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Jan 28, 2025

Crew: Features, Reviews & Alternatives

Crew is a digital workplace platform designed to connect and empower frontline teams. It serves industries like healthcare, retail, and food services, offering functionalities such as team communication, labor optimization, and task management.

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HR professionals, we know the pressure is on when it comes to finding the right tools to keep your operations running smoothly. If you're exploring alternatives to Crew, you're in the right place. Let's dive into four solid options that might just be the perfect fit for your team.

What is Crew?

Crew

Crew is a digital workplace platform designed to connect and empower frontline teams. It serves industries like healthcare, retail, and food services, offering functionalities such as team communication, labor optimization, and task management. Trusted by over 1 million frontline team members, Crew helps solve problems like shift gaps and multilingual communication, ensuring efficient and engaged operations.

Features of Crew

When considering Crew for your team, it's essential to understand the unique features it offers:

  • Team Communication: Crew provides a platform for seamless communication among team members, ensuring everyone stays connected and engaged.
  • Task Execution: Integrated task management guarantees flawless execution by unifying tasks with communication, scheduling, and other key workflows.
  • Real-time Analytics: Gain immediate insights into workforce management with advanced reporting tools, helping you make data-driven decisions.
  • Customizable User Interface: Deploy templates and task assignment tools to streamline work, with options for white-glove and customized deployments.
  • Seamless Integration with Existing Systems: Crew integrates with critical operations and reporting tools, ensuring smooth workflows and minimal disruption.

Challenges and Drawbacks of Crew

While Crew offers a robust platform for frontline teams, it does come with some challenges. Pricing concerns are often cited, as the cost can be prohibitive for smaller organizations. Additionally, some users have reported slower processing speeds, which can be frustrating during peak usage times. These issues might make Crew less appealing for budget-conscious teams or those needing rapid, real-time updates.

Crew might not be the best fit for organizations requiring advanced analytics or highly customizable reporting tools. Although it provides real-time mobile updates, the platform's analytics capabilities may not meet the needs of data-driven teams looking for in-depth insights. If your team relies heavily on detailed analytics, exploring alternatives with more robust data features could be beneficial.

Crew's Reviews

Users have shared mixed reviews about Crew, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. Many appreciate its user-friendly interface and effective team communication features, but some have expressed frustration with its pricing and occasional slow processing speeds. Overall, Crew has received a rating of 4.2 out of 5.

  • "Crew has significantly improved our team's communication and task management, making our operations smoother." - John D.
  • "The cost can be a bit high for smaller teams, and sometimes the app lags during peak hours." - Sarah K.

For more detailed reviews, visit oneReviews.

Best Alternatives to Crew

1) Teamsense

Teamsense

TeamSense offers a text-first, fully automated absence reporting system that simplifies attendance tracking for diverse workforces.

  • Features: Text-based call-offs in native languages, instant notifications to managers, integration with HRIS for accurate timecards, automated translations, showing employees points & attendance history before the call-off.
  • Pricing: TeamSense offers flexible pricing plans starting at $500 per month, with a yearly minimum spend of $6,000. The plans are designed to cater to different business needs, from basic attendance solutions to comprehensive enterprise features.
  • Reviews: TeamSense has received positive feedback from users, earning a rating of 4.5 out of 5. Users appreciate its ease of use, seamless integration, and the significant improvement in attendance tracking and communication within their teams.

2) Connecteam

Connecteam

Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management app designed to simplify daily operations, enhance communication, and manage HR tasks for deskless teams. It helps businesses manage scheduling, time tracking, daily operations, internal communications, and employee growth, all from a single platform.

  • Features: Team scheduling, time clock, geofence, one-click payroll, mobile checklists, task management, conditional forms, company updates, work chat, knowledge base, surveys, events manager, onboarding and training, recognition & rewards, employee documents.
  • Pricing: Connecteam offers a free plan for up to 10 users with full access to all hubs and features. Paid plans start at $29/month for the first 30 users, with additional costs for more users. Advanced and Expert plans are available at $49/month and $99/month respectively, with custom pricing for enterprises.
  • Reviews: Connecteam has received positive feedback, earning a rating of 4.5 out of 5. Users appreciate its comprehensive features and ease of use, though some mention that the pricing can be a bit steep for smaller teams.

3) Beekeeper

Beekeeper

Beekeeper is an all-in-one app designed for frontline teams, providing tools, information, and support to enhance engagement, streamline operations, and boost productivity. It offers features for communication, employee management, work process automation, and compliance, making it a comprehensive solution for frontline success.

  • Features: Real-time updates and feedback in multiple languages, centralized access to schedules, onboarding, PTO requests, training, and payroll, digital checklists, forms, and task automation, tools for sharing protocols, running knowledge checks, and tracking incident reports, secure communication with boundaries on message timing and content, intuitive and secure platform with high adoption rates, extensible platform with features, integrations, and analytics.
  • Pricing: Beekeeper offers flexible pricing plans tailored to different business needs. For detailed pricing information, visit the Beekeeper Pricing page.
  • Reviews: Beekeeper has received positive feedback from users, earning a rating of 4.5 out of 5. Users appreciate its comprehensive features, ease of use, and significant improvements in communication and productivity within their teams.

4) Workstream

Workstream

Workstream is a comprehensive platform designed to help businesses hire, retain, and manage hourly workers. With a mobile-first approach, it focuses on the unique needs of hourly employees, offering solutions for hiring, HR, engagement, time & scheduling, and payroll. Workstream is particularly beneficial for industries like restaurants, hospitality, automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, warehousing, and retail. Its award-winning support team ensures that businesses can efficiently manage their workforce with ease.

  • Features: Mobile-first approach, automated hiring workflows, text-to-apply functionality, customizable job templates, seamless integration with job boards, automated interview scheduling, digital onboarding, real-time analytics, and compliance management.
  • Pricing: Workstream offers a demo to provide detailed pricing information tailored to your business needs. While specific pricing tiers or plans are not publicly listed, the platform emphasizes affordability and reliability in its services. For more information, you can schedule a free demo on their demo page.
  • Reviews: Workstream has received positive feedback from users, earning a rating of 4.5 out of 5. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface, efficient hiring processes, and robust support team. Common praises include the platform's ability to streamline HR tasks and improve overall workforce management, while some users have noted that the initial setup can be time-consuming.

What to Consider When Selecting a Crew Alternative?

When searching for alternatives to Crew, it's crucial to focus on specific features that will meet your team's unique needs. Here are the top five things to consider:

  1. Team Communication: Look for platforms that offer seamless, real-time communication tools to keep your team connected and engaged, especially if they support multilingual communication.
  2. Task Management: Ensure the alternative provides integrated task management features that unify tasks with communication, scheduling, and other key workflows for flawless execution.
  3. Mobile App Functionality: A robust mobile app is essential for frontline teams. It should centralize resources like schedules, onboarding, PTO requests, and payroll, making it a comprehensive tool for daily operations.
  4. Integration Capabilities: The platform should integrate smoothly with existing systems such as HRIS, payroll, and other critical operations tools to ensure minimal disruption and streamlined workflows.
  5. Real-time Analytics and Reporting: Advanced reporting tools that provide immediate insights into workforce management are vital for making data-driven decisions and optimizing labor.

Which Tool Should You Go With?

Here's a quick comparison to help you decide which platform might be the best fit for your team:

  • Crew: Ideal for teams needing robust communication and task management tools, but be mindful of potential pricing concerns and occasional slow processing speeds.
  • TeamSense: Perfect for diverse workforces needing automated absence reporting and seamless HRIS integration, though the starting price might be a bit steep for smaller teams.
  • Connecteam: Great for deskless teams looking for an all-in-one management app with a free plan for small teams, but the pricing can escalate quickly as your team grows.
  • Beekeeper: Excellent for frontline teams requiring real-time updates and secure communication, with flexible pricing plans to suit various business needs.
  • Workstream: Best for businesses hiring hourly workers, offering mobile-first solutions and automated workflows, though the initial setup might take some time.

Wrapping Up

Choosing the right platform for your team can be a game-changer, and it's all about finding the best fit for your unique needs. If you're looking for a solution that simplifies attendance tracking and enhances communication, TeamSense is a fantastic option, especially for diverse workforces. On the other hand, if your focus is on comprehensive employee management with robust scheduling and payroll features, Connecteam might be the way to go. Ultimately, the best choice will depend on your specific requirements and budget, but rest assured, both options are designed to make your job easier and your team more efficient.

About the Author

TeamSense Staff
TeamSense Staff, Digital platform human resource specialists

TeamSense is a text-based digital platform that enhances productivity and connection with hourly workers. The platform is commonly deployed as an attendance management and mass messaging tool. Automatic notifications are triggered to admins (via text or email or both!) based on employee responses, keeping everyone on the same page instantaneously.