As a retail store owner, you’re probably skilled at juggling multiple things at once and wearing multiple hats. But, let’s face it, you can’t run the whole store on your own. That means you have to worry about managing a team of staff to keep the lights on.
Managing a retail team can be challenging — scheduling shifts, tracking hours, and ensuring compliance with labor laws, all while keeping your store running smoothly takes time and careful attention.
That’s where the right retail employee management software, like an all-in-one point of sale (POS) solution, can make all the difference.
In this blog, we'll dive into the top picks for retail employee management software in 2024. These tools will help you streamline scheduling, manage payroll, improve team communication, and easily track performance.
Why Retail Employee Management Is Essential
Managing a retail team involves a lot of moving parts. Whether you’re a small shop or a larger retail operation, handling everything manually can quickly become overwhelming. From scheduling shifts to tracking employee attendance and monitoring labor costs, these tasks can eat up a lot of your time.
Retail employee management software offers a centralized solution to streamline and automate these processes. It can save you hours each week, help reduce payroll errors, and improve employee satisfaction by offering better scheduling and communication tools.
Key benefits:
- Time savings through automation of scheduling, time tracking, and payroll.
- Reduced payroll errors thanks to integrated time tracking and labor compliance features.
- Improved employee satisfaction through transparent scheduling and better communication tools.
Now that you understand the purpose and importance of retail employee management software, let’s dive into the role of a point of sale (POS) solution and how it plays into your operations.
Related Read: What Percentage of Revenue Should Be Spent on Payroll?
The Role of a POS System:
Many modern POS systems come with built-in employee management features, such as clocking in/out, tracking employee sales performance, and monitoring labor costs in real time.
By integrating your POS system with employee management software, you can ensure that your scheduling is aligned with your store’s sales patterns and customer traffic, reducing downtime and improving efficiency. This means you’ll have the right staff available when you need them most, and downtime will be minimized.
Key Features To Look for in Retail Employee Management Software
When evaluating employee management software for your retail store, it’s important to consider the following key features:
- Scheduling tools: Easy-to-use features that reduce conflicts, allow for shift swaps, and ensure proper coverage.
- Time tracking and attendance: Features that accurately track employee hours, prevent time theft, and ensure overtime is managed correctly.
- Labor cost management: Tools that link employee hours with sales data to give you a clear picture of profitability to help control costs.
- Mobile access: Allowing employees to view schedules, request time off, or swap shifts via mobile apps eliminates last-minute requests.
- Reporting and analytics: Detailed reports on employee performance, labor costs, and trends to help you make data-driven decisions and adjust schedules based on sales.
Let’s look at five retail employee management software picks and how they might fit into your business.
Related Read: What is the Difference Between Payroll and Income Taxes?
Employee Management Software Pick 1: Rippling
Rippling is an all-in-one HR and employee management solution that’s perfect for growing retail businesses. It helps you manage everything from employee onboarding to payroll and benefits administration.
Features and benefits:
- Automated payroll and tax filing to save you time and reduce errors
- Employee scheduling and time tracking features can integrate with payroll
- HR tools like document management and compliance tracking to stay on top of labor laws
Cost: Pricing varies based on the size of your business and the features you need, but Rippling typically starts at around $8 per employee per month.
Related Read: 9 Must-Have Features for Your Next Small Business Retail POS System
Employee Management Software Pick 2: Zoho People
Zoho People offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing employee records, time tracking, and performance reviews. It's particularly useful for businesses that need flexibility and customization in their employee management systems.
Features and benefits:
- Customizable scheduling and shift management
- Attendance tracking, time-off requests, and overtime management
- Employee self-service portal for managing schedules and requests
- Integration with other Zoho apps for a fully connected solution
Cost: Zoho People offers a free plan for small teams, with paid plans starting at $1 per user per month.
Related Read: 4 Strategies for Grocery Store Employee Management
Employee Management Software Pick 3: Gusto
Gusto is best known for its payroll software, but it also offers employee management features that are particularly beneficial for small retail businesses. Its all-in-one approach helps you manage your team without needing multiple systems.
Features and benefits:
- Streamlined payroll, benefits administration, and compliance management
- Time tracking and scheduling tools that sync with payroll
- Easy-to-use platform that helps with employee onboarding and performance management
Cost: Gusto’s pricing starts at $40 per month, plus $6 per employee for the core plan.
Employee Management Software Pick 4: 15five
15Five is an employee performance management tool that also includes tools for tracking time and attendance. It’s especially useful for businesses that want to focus on employee engagement and performance reviews, in addition to scheduling.
Features and benefits:
- Employee check-ins, feedback, and performance review tools
- Time tracking and attendance features that integrate with payroll
- Employee recognition and goal-setting tools to improve morale and productivity
Cost: Plans start at $7 per user per month.
Employee Management Software Pick 5: Deputy
Deputy is a popular scheduling and workforce management software used by retail stores to optimize shift scheduling, track attendance, and manage compliance. It’s known for its ease of use and powerful mobile app.
Features and Benefits:
- Drag-and-drop scheduling to create and manage shifts quickly
- Time tracking and attendance monitoring with mobile clock-ins
- Labor cost management tools that sync with sales data for efficient scheduling
- Employee communication tools, including shift reminders and announcements
Cost: Deputy’s pricing starts at $2.50 per user per month, with additional costs for advanced features.
An Employee Management Software That Does It All
If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution that combines retail employee management with POS functionality, POS Nation offers an integrated platform that can streamline your entire business.
With POS Nation, you can manage your retail employees’ schedules, track their sales performance, handle payroll, and manage labor costs — all from one system.
Our POS system integrates seamlessly with employee management features to ensure your scheduling aligns with your store’s sales patterns and customer traffic. Plus, you get real-time analytics that can help you make better staffing decisions and reduce labor costs.
Manage Retail Employees with POS Nation
Managing your retail employees doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right software, you can automate many of the time-consuming tasks involved in employee management and focus on growing your business.
The key features to look for in retail employee management software include scheduling, time tracking, payroll integration, mobile access, and analytics. POS Nation offers a comprehensive POS system that meets all these needs and helps you improve your workforce management.
Ready to make employee management easier? Schedule a demo with POS Nation today and see how our platform can help your retail business run more smoothly.
