Finding the Best Time Tracking Solution – A Detailed Guide on Employee Timesheets
Time is one of the most precious commodities in the world today, and sadly it is something which very few of us have an abundance of. This is especially true in the hectic, foot to the floor, non-stop world of business.
Those in a business setting, particularly those who own, run or manage a business, will likely be all too familiar with the fact that time just seems to run away with you while working. One second you’re just clocking in, ready to start replying to emails and the next thing you know it’s lunch time and you’ve accomplished far less than you intended.
If you and/or your employees feel you aren’t utilizing your time sufficiently, it could be time for you to start looking into employee timesheets and finding the best time tracking solution on the market today.
To help you learn more about time tracking software so you can decide whether it’s right for your business or not, we’ve compiled a detailed guide on employee timesheets and time tracking software.
What is time tracking software?
Remember how, decades ago, when people came into work they had to ‘clock’ in and out to monitor what time they started and what time they finished? Well, time tracking software is based very, very, very loosely on that principle, with the added bonus of it offering heaps loads more benefits and features for businesses and employees alike.
Time tracking software is a specially created resources software which has been created to assist managers, employees, and business owners with tracking their working hours, time spent on different projects, time spent on other resources, project completion rates, project progress, billable hours, and much more besides.
Employee, manager, and business owners alike can access the software and can log and track how long they’ve spent working, project progress and plenty more. The software is used in all kinds of different industries, it is easy to utilize, it can be accessed on the go, and it’s great for budgets, planning, schedules, and assigned manpower.
How to choose the best time tracking solution
In this section, we’ll assume that you’ve decided to look into time tracking software in more detail and have decided to invest in time tracking software for your business. If so, it’s important you choose the right one.
Because time tracking software is so popular in business settings, there are lots of different types of software and applications to choose from. We naturally want you to choose the best time tracking solution for your organization, which is what we’re going to help you with next.
Here is a look at what you can do to find the best employee timesheets and time tracking applications on the market today.
Explain what it is and how it works
One of the hardest parts of implementing time tracking software in a business for the first time isn’t getting to grips with the software; it’s actually ensuring that your employees know what it is and how it works.
A lot of employees are hesitant when it comes to time tracking solutions because they’re concerned it’s simply another way for Big Brother to keep tabs on them and ensure that they’re aren’t slacking or claiming to have done more than they really have.
The truth of the matter is that time tracking software is the exact opposite of that. The software is designed to ensure that employees aren’t overworked and to ensure that projects are assigned the correct manpower ratios.
Explain what the software is, how it works, why the business needs it, what the benefits are, and anything else you might deem useful and relevant. The more your workforce understands about the software, the easier life will be.
Be sure to track all activities
When implementing the best time tracking solution you can find, it is very important to ensure that you, and your workforce, track all activities.
Too many people using the software in the early stages won’t bother tracking time spent on smaller tasks and activities. This is the wrong way to go about it as it literally negates the use of time tracking applications in the first place.
No matter how quick a task or activity takes, or how trivial it may seem, use the software to track and log your time as this is literally what it was created to do.
Assign a person the role of time tracking implementation
If you do decide to implement time tracking software in your business, one of the best ways of ensuring the implantation flows effortlessly is to put a person in charge of implementing the software.
Rather than having employees coming up to different members of management whenever they have a question or a concern about time tracking, have just one person in charge so employees know who to come to, and so you know exactly who’s overseeing the use of the software.
Explain how time tracking is mandatory
Okay, this may seem a little harsh but remember, it’s your business and if you want to make it a success you need to sometimes put your foot down.
You will be met with some resistance when it comes to time tracking, there’s no way around that, but at the end of the day it’s your business and what you say, goes.
Explain what time tracking is, show employees how to track their time and use the software, and explain how using it is not an option, it is a requirement.
Show the benefits
Finally, if employees are still concerned about the software, and if you are still meeting a little resistance, just go ahead and show them the benefits a few weeks down the line once you’ve been using the application for a while.
Show them how it helps to meet deadlines, how it ensures employees aren’t overworked, and how it streamlines various other processes to save time, and money and how it will ultimately prove to be an incredibly useful tool for boosting morale.
What are the benefits of employee timesheets and time tracking?
We’ve spoken about the benefits of time tracking, but now, to ensure that there’s no confusion over just how effective this software can be, we’ll finish off today’s guide by looking at the key benefits of employee timesheets and time tracking software.
Benefits include, but are certainly not limited to the following:
Improved estimates and quotes
One of the best things about using time tracking software in your business is the fact that it can help you to provide more reliable price estimates and quotes.
After using the software for a while, you’ll see exactly how long each project/task takes, how many employees should be assigned, and how much work is involved.
Having this kind of transparency means you can provide more accurate estimates and quotes to potential clients, and you can therefore charge rates which your business deserves.
Prioritize tasks and projects
Got several projects in the pipeline at once with one major one with an impending deadline looming which you could potentially miss? If so, then time tracking software is perfect.
With the best time tracking solution applications currently on the market today you can get an overview of project progress and you can see how far from completion each one is.
If you can see that a big project for an important client is on track to run over schedule resulting in a missed deadline, you can use this info provided by the software to pull employees from less-pressing tasks and assign them to the more important task at risk of being late.
As time tracking software gives you an overview of task progress you can identify where help may be needed and where additional resources may need to be redirected and can act accordingly.
Improved morale
Nobody likes being overworked and the quickest way to force your employees to hand in their resignations and quit to find work elsewhere, is to have them doing the work of two or more people.
With time tracking software, you can see how employees are coping on various tasks and projects, and if they are struggling, the software will highlight this and you can then give them some help. By giving them help you can ease the pressure on them, help them to relax, and ultimately help them do their jobs more effectively.
Soon, this will boost morale because deadlines will be met in plenty of time, nobody will be rushing and stressing to try and meet a deadline despite being overworked, and everybody, clients included, will be happy, making for a very positive working environment.
Check job status in seconds
Before the days of time tracking, once a job/task/project left your desk it fell into the abyss with the other jobs out there and if you needed updates you had to chase up various members of staff and ask what was happening. Even then, there were no guarantees that what you were told was genuine. With time tracking software however, things are different.
By opening up the software you can click on whichever project you want to check on, and here in seconds you’ll be given an update on its progress. This is ideal for times when you/your company has several tasks and projects on the go simultaneously.
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