What Is A Workforce Management Tool?
A workforce management tool is a software solution that helps businesses plan, track, and optimise how employees work. It typically combines:
- Employee scheduling and shift planning
- Time and attendance tracking system
- Absence and leave management
- Labor forecasting and budgeting
- Workforce analytics and reporting
You will also see it described as workforce management software, workforce management system, or workforce optimization software. While an HRMS focuses on employee records and policies, workforce management tools focus on day-to-day staffing, time capture, and labor cost optimization.
For many organisations, this software sits between HR, operations, and payroll, connecting people data to actual work on the ground.
Top 8 Workforce Management Tools For 2025
There are many workforce management tools in the market, from lightweight staff scheduling software to full enterprise workforce management software solutions. The eight options below cover a mix of use cases, industries, and company sizes.
Use this list to understand where each tool fits, then match it with your own requirements, locations, and workforce type.
1. Truein: Workforce Management Tool For Contract And Deskless Staff
Truein is a workforce management tool designed for companies with contract, field, and deskless employees. It replaces paper registers, shared devices, and unreliable punch clocks with accurate, face recognition-based attendance and job scheduling.
Best for: Construction, facilities management, security, manufacturing, retail chains, and any organisation with distributed or shift-based frontline teams.
Key capabilities
- Face recognition attendance with anti-buddy punching controls
- Mobile and kiosk-based time and attendance tracking system for multiple sites
- Shift planning and rostering with rules for overtime, weekly offs, and rotations
- Geo restrictions and site-level policies for remote and deskless workforce management
- Exports and integrations that create payroll-ready data with minimal manual edits
If you want to see how Truein can centralise attendance and scheduling across all locations, you can schedule a demo and walk through your use case with a product expert.
2. Workday: Enterprise Workforce Management Software
Workday is a cloud-based workforce management tool that combines HCM, payroll, and workforce optimization software in one platform. It is built for large enterprises that need integrated HR and workforce management software solutions.
Best for: Global enterprises that want a single HCM, payroll, and workforce management system.
Key capabilities
- Forecasting and scheduling based on demand, skills, and cost
- Time and attendance tracking with strong rules and compliance features
- Integrated HR and payroll software with a single employee record
- Workforce analytics and reporting across locations and business units
3. UKG Ready: All-in-One Workforce Management System
UKG Ready (earlier Kronos) focuses on time, scheduling, and leave inside one workforce management system. It offers strong labor compliance features for complex industries.
Best for: Mid-sized and large organisations needing detailed labor rules and compliance with labor laws.
Key capabilities
- Advanced shift planning and rostering with overtime and break rules
- Absence and leave management aligned with local regulations
- Detailed labor cost optimisation dashboards and real-time alerts
- Integrations with payroll, HR, and other enterprise systems
4. BambooHR: HR Suite With Time And Attendance
BambooHR is best known as an HR platform, but it also offers time tracking and basic staff scheduling software for salaried and hourly employees.
Best for: Growing companies that want simple workforce management tools inside a broader HR suite.
Key capabilities
- Central employee records plus time off and absence management
- Simple time and attendance tracking for projects and teams
- Performance management and engagement tools on top of WFM basics
- Integrations with payroll and other business apps
5. Connecteam: Mobile Workforce Management App
Connecteam is a mobile workforce management app built for frontline and deskless teams. It focuses on communication, task management, and light workforce management features.
Best for: Service businesses with many field employees and a heavy need for mobile communication.
Key capabilities
- Shift scheduling, employee scheduling, and time tracking software in one app
- Checklists, tasks, and forms for operational workflows
- Team chat and announcements to keep frontline teams aligned
- GPS-based clock-in and out for remote and deskless workforce management
6. Deputy: Shift Planning And Time Tracking
Deputy is a well-known staff scheduling software that also handles time and attendance. It is widely used in hospitality, retail, and healthcare.
Best for: Shift-heavy environments where scheduling and coverage are the main challenges.
Key capabilities
- Drag and drop shift planning and rostering with cost estimates
- A time and attendance tracking system that feeds into payroll
- Leave requests, availability, and shift swap management for employees
- Forecasting based on demand trends and labour budgets
7. Quikchex: India Focused Workforce Management Software
Quikchex is a cloud-based HR and payroll platform with workforce management software tailored to Indian businesses.
Best for: Indian SMEs that want HR, payroll, and workforce management tools under one roof.
Key capabilities
- Attendance and leave tracking for office and remote staff
- Indian payroll calculations with statutory compliance built in
- Shift scheduling and late coming policies for the shop floor and offices
- ESS portal for employees to view payslips and manage requests
8. ADP Workforce Now: Payroll First With WFM Add-ons
ADP Workforce Now is a payroll-centric platform that offers workforce management modules for time, scheduling, and absence.
Best for: Organisations that already rely on ADP for payroll and want to extend into workforce management software.
Key capabilities
- Time tracking and leave management connected to ADP payroll
- Basic staff scheduling tools for hourly employees
- Compliance features for overtime, breaks, and record keeping
- Integrations with HR, benefits, and other systems
After shortlisting tools, it helps to run a pilot with a small location or business unit before rolling the workforce management system across the organisation.
Key Features To Look For In A Workforce Management Tool
Before buying any workforce management tool, be clear about the jobs it must do. The features below are essential for most teams.
Time And Attendance Tracking
Your workforce management software should provide accurate, tamper-resistant time capture for every employee and location.
Look for:
- Multiple options such as mobile, kiosk, or web-based clocks
- Geo fencing or site based controls for field teams
- Automatic rounding, overtime rules, and grace period handling
This is the foundation that feeds payroll, labor cost optimisation, and compliance.
Employee Scheduling And Shift Planning
Strong staff scheduling software helps ensure the right number of people are available at the right time, without overstaffing.
Look for:
- Visual shift planning and rostering tools
- Templates for recurring schedules and rotations
- Alerts for overlapping shifts, conflicts, or excessive overtime
When scheduling is connected to a time and attendance tracking system, you get a complete view of planned versus actual hours.
Absence And Leave Management
Manual leave tracking quickly becomes messy across locations and teams. Your workforce management system should automate leave balances and approvals.
Look for:
- Configurable leave types and policies
- Self service requests via web or mobile apps
- Real time visibility of who is on leave while scheduling
This reduces back and forth and helps managers plan around planned absences.
Integrations With Payroll And HR
Workforce management tools work best when they connect seamlessly to your HR and payroll stack.
Look for:
- Direct integrations or simple exports to your payroll provider
- Syncing of employee records from your HR or HCM system
- Support for different pay rules, allowances, and deductions
Integrated HR and payroll software reduces double entry and makes audits much easier.
Workforce Analytics And Reporting
Good workforce analytics and reporting turn raw time data into decisions.
Look for:
- Dashboards for labor cost by location, project, or department
- Overtime and absenteeism reports
- Trend analysis for forecasting and budgeting
Analytics will show where you can save costs, add staff, or fix process issues.
Mobile Access For Deskless Teams
If you employ field workers or have multiple sites, a mobile workforce management app is critical.
Look for:
- Simple mobile clock in and clock out flows
- Offline support where connectivity is poor
- Push notifications for shift reminders and updates
This keeps your workforce management tool useful on the ground, not just in the head office. If you want to test a All-in-One solution purpose-built for contract and field staff, you can schedule a demo with the Truein team.
Benefits Of Workforce Management Software
A well-chosen workforce management tool is not just another system. It directly impacts cost, compliance, and employee experience.
Lower Labor Costs And Overtime
When schedules and hours are visible in one place, managers can avoid overstaffing, unnecessary overtime, and late changes.
Research summarised by multiple vendors, including Aberdeen Group, shows that organisations with advanced scheduling and workforce management solutions can reduce labor costs by around 12%.
Better forecasting and labor cost optimisation help you maintain service levels without overspending on staffing.
Fewer Payroll Errors And Time Theft
Manual processes are expensive in hidden ways. According to the American Payroll Association, manual timecard processing has an error rate of 1 to 8% of total payroll, and employees using paper timesheets can “steal” about 4.5 hours per week through time theft (American Payroll Association via MyTimesheets).
Another article on payroll software notes that 51% of organisations still use spreadsheets and manual processes to complete payroll and that companies that adopt payroll software experience 31% fewer payroll errors (The Tech Diary).
When your workforce management system captures time reliably and feeds it into payroll, you reduce both honest mistakes and deliberate abuse.
Better Compliance With Labor Laws
Workforce management tools help you respect break rules, daily and weekly hour limits, and overtime regulations. They also keep detailed audit trails of attendance, shifts, and approvals.
That combination makes it easier to respond to inspections, disputes, or internal audits and significantly reduces the risk of non-compliance penalties.
Improved Employee Experience
Employees want predictable schedules, fair overtime, and easy access to their time and leave information. Self-service portals and mobile apps inside workforce management software give them:
- Visibility into upcoming shifts and changes
- Simple ways to request time off or shift swaps
- Confidence that hours worked are captured correctly
A better experience leads to higher engagement and lower turnover.
How Truein Simplifies Workforce Management For Field And Contract Teams?
Most generic workforce management tools are built for office staff. They struggle with construction sites, manufacturing plants, project-based contracts, and other environments where people move between locations.
Truein was built for this world.
It combines time and attendance tracking, contract policy enforcement, and workforce analytics into one workforce management tool that works on mobile phones and shared kiosks.
How Truein solves day-to-day workforce management pain points
- No more buddy punching: Face recognition attendance and geofencing ensure that only the right person can clock in at the right site.
- Contract compliance on autopilot: You can configure company, contractor, or location specific rules for overtime, weekly offs, and shift limits.
- Shift planning that respects real constraints: Managers can plan rosters based on skills, locations, and availability, and view real time headcount coverage.
- Payroll ready data: Approved hours flow directly into exports and integrations so payroll teams do not have to clean up spreadsheets.
- Clear visibility for operations: Dashboards show who is present, who is late, and where gaps exist across all sites.
If you would like to see how Truein can replace manual registers and unreliable devices at your sites, you can schedule a demo and explore a customised setup for your organisation.
Conclusion
There is no single best workforce management tool for every company. The right choice depends on:
- Size and distribution of your workforce
- Mix of office, frontline, and contract employees
- Complexity of shifts, overtime, and leave rules
- Existing HR and payroll systems
Start by mapping your current processes and pain points. Then shortlist two or three workforce management software solutions that match your needs. Run a pilot, involve managers and payroll teams, and only then roll it out company wide.
If contract and deskless staff are central to your operations, Truein should be on that shortlist. You can schedule demo to understand how it fits into your existing workflows.
FAQs
What Is A Workforce Management Tool?
A workforce management tool is software that helps organisations plan schedules, track working hours, manage leave, and analyse labor costs. It combines staff scheduling software, time and attendance tracking, and basic HR workflows so you can manage staffing in one system.
How Is Workforce Management Software Different From HR Software?
Workforce management software focuses on day to day operations such as scheduling, attendance, and labor cost optimisation. HR software or HRMS focuses on employee records, performance reviews, and policies. Many companies use integrated HR and payroll software that includes workforce management modules.
Do Small Businesses Really Need Workforce Management Tools?
Small businesses benefit from workforce management tools whenever they have hourly staff, shifts, or multiple locations. Even a lightweight workforce management system can reduce payroll errors, improve compliance with labor laws, and save managers hours of manual work each month.
Which Workforce Management Features Matter Most For Deskless Teams?
For deskless or field teams, the most important features are a mobile workforce management app, reliable time and attendance tracking, geo based controls, and clear shift planning. These help managers see who is on site and ensure accurate pay for workers who do not sit at a desk.
Can Workforce Management Tools Integrate With My Existing Payroll?
Most modern workforce management tools integrate with popular payroll providers or offer simple exports. When evaluating options, confirm that the system can send approved hours, overtime, and leave data into your payroll software to avoid double entry and reduce errors.
How Should I Compare Different Workforce Management Tools?
You should compare workforce management tools based on fit with your industry, support for your scheduling rules, mobile experience, reporting depth, and integration options. It also helps to run a short pilot and get feedback from managers, HR, and payroll before making a long term choice.
