Empower employees with Points, PTO, and other balances, on demand via text.
HR professionals, we know the pressure you face when advocating for new solutions to your operations teams. Finding the right tools to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and employee satisfaction is no small feat. If you're exploring alternatives to WorkJam, you're in the right place. Let's dive into four compelling options that might just be the perfect fit for your organization.
What is Workjam?

WorkJam is a platform designed to empower frontline teams by providing tools for task management, communication, scheduling, and more, all within a single app. It serves industries like retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and hospitality, addressing common challenges such as shift gaps and multilingual communication. Trusted by numerous businesses, WorkJam helps streamline operations and enhance employee satisfaction.
Features of Workjam
WorkJam offers a range of features that cater to the needs of frontline teams, making it a versatile tool for various industries. Here are five unique features that stand out:
- Targeted Messaging: This feature allows for precise communication, whether it's one-to-one, one-to-many, or one-to-list, ensuring that the right message reaches the right people.
- Social Media-like Interface: Engages teams with an intuitive and secure platform that feels familiar, making it easier for employees to adopt and use effectively.
- Smart Task Assignment: Automatically assigns tasks based on skills and availability, streamlining workflows and ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently.
- Express Pay: Provides early access to earned wages, helping to reduce financial stress and improve employee retention. This feature is particularly unique and sets WorkJam apart from many competitors.
- Multilingual Communication: Supports diverse workforces by offering multilingual capabilities, ensuring that language barriers do not hinder effective communication.
Challenges and Drawbacks of Workjam
While WorkJam offers a robust suite of tools 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 hinder efficiency during peak times. The platform also lacks advanced analytics and real-time mobile updates, which might be crucial for data-driven decision-making and on-the-go management.
WorkJam might not be the best fit for companies that require extensive data analytics or rely heavily on real-time mobile updates. Organizations with limited budgets may also find the pricing structure challenging. If your team needs advanced reporting capabilities or seamless mobile functionality, exploring alternatives could be beneficial.
Workjam's Reviews
Users have given WorkJam an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5. Many appreciate its user-friendly interface and effective communication tools, but some find the occasional lag and limited analytics frustrating. Overall, the platform is praised for its ability to streamline operations and improve employee engagement, though it could benefit from faster processing speeds and more advanced reporting features.
- "The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simple for our team to stay connected." - John D.
- "While the features are great, the occasional lag can be a bit frustrating during peak times." - Sarah K.
For more detailed reviews, visit WorkJam Reviews.
Best Alternatives to Workjam
1) Teamsense

TeamSense offers a text-first, fully automated absence reporting system designed to streamline attendance tracking and enhance communication within diverse workforces.
- Features: Text-based absence reporting, automatic text translation, instant notifications for managers, integration with HRIS systems, broadcast messages, mobile forms, employee portal, showing employees points & attendance history before the call-off.
- Pricing: TeamSense offers flexible pricing plans to suit various business needs. The Basic plan provides a simple and effective attendance solution, while the Pro plan includes detailed reports and employee engagement tools. For teams requiring advanced features, the Enterprise plan offers custom and flexible pricing. Pricing starts at $500 per month, with a yearly minimum spend of $6,000.
- Reviews: Users have given TeamSense an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5. Many appreciate its ease of use and the efficiency it brings to absence reporting. Positive comments highlight the seamless integration with existing systems and the instant notifications feature, which significantly improves managerial oversight.
2) When I Work

When I Work is an employee scheduling and time tracking software designed to help businesses manage their workforce more efficiently. It offers features like employee scheduling, time clock, team messaging, and integrations with other business tools. The software aims to reduce chaos, control labor costs, improve communication, and boost accountability among staff.
- Features: Employee scheduling, time clock, team messaging, mobile apps, one-click scheduling, shift confirmation, labor forecasting, payroll integration, overtime alerts, schedule enforcement, team empowerment, awards and recognition, customer stories, integrations.
- Pricing: The Essentials plan starts at $2.50 per user/month and includes features like unlimited users, auto scheduling, and multi-location scheduling. The Pro plan is $5.00 per user/month, offering advanced scheduling and custom reporting. The Premium plan, at $8.00 per user/month, includes API key access and SAML/SSO. Optional add-ons like Time Tracking & Attendance are available for all plans.
- Reviews: Users have given When I Work an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5. Many appreciate its ease of use and the efficiency it brings to scheduling and time tracking. Positive comments highlight the intuitive interface and robust feature set, while some users mention occasional issues with mobile app performance.
3) Shyft

Shyft is an application designed to facilitate shift swapping and scheduling, allowing businesses to manage their workforce in real-time and providing flexibility for associates.
- Features: Voluntary overtime and time off, shift swaps and announcements, data security with TLS encryption and MFA, seamless integration with enterprise applications, mobile accessibility, compliance and reporting tools.
- Pricing: Shyft offers three pricing plans: Shyft Starter at $24.95 per month per location, Shyft Advanced at $59.95 per month per location, and Shyft Enterprise with custom pricing. Each plan includes a range of features tailored to different business needs, from basic scheduling to advanced analytics and enterprise integrations.
- Reviews: Shyft has an impressive overall rating of 4.8 out of 5. Users praise its depth, scientific approach, and practical applicability. The workshops and programs are highly effective in personal development and psychological understanding, with many users highlighting the supportive community and transformative impact.
4) Shiftboard

Shiftboard is a highly configurable employee scheduling software designed to automate the process of creating and managing shift schedules. It aims to improve employee satisfaction, maximize shift coverage, increase scheduling efficiency, and reduce labor costs. The software is cloud-based and accessible from any desktop or mobile browser, including native mobile apps. Shiftboard is particularly beneficial for mission-critical industries, offering robust data intelligence and tailor-fit automation to create adaptive, worker-friendly schedules that comply with organizational rules, state and federal laws, safety regulations, and union agreements.
- Features: Schedule automation, worker engagement tools, change management, coverage optimization, labor demand planning, leave & timesheet management, industry-specific solutions, proven impact on worker satisfaction and turnover, robust customer support.
- Pricing: Shiftboard offers various subscription plans tailored to different business needs. The Basic plan starts at $3 per user/month, the Professional plan is $6 per user/month, and the Enterprise plan offers custom pricing. Each plan includes a range of features designed to meet the specific requirements of different organizations.
- Reviews: Shiftboard has an impressive overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Users appreciate its ease of use, real-time updates, and user-friendly interface. Positive feedback highlights the software's ability to reduce administrative burden and manage schedules efficiently. However, some users have noted issues with customization, frequent sign-outs, and the need for manual refreshes.
What to Consider When Selecting a Workjam Alternative?
When searching for alternatives to WorkJam, it's crucial to focus on specific features that will meet your organization's unique needs. Here are five key considerations:
- Real-Time Scheduling and Shift Swapping: Look for platforms that offer real-time scheduling and allow employees to swap shifts easily, ensuring flexibility and coverage.
- Automated Absence Reporting: Consider solutions with text-first, fully automated absence reporting systems that integrate seamlessly with your HRIS for accurate timecards and employee data.
- Advanced Task Management: Opt for tools that provide smart task assignment, real-time tracking, and actionable reporting to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.
- Employee Learning and Development: Choose platforms that offer targeted training, microlearning, and gamification to support continuous employee development and engagement.
- Integration Capabilities: Ensure the software can integrate with existing platforms like payroll systems, point-of-sale, and business operations tools to create a cohesive and efficient workflow.
Which Tool Should You Go With?
Here's a quick comparison to help you decide which platform might be the best fit for your organization:
- WorkJam: Ideal for companies needing a comprehensive tool for task management, communication, and scheduling. However, if advanced analytics and real-time mobile updates are crucial, you might want to look elsewhere.
- TeamSense: Perfect for organizations that prioritize automated absence reporting and seamless HRIS integration. Its text-first approach is a game-changer for diverse workforces.
- When I Work: Great for businesses looking to streamline scheduling and time tracking with an intuitive interface. Just be aware of occasional mobile app performance issues.
- Shyft: Best for companies needing real-time shift swapping and scheduling flexibility. Its robust data security features make it a solid choice for compliance-focused industries.
- Shiftboard: Excellent for mission-critical industries requiring highly configurable scheduling software. It shines in coverage optimization and labor demand planning, though customization can be a bit tricky.
Wrapping Up
Ultimately, the best platform for your organization will depend on your specific needs and priorities. If automated absence reporting and seamless HRIS integration are top of your list, TeamSense is a fantastic choice. On the other hand, if you need robust real-time shift swapping and scheduling flexibility, Shyft might be the way to go. Whichever you choose, make sure it aligns with your goals for efficiency, accuracy, and employee satisfaction. Happy hunting!
About the Author

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.