The right worker gets
the offer first.
Mass texting every available worker creates chaos. Sequential cascade means your best-matched worker is always asked first — and the offer moves on automatically if they don't take it.
The problem with first-come-first-served notifications
Many agencies notify all available workers at once and take whoever responds first. This creates several problems: your best worker — the one the client prefers, nearest the site, most experienced — might respond two minutes after a less-suitable worker who happened to be faster. Workers feel commoditised. Clients get inconsistent placements. And when a popular shift goes out to 40 people simultaneously, you get 38 confusing "is this still available?" replies to manage.
How Subshift's sequential cascade works
Subshift offers shifts to one worker at a time, in ranked order. The offer moves to the next worker automatically when the window expires — no manual action needed.
- 1
Workers are ranked before any notification is sent
Subshift scores each eligible worker based on your configured preferences: client preferred workers, proximity to the site, shift history, and any custom ordering rules you define. The offer queue is built before the first notification fires.
- 2
Only the top worker is notified first
Worker #1 in the queue receives a push notification (if they use the app), an SMS, or an email. They see the shift details and have a single button to accept. No other workers are contacted yet.
- 3
If they decline or time out, the offer moves on automatically
If the worker declines, the offer immediately moves to Worker #2. If the window expires without a response, the same happens. The window is configurable — short for urgent last-minute shifts, longer for shifts planned further ahead. None of this requires any coordinator action.
- 4
Workers who were not reached are not left confused
Workers further down the queue are only notified when the offer actually reaches them. They never receive a "shift filled, ignore this" message, and they are never asked to race against each other.
Why sequential cascade is better
Clients get their preferred workers
Client-preferred workers are always offered the shift first. If they are unavailable, the next best worker is tried — not whoever happens to respond fastest to a group message.
Workers feel valued, not spammed
Workers only receive offers when the shift is genuinely available for them. They are not competing against each other; they get a clear yes/no decision to make.
No double-booking
Only one worker holds the offer at any point. There is no risk of two workers accepting the same shift simultaneously.
No manual follow-up
The cascade runs itself. The agency coordinator doesn't need to monitor who responded and re-send notifications. It all happens in the background.
Configurable per urgency
Set a 10-minute window for last-minute urgent cover. Set a 2-hour window for shifts planned a week out. The cascade adapts to your needs.
Full audit trail
Every offer sent, every response received, every timeout recorded. You have a complete log of which worker was offered what and when.
See sequential cascade in action.
Book a demo and watch Subshift notify workers in real time.
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