Productivity has always been a key goal for employers around the globe. This has only intensified with the rise of remote work. Organizations have been adjusting to this new environment. Enabling work from anywhere at any time has proved to be a difficult terrain to navigate.
Tracking employees is a complex task. But when it comes to tracking part-time employees, the challenges become more complex. These individuals juggle many commitments. Having a part-time job adds more to their plate.
Ensuring that everyone is accountable and doing their job is the core job of a leader. It does not matter whether it is physical or virtual. Advancements in technology paved the way for innovative solutions. There are now so many apps to choose from. Ranging from online collaboration tools, bookkeeping solutions, or even a free time clock app.
A new study has revealed that automating time tracking can significantly reduce lost productivity and cut costs year-round. In addition, data shows that workers who are aware they are being monitored can result in an average of 7% increase in profits. This makes utilizing automated tracking systems a valuable tool for businesses looking to maximize their efficiency and gain an advantage in the market. By implementing such technology, companies can ensure that their workforce is using their time effectively while still reaping the rewards that accompany an efficient team.
So why is time tracking so crucial and how does this benefit a company?
Who Should Consider Using Time Trackers?
Time is a valuable asset in every business. Projects can go over budget. There will be delays. A lot of factors can result in an unsatisfied client roster. The use of time-tracker apps is beneficial to all types of businesses.
Benefits of Time Tracking Apps for Remote Workers
There are a lot of types of remote work arrangements. It is vital for part-time employees and employers to work together to be in sync. Documenting work-related activities and monitoring progress highlights the importance of tracking hours. The advantages of using a time-tracking app are listed below:
- Accurate Time Tracking: Time is valuable – and when employees are on the clock, their time needs to be documented and tracked to ensure accuracy and prevent time theft. Accurate documentation of hours worked prevents employees from claiming hours they didn’t actually work.
It is also important for employers to have visibility into how long tasks are taking and how their employees’ time is being used. By monitoring an employee’s billable hours, companies can ensure that their time is being used as efficiently and effectively as possible.
- Improved Focus: Distractions will always be part of remote working life. Having a reasonable deadline for a task can motivate an employee to finish it on time. A lot of studies have been conducted on remote work productivity. A study concluded that hundreds of employers reported that their employees’ productivity stayed the same in spite of working remotely. Some employers reported that productivity even got higher.
- Effective Project and Task Management: Knowing which tasks take up the most time can assist managers in assigning work. They can achieve the elimination and automation of redundant tasks. This can result in assigning workers to more productive tasks and effective use of team time.
- Remote Team Collaboration: Managing a remote team with different work schedules can be hard. Knowing available work hours helps with planning and scheduling tasks. Forecasting work hours also benefits managers in assigning workloads.
- Work-Life Balance: Tracking weekly logged hours for everyone can prevent overworking and burnout. Monitoring hours includes not only tracking task progress but also ensuring individual well-being.
Challenges of Tracking Part-Time Workers
- Resistance and Autonomy: Employees often feel like their independence is compromised when their actions are constantly monitored and tracked. This sense of restriction can lead to resistance towards time clock apps, which are now becoming commonplace. Issues of privacy make these tools an uncomfortable prospect for many, possibly leading to some employees choosing not to make use of them.
- Inconsistent Work Schedules: Part-time workers often have irregular work schedules. They can be working different days of the week with different shifts. An inconsistent schedule can make it hard to put in place a standard time entry system.
- Lack of Communication and Unresponsiveness: Tracking employees can be hard due to varying shifts and time zones. Messages are left unseen or even ignored. This can hinder effective collaboration and coordination with the team.
The Solution to Your Problems
- Flexible Time Tracking Methods: A lot of tracking tools offer various features. Do an analysis and compare what works best for your workflow. Generate a simple process that will make it easy for employees to use the tool and adhere to guidelines. You can go as far as seeking the workers’ input on what tools are recommended in the market. Do not rush into installing the first app you see. Good research goes a long way.
- Training and Support: Provide comprehensive training on how to use tools. Ensuring that workers are comfortable and confident in using the system. This can lead to lesser resistance. Let workers know that their user experience is what matters.
- Clear Communication and Active Involvement: Establish clear guidelines and expectations for the workers. There should be enough support for any questions or issues they may have. Always be open to ideas and suggestions and remember to be flexible to a certain extent. Schedule a regular evaluation to ensure that the tool is effective. Document all input received from the users.
- Regular Employee Evaluation: Develop performance evaluation processes that include time-tracking metrics. Account for part-time workers’ limited hours and assess their contributions. We strongly suggest you use the metrics that can be gathered from the time tracking tool. After all, it all boils down to the quality of work and not the hours logged.
- Rewards: Is there a better way of motivating an employee? Give out rewards or a small token of appreciation for having a perfect track record. This makes employees feel that the effort they put into tracking also has its benefits.
Features to Look For in a Time Tracking App
There are tons of free online time cards or employee time clocks online. Even mobile time clocks are available on the go. With new apps being released every day, the features just keep on getting better. Here are some features that will take your time tracking to the next level:
- Time Tracking Methods: Flexibility allows users to choose what works best for them. There should be various ways to track time such as:
- Manual entry
- Automatic tracking
- Integration with other tools
- Reporting and Analytics: Detailed reports and visualizations can help managers:
- Understand time usage
- Identify bottlenecks
- Make data-driven decisions to optimize productivity
- Assess workload distribution
- Forecast workload
- Scheduling: This can be helpful when dealing with large teams that have endless tasks. Tracking time and also having the ability to schedule tasks in one app is more efficient.
- Customization Options: There should be flexibility in the tool. It should be able to adapt to an organization’s specific processes and requirements. This may include:
- Custom fields
- Custom Data Structures
- Tags
- Specific options that will align with your workflow and reporting needs
- Cost: Subscriptions for apps like these can get quite expensive. Make sure to do an analysis of the cost-to-feature ratio to get the best value for your money.
Takeaways
Companies highly value productivity and usage of work hours in actual work-related activities. Tracking hours is a crucial aspect of effectively managing an organization. This promotes accountability and transparency on the side of the employee. Effective workload management and data-driven decisions can also be a result also employee management software can be helpful.
At the end of the day, it might be difficult to keep track of part-time employees’ remote work hours. Employers may, however, efficiently manage part-time schedules and guarantee equitable pay for remote workers by putting the appropriate tools and processes in place.
Additionally, it will assist to assure part-time workers’ productivity and contentment to provide them with the tools and resources that make working remotely simple and pleasurable. Employers can create productive and advantageous remote working relationships with their employees by tackling the problems of tracking part-time hours.
