HR) 

When it comes to employee contracts, rota software that offers a document signing functionality can also be highly beneficial; helping you automate employee onboarding and keep all key information under one roof. A top tip here is to make sure the document signing offering is legally binding, as this can’t always be taken for granted. 

Holiday requests & accrual calculations (HR)

Also falling under the HR bracket is holiday management. Another requirement you may have for your chosen solution is for it to give your team the ability to easily request time off, view upcoming absences and for you to approve or reject these requests. 

And then there’s automated holiday accrual calculations. A manual approach to this is often a real headache and time consuming to get right. Fortunately, there are rota systems out there that will use your time & attendance data to automatically take care of this for you. So, if you’re currently spending a huge amount of time on these manual calculations and are struggling with accuracy, this might be a key feature to add to your list of criteria.  

It's worth noting that there are solutions available which can give you forward visibility of your accrued holiday costs by factoring it into the labour costs of your rotas. These solutions have the ability to smooth this cost out over the time period it’s accrued, rather than causing a spike in your wage costs on the days the holiday is taken. A real benefit to many hospitality businesses. 

Questions you may want to ask about HR… 

• Can I store important employee documents securely?  
• Do you offer legally binding e-signing? 
• How do my employees request time off? 
• Does the solution take care of my holiday accrual calculations?   
• Is there an employee self-onboarding functionality?  
• Can the rota software store chronological employment and job role history for my employees? 
• Are leavers and re-joiners seamlessly handled? 
• Can I add future dated pay or role changes?  
• Are there flexible permission levels? 

Mobile optimisation 

With so many of us on the go nowadays, having all the information you need in the palm of your hand, has become more and more sought after. With this in mind, mobile useability is likely to rank pretty high on your list of priorities particularly if you’re regularly moving between sites. Rota software that’s optimised for mobile; whether that’s via a native mobile app or browser based, can bring many benefits to both managers and employees. 

Here are some of the questions you may want to ask of the mobile offering… 

• From their mobile device, can managers… 
  • View absence requests 
  • Make changes to the rota 
  • View performance across sites 

• Is there a mobile app that allows employees to…  
  • See their tips 
  • View the rota 
  • See open shifts 
  • Request holiday  
  • Swap shifts 
  • View clock-in/out times 
  • See accrued holiday hours 
  • Update personal information 
  • See their payslip 
  • Are there any limitations in terms of browser or device type e.g., iOS vs Android?  

Messaging 

Whether or not you have a messaging solution in place already, it’s a good feature to have on your list of requirements for your rota software. Messaging functionality that either comes with, or is integrated with, your rota software can really aid communication between teams and across multiple sites.  Whether an employee needs to check if someone wants to swap shifts, or you need a way to drop a memo to your team about an upcoming event, messaging makes it both easy and efficient to instantly contact your colleagues, from within your rota software. 

Questions you may want to ask about messaging…  

• Is there a messaging feature? 
• Can I create group conversations? 
• Is messaging in real-time? 
• Is the messaging feature optimised for mobile and desktop?

Cost management 

It may be the last on this list, but it is by no means the last. Cost is a crucial consideration for any hospitality business. And no matter what the business size, with so many areas to account for, visibility over spend on wages vs sales for example, can be an issue. If you fall into this bracket, keep an eye out for rota software that allows you to easily manage hours and wage costs, see real-time sales and compare against predictions and budgets. So, you always have full visibility and control over where you’re spending and how you can become more efficient. 

Questions you may want to ask about cost management… 

• How does this rota software help me manage my costs? 
• Can I set KPI’s for my business? 
• Does it calculate gross wage costs including employer taxes, pension & accrued holiday? 
• Can I track my own metrics e.g., number of burgers sold? 
• Is it easy to compare forecast vs actual vs budget? 
• Is it easy to compare against the same period last year, for example? 
• Does it include calculations for wage percentage, productivity and covers per labour hour? 
• Can I see aggregated figures across all my sites? 

Ready to streamline your team’s scheduling process?

We've covered a lot in this article, you weren’t wrong in thinking there’s a lot to consider when reviewing and choosing hospitality rota software. We’ve looked at everything from when you need rota software, what to consider when reviewing rota software and the right questions to ask potential vendors. So, we hope you’re armed with all the knowledge to help you choose the perfect solution for you. 

Before you do reach out to different suppliers get together with your key stakeholders and identify your top criteria based on the information above. Be sure to consider budget, existing integrations, departmental priorities and any plans for future growth. 

Once you have identified your priorities, you’re ready to create your shortlist. You’ll be able to find a lot of information online, but be sure to ask for product demos, pricing information and case studies from similar businesses, to help you make an informed decision. 

Here at Access Hospitality, we offer rota software solutions to suit hospitality businesses of all shapes and sizes. If you’re interested in finding out more about how we can help you with all your workforce management needs, just get in touch here and one of our experts will be in touch to advise you on the perfect Access Hospitality solution for your business.