Since the beginning of time, employers have relied on keeping extra workers on payroll for on-call needs. In many cases, they would even rotate their permanent, full-time staff into on-call schedules just to ensure coverage when needed. But today’s workforce isn’t up for that anymore—and trying to force old systems into modern expectations just doesn’t work.
Many employers fall into what we call the “DIY mindset.” They try to build a flexible, contingent workforce internally. And for a few weeks, it might seem like it’s working. But by week three or four, reality sets in—people stop responding, shifts go unfilled, and employers end up right back where they started: frustrated and short-staffed.
The truth is, the concept of a flexible workforce isn’t new. The real value is in the system we’ve built to make it actually work.
What makes ShiftSub different is that we’ve intentionally closed the mindset gap between employers and today’s modern workforce. That gap is real—and growing. Today’s workers want something traditional employers can’t offer on their own: true flexibility, autonomy, and variety. ShiftSub provides that to workers, while giving employers on-demand access to a reliable pool of people who are ready and available when needed.
The challenge businesses face is simple but critical: they need the right person, in the right place, at the right time. But no single employer has enough consistent work to keep a backup bench fully engaged—and without consistent opportunity, those workers drift away. Managing that internally becomes exhausting, expensive, and nearly impossible to sustain long-term.
ShiftSub solves this by giving workers access to available opportunities from multiple employers, all in one app and displayed in chronological order. That means there’s always work available when it fits their personal schedule. Workers get the freedom they want, and employers get the coverage they need—without the burnout or endless coordination.
That’s what true flexibility, variety, and autonomy looks like—and it’s exactly why the ShiftSub system works when DIY solutions don’t.
