TeamSense Brings Text-First Clarity to Hourly Workforces

Sheila Stafford, CEO of TeamSense, knows how to keep factories running. She also knows how quickly they fall apart when the workers don’t get the right message at the right time. That understanding drives her leadership at TeamSense, a company reshaping how hourly workers communicate with their employers.

TeamSense wasn’t built for polished offices. It was built for manufacturing lines, distribution centers, and job sites where employees don’t sit at desks and rarely check email. Its model is simple. No apps. No passwords. Just clear communication through text messaging.

That approach is resonating. Companies across sectors use TeamSense to send safety alerts, track attendance, deliver schedules, and hear directly from workers. The result is faster communication, better shift coverage, and fewer breakdowns in operations.

A Working-Class Solution From a Factory-Floor CEO

Before launching TeamSense, Sheila spent years inside America’s industrial engines. She held leadership roles at General Motors and Whirlpool, running assembly lines and launching complex product lines. She has seen the best and worst of how frontline workers are treated—and often ignored.

What bothered her most wasn’t neglect. It was inefficiency. Missed messages led to missed shifts. Policy changes never made it past bulletin boards. Supervisors lost time chasing updates. It wasn’t a lack of effort. It was the wrong tools.

Email didn’t work. App downloads didn’t scale. “We kept asking workers to adopt tech that wasn’t built for them,” Sheila said. “We needed to meet them where they already were.”

That place was text messaging. Not group chats or clunky platforms. Just SMS. It was a practical fix, not a shiny invention. And it’s become the foundation of TeamSense’s product.

Born in a Crisis, Built to Last

TeamSense started in early 2020 as a COVID symptom tracker. Companies needed a way to monitor health updates daily, and workers needed a way to respond easily. Text proved ideal. It didn’t require smartphones or logins. Everyone could use it.

The product evolved quickly. From health checks, it expanded into absence reporting, shift scheduling, and safety alerts. Feedback from early users made it clear. This wasn’t just a pandemic fix. It was a better way to communicate.

TeamSense officially launched within weeks. Customers were onboarded in less than a month. Revenue followed immediately. The team had tapped into a quiet but urgent need.

No App, No Fuss

The core idea behind TeamSense is simplicity. Every feature works over text. Workers can report a sick day, respond to a survey, or check PTO balances just by sending a message. No training is needed. No installations either.

For employers, the backend offers real-time dashboards. Managers can see who’s called out, identify absenteeism trends, and keep staffing levels on track. Surveys and policy updates can be sent and acknowledged in minutes.

The system connects directly with HR tools like Kronos, so companies don’t need to overhaul their workflows. The design ensures easy adoption for both sides of the equation.

Sheila insists that complexity is the enemy. “Tech has overcomplicated what should be straightforward,” she said. “We’re cutting through that with something people understand.”

Backed by Industry Experience

Sheila isn’t a tech executive who wandered into operations. She built her career inside industrial companies. Her background in mechanical engineering and product leadership informs every part of the business.

That background also shaped the team she built. Co-founder Alison Teegarden and CTO Jeremy Wozzeck bring product and technical expertise grounded in real-world execution. The team’s focus is not on growth at all costs. It’s on solving real, daily problems for companies that can’t afford confusion.

This operating mentality runs through every update. TeamSense rolls out new features only when they’re ready to serve a clear purpose. The “Balances” tool, for example, allows employees to check their time-off accruals via SMS, reducing inbound HR questions and saving time for both sides.

Another recent addition tracks attendance patterns and flags risks early, giving HR a better way to address absenteeism before it becomes a staffing crisis.

Careful With AI, On Purpose

AI is part of the product, but it doesn’t dominate it. The company introduced an AI assistant that helps route employee questions to the right policy documents or actions. Crucially, the assistant only uses the company’s own internal data. It doesn’t guess. It informs.

Sheila is firm on this point. “AI should help workers, not confuse them,” she said. “Ours is built to be invisible. The goal is not flash. It's function.”

This approach reflects a wider philosophy at TeamSense: don’t automate for the sake of it. Use technology to reduce barriers, not add new ones.

Reaching the Workers Most Software Ignores

More than 70% of the global workforce is deskless. Yet most workplace technology assumes people are at a desk, using email, and working standard hours. That assumption has led to a decade of broken tools for hourly employees.

TeamSense cuts through the noise. A line worker doesn’t need to download an app, remember a password, or wait for a supervisor to deliver updates. They get what they need, when they need it, via a channel they already use.

It’s a simple proposition. But the impact is real. Reduced absenteeism. Faster shift replacements. Higher response rates on engagement surveys. Better safety compliance.

Focused on Long-Term Impact

The company has no interest in trend-chasing. Sheila says that staying close to the customer is what gives TeamSense its edge. “We build what they ask for, not what we think will look good in a pitch deck.”

This mindset has helped the company grow steadily. Manufacturing, logistics, retail, and construction are the current focus. But Sheila sees opportunities wherever hourly workers are left behind.

The team is cautious with expansion. They won’t roll out features unless they’re confident they’ll reduce friction. The product roadmap is shaped by user behavior, not investor pressure.

Why TeamSense Matters Now

As workplace dynamics shift, companies are realizing that frontline workers can’t be treated as an afterthought. They’re essential, and they deserve tools that respect their time.

TeamSense doesn’t treat communication as a perk. It treats it as a responsibility. The company’s technology may be simple, but the thinking behind it is deliberate.

While most workplace tech adds layers workers don’t need, TeamSense strips it back. It connects with the people doing the actual work, listens carefully, and responds with what matters.

Sheila Stafford, CEO, TeamSense

Asking frontline workers to download an app was a lazy workaround.