Work productivity is an underrated contributor to company and business growth. We all know it’s imperative to keep staff productive, but we’re not always thinking of ways to optimize it. Companies can achieve productivity through various means— hiring the right people, providing training, and so on. Another effective way is to hard code it into company operations by using tools to improve productivity.
What many people don’t realize is that time tracking software technically falls under the productivity tool category. But, unfortunately, it can also feel like the perfect way to micromanage workers in the eyes of some employees. So why is time tracking important, and how can leaders implement it without feeling like an invasion?
How to Get Employee Buy-in
Some companies resort to time tracking micromanagement. And if you’re not one of them, there is hope that you can move away from the stereotype. Instead, the priority should be to encourage employee buy-in, meaning you get people to comply because they want to and not because they have to.
How can management achieve that? Here are some proven tips towards creating employee buy-in when launching or reinforcing time tracking software.
Manage The Right Culture
So much of company perception lies in company culture. The workplace’s collective behaviors and opinions will determine people’s feelings and outlooks towards company policies— time tracking tools included. There’s no way to engineer culture, but we can manage the right ones by promoting and exemplifying them. These are the cultures your organization should focus on to quench micromanagement fires:
- Open communication gives people the freedom to speak their minds and openly listen to their concerns and find common ground.
- Trust empowers staff with more tasks and gives them free rein on other decisions, especially projects, and tactical operations. For instance, let your graphic designer choose the colors and fonts of your poster. You don’t need to make those decisions for them.
- Accountability encourages openness to feedback and evaluation and allows staff also to give feedback to their leaders.
Set An Example
Companies that manage teams with time tracking software might be more effective if leadership would participate. There’s an adage that says, “great leaders lead by example,” and there is so much truth to that. But even managers could use some evaluation, feedback, and monitoring now and then. So consider rolling out time tracking software to managers too. Seeing leaders in the mix will help increase employee confidence in the policy.
Communicate The Why Regularly
While 62% of company leaders track employee data to determine productivity, staff will not always remember that. So it’s essential to communicate the goal for a good season so that staff will not forget why the policy is there in the first place. Talk about the benefits of time tracking software in meetings, employee handbooks, evaluations, coffee breaks, and every opportunity to insert it into the mix. Of course, managers don’t have to talk about it all the time, but it pays to mention it now and then.
Choose A Mobile-Responsive Software
With today’s remote and hybrid work models, businesses must adapt to the changing work environments and requirements. Providing your employees with mobile-ready software supports them to continue tracking their work even while on the go – with convenience.
Importantly, the application must be available on both Android and iOS devices to ensure employees can install the software regardless of their phone’s operating system. From there, they can track their time when they work on their task or report manual time entries. Robust time tracking tools offer a mobile timesheet for employees to record time expenses and manage their overtime hours and leaves.
Award Compliance
Another good way to communicate why tracking progress is meaningful is to add positive reinforcement. Many organizations and departments don’t have a lack of discipline and consequences for non-compliance. But putting small incentives to compliance helps. It could be earlier salary increases or leaderboards in a physical office, or a virtual intranet showing the star employees who stay compliant. These gestures don’t have to be big, but they do help in the long run.
Employee management is not an easy endeavor. Hence, a manager with a human resource or project management degree ensures they have relevant skills, experience, and knowledge for the responsibilities involved.
Use It In Employee Evaluation
The last step to creating employee buy-in when running employee monitoring software is to use it in evaluations. When employees see a policy or tool going unutilized, they’ll start to question its place. The most evident use of time tracking is employee evaluation. Not only will this create buy-in. It’s also a great way to gain effective performance management.
Pursue 100% Compliance At All Times
There will be no qualms for the 78% of staff who feel comfortable with GPS tracking software, but that doesn’t mean that managers should sit on their laurels. For solutions like time tracking software, 100% compliance should always be the goal. When we haven’t achieved that yet, we’re not where we want to be.
Managers should do everything they can to get all people in an organization to start using the tool to avoid any politics or appearances of favoritism. By chasing after that goal, the company can take significant strides towards being a more effective organization.
