The 6 Best Quarterback Trading Apps for 2023

Shift swaps are inevitable, even with the best-managed schedules. To tame the chaos of last minute changes, you might consider a shift swapping policy. But even then, managing it becomes a time-consuming challenge involving frantic texting, phone calls, and a lot of confusion within the team when it comes to keeping up with the new schedule.

A shift swapping app can help employees manage schedule changes directly, and make things more organized and efficient in the process. How? Supervisors begin by defining custom rules to ensure that all changes comply with policy. Then, employees coordinate shift trades with their teammates and submit their trades for approval, which managers approve or decline with a click. And the best part? The tool is usually integrated with your scheduling or team management platform, so you don't need to spend money on more software.

It's the kind of tool managers can't live without once they try it. But with so many team trading platforms available, where do you start? To save you an overwhelming Google search, we've put together a list of our top six picks for 2023, comparing each based on best use case, top features, pros and cons, and price.

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Key Features To Look For In Posted Trade Apps

Unlike other types of software, shift tools are generally not standalone applications. They most often belong to a suite of products included in a planning platform. However, some solutions stand out from the rest. In addition to team swapping capabilities, the best software includes:

Viewing Open Shifts – A great shift swapping app should allow you to share open shifts when posting your main team schedule. This way, employees can claim available shifts, saving you from assigning shifts to employees who can't or won't work. Built-in Chat - Finding a replacement usually means finding phone numbers and emails so teammates can contact and coordinate any changes they need. Integrated messaging helps the team communicate in one place and allows managers to make announcements, coordinate tasks, and keep staff on the same page throughout the day. Interconnected staff management tools - The more features your app has, such as time tracking, payroll, scheduling, employee happiness, HR, and compliance, the more versatile it is. When all the tools you need to manage your team are in one place, it also saves you from having to pay for separate platforms that don't cooperate with each other. Alerts and Notifications – You don't want shift trade requests getting lost in the mess, so make sure your app of choice sends notifications when employees submit trades for your approval. Another benefit is that the platform alerts your entire team to updates and schedule changes so everyone stays in the know. Easy to use and intuitive - You probably don't want to add to your to-do list with training, so the easier the tool to use, the better. This is ideal when it only takes a day (or less) for team members to become familiar with an application. You should also prioritize a system that makes it easy for managers to approve or deny trade requests and minimize their involvement. A wide range of integrations - Perhaps you use software for point-of-sale (POS) transactions, e-commerce, accounting, budgeting and reporting. Avoid repetitive data entry and costly mistakes by ensuring your shift trading app integrates seamlessly with the tools you already rely on and trust.