Roster Review

ByObeydul Haque Reading Time: 7 minutes

Roster is a multifaceted platform with different iterations tailored to specific purposes, including employee scheduling, brand ambassador management, and professional development through 360-degree feedback. This review focuses on three primary versions of Roster based on available information: RosterElf (employee rostering), Roster (brand ambassador management), and Roster 360 (executive feedback). Each serves distinct industries, but they share a common goal of simplifying complex management tasks through intuitive design and automation.

RosterElf: Employee Scheduling and Workforce Management

RosterElf is a rostering and time-tracking platform primarily designed for businesses that rely on shift-based work, such as retail, hospitality, healthcare, and manufacturing. It offers tools for creating schedules, managing leave, tracking employee hours, and ensuring compliance with labor regulations. The platform is particularly popular in Australia, though it supports international businesses with some limitations.

Key Features of RosterElf

  • Rostering and Shift Planning: Managers can create and assign shifts based on employee availability, with features like open shifts and shift swapping to ensure coverage. The drag-and-drop interface simplifies schedule creation, and real-time updates keep teams informed.
  • Time Tracking and Geofencing: Employees can clock in and out using smartphones, with GPS-enabled tracking to verify work locations. This reduces fraudulent entries and enhances accountability.
  • Payroll Integration: RosterElf integrates directly with Xero and supports exportable reports for MYOB, Sage, and WageEasy, streamlining payroll processes. However, it lacks integrations with broader project management or communication tools.
  • Compliance and Reporting: The platform maintains detailed attendance logs and generates reports for audits, helping businesses comply with labor laws. It also provides real-time alerts for potential violations, such as overtime.
  • Employee Availability Management: Employees can set their availability directly in the app, reducing scheduling conflicts and improving efficiency. Notifications and alerts keep both managers and staff updated on changes.
  • Customer Support: RosterElf offers an AI-powered chatbot that provides step-by-step guidance, often with screenshots. While human support is limited to Australian time zones, the chatbot is highly effective compared to competitors like 7Shifts.

Usability and Interface

RosterElf’s web interface is functional but has a dated design, characterized by a bright green and white color scheme that some users find unappealing. Navigation is straightforward, with key features accessible from a top bar, including rostering, payroll, and reporting tools. The platform lacks accessibility features like dark mode or screen reader support, which may exclude users with visual or motor impairments. However, individual features, such as adding new roles, are intuitive and easy to use.

Pricing and Accessibility

RosterElf does not offer a free plan, which may deter small businesses or startups. Its pricing is considered affordable for mid-sized businesses, though specific costs are not publicly detailed. The platform is available on web, iOS, and Android, ensuring flexibility for managers and employees on the go.

Strengths

  • Ease of Scheduling: The drag-and-drop scheduler and employee availability features minimize conflicts and save time.
  • Payroll Efficiency: Direct integration with Xero reduces manual data entry and errors.
  • Robust Compliance Tools: Real-time alerts and detailed logs help businesses adhere to labor regulations.
  • Effective Support: The AI chatbot provides quick, precise assistance, enhancing user experience.

Limitations

  • Limited Integrations: Lack of connectivity with project management or communication platforms creates data silos, particularly for large businesses.
  • Regional Focus: Features like tax document management are tailored to Australian laws, and the platform does not comply with GDPR or HIPAA, limiting its appeal in the UK, EU, or US.
  • Dated Design: The interface feels less modern compared to competitors like Replicon or Homebase.
  • No Free Plan: The absence of a free tier may discourage smaller organizations.

Roster: Brand Ambassador and Community Management

Roster (getroster.com) is a platform designed to enhance word-of-mouth marketing by managing brand ambassadors, influencers, and affiliates. It focuses on building authentic community engagement to boost brand visibility and sales through user-generated content (UGC) and referral programs.

Key Features

  • All-in-One Platform: Roster unifies influencer campaigns, affiliate marketing, and community interactions, reducing the need for multiple tools.
  • Automated Product Seeding: The platform automates product gifting to ambassadors, encouraging authentic content creation.
  • Advanced Analytics: Roster provides tracking for sales attribution, social media engagement, and UGC, offering actionable insights to optimize campaigns.
  • Segmented Programs: Brands can create tailored engagement programs for different community segments, ensuring personalized communication and rewards.
  • Scalability: The platform supports businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to large enterprises, with flexible tools to adapt to growth.

Usability and Interface

Roster’s interface is user-friendly, with advanced filters and category-wise skill distribution to help brands find suitable ambassadors. Real-time updates ensure that schedule changes are immediately visible, reducing confusion. The platform’s design is modern and intuitive, though new users may face a learning curve due to its extensive feature set. Comprehensive support resources and a dedicated customer success team mitigate this issue.

Pricing and Accessibility

Pricing details are not publicly available, but the platform’s cost may be a consideration for small businesses or startups. Its scalability makes it suitable for larger enterprises, but active engagement is required to maximize ROI. Roster is accessible via web and supports integration with social media platforms for seamless campaign management.

Strengths

  • Comprehensive Community Management: The all-in-one platform streamlines influencer and affiliate marketing.
  • Actionable Insights: Advanced analytics help brands measure campaign impact and optimize strategies.
  • Automation: Product seeding and segmented programs save time and enhance efficiency.
  • Scalability: Suitable for businesses at various growth stages.

Limitations

  • Learning Curve: New users may need time to master the platform’s extensive features.
  • Cost Concerns: Pricing may be prohibitive for smaller entities with limited budgets.
  • Active Engagement Required: Best results come from consistent management, which may strain resources for some businesses.

Roster 360: Executive 360-Degree Feedback

Roster 360 (roster.com) is a professional development platform that collects and analyzes feedback from stakeholders to enhance leadership growth and team collaboration. It leverages natural language AI and multi-factor benchmarking to provide actionable insights.

Key Features

  • End-to-End Feedback Management: Roster 360 allows administrators to build, launch, track, and interpret 360-degree surveys with ease.
  • Natural Language AI: The platform translates statistical data into actionable insights, making feedback accessible and practical.
  • Multi-Factor Benchmarking: Results are compared against industry baselines, providing context for development themes.
  • Core Competencies: Feedback covers leadership, communication, thinking style, and behavior, fostering self-awareness and growth.
  • Security: The platform adheres to SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, ensuring data protection.

Usability and Interface

Roster 360’s interface is described as simple and scalable, with tools to sort results by cohorts and self-scores for enhanced team dynamics. The platform’s straightforward design equips administrators to execute seamless development programs. It is web-based, ensuring accessibility for client-side administrators.

Pricing and Accessibility

Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and access requires contacting the Roster team for a demo. The platform’s focus on enterprise-level professional development suggests it may be cost-prohibitive for smaller organizations.

Strengths

  • Actionable Feedback: AI-driven insights and benchmarking provide clear development paths.
  • Comprehensive Competencies: Covers a wide range of leadership skills, enhancing self-awareness.
  • Secure and Compliant: SOC 2 Type 2 compliance ensures data security.
  • Scalable Design: Suitable for organizations of varying sizes.

Limitations

  • Limited Accessibility: Requires direct contact for access, which may delay onboarding.
  • Cost Uncertainty: Lack of transparent pricing may deter smaller organizations.
  • Niche Focus: Primarily suited for executive development, limiting its applicability to broader workforce management.

Comparative Analysis

To assess Roster’s standing, we compare it with leading competitors in each category.

RosterElf vs. Homebase and 7Shifts

  • Homebase: Offers a free plan and broader integrations (e.g., payroll, HR), making it more accessible for small businesses. Its modern interface and accessibility features outshine RosterElf’s dated design. However, RosterElf’s AI chatbot and compliance tools are superior.
  • 7Shifts: Tailored for restaurants, 7Shifts excels in labor management and communication but lacks RosterElf’s geofencing and Xero integration. Both platforms have intuitive drag-and-drop schedulers, but 7Shifts offers more industry-specific features.

Roster (Brand Ambassador) vs. Upfluence

  • Upfluence: Focuses on influencer marketing with automated communication and hiring tools. It offers similar analytics but lacks Roster’s all-in-one community management approach. Roster’s scalability and segmented programs give it an edge for diverse community engagement.

Roster 360 vs. Culture Amp

  • Culture Amp: A leading platform for employee feedback, Culture Amp offers broader survey capabilities and integrations. Roster 360’s natural language AI and leadership focus are unique, but Culture Amp’s versatility makes it more suitable for comprehensive employee engagement.

User Feedback and Ratings

  • RosterElf: Highly rated on Capterra (4.8/5), G2 (4.8/5), and Google Play (4.8/5), though its iOS App Store rating is lower (4.0/5). Users praise its scheduling ease and support but criticize the lack of a free plan and regional limitations.
  • Roster (Brand Ambassador): Limited public reviews, but users highlight its user-friendly interface and analytics. The learning curve and cost are noted drawbacks.
  • Roster 360: Testimonials emphasize its ROI and actionable insights, but no aggregated ratings are available due to its enterprise focus.

Conclusion

The Roster platform, in its various forms, offers robust solutions for workforce management, community engagement, and professional development. RosterElf excels in shift-based scheduling with strong compliance and payroll features but is hindered by a dated interface and limited integrations. The brand ambassador platform (getroster.com) is a powerful tool for community-driven marketing, with advanced analytics and automation, though it requires active engagement and may be costly for small businesses. Roster 360 provides valuable leadership insights through AI-driven feedback but is niche and less accessible.

Businesses should choose Roster based on their specific needs:

  • Small to mid-sized businesses in Australia needing rostering may find RosterElf effective, but Homebase or Sling offer free plans for tighter budgets.
  • Brands focused on influencer marketing will benefit from Roster’s all-in-one platform, especially if they prioritize scalability over cost.
  • Enterprises seeking leadership development can leverage Roster 360’s tailored feedback, though broader platforms like Culture Amp may offer more versatility.

Ultimately, Roster’s strengths lie in its specialized features and user-friendly design, but its limitations in pricing transparency, accessibility, and integrations warrant careful consideration. Businesses are encouraged to trial RosterElf or request demos for Roster and Roster 360 to assess their fit.

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