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What REALLY Happens When You Implement Time Tracking in Your Company

If you're considering implementing time tracking and online scheduling software in your company, you've probably already heard all about the benefits. Most commercials will tell you that you'll have better control over your team, eliminate lateness, and not pay for time when employees aren't focused on work. They promise that it will save you time and money, make payroll quicker, and improve communication among team members.

But the truth is, it's not as simple as just flipping a switch and enjoying all the benefits. There's a long process before you start to see significant results. You can't expect your workers to be thrilled about the idea of time tracking, either. Some employees might see it as a form of over-controlling or the first step towards firing them.

That's why I've put together a list of what you can expect when you introduce time tracking and online scheduling software in your company. I want to help you understand which reactions to expect and how to communicate with your concerned employees.

Here's what you can expect in the first 24 hours, first week, first month, and first year of implementing time tracking and online scheduling software:

First 24 Hours:

  • Some employees may resist using the software or even boycott it. -> Address concerns and explain the benefits of the software.
  • Managers may have increased visibility into employee workloads. -> Use data to optimize resource allocation and workload balance.
  • Employees may be more aware of how they spend their time. -> Encourage time management and productivity best practices.
  • The company may be one step closer to becoming paperless. -> Embrace digital transformation and encourage eco-friendliness.

First Week:

  • Employees may forget to clock in or out, causing delays and errors. -> Remind employees about the importance of accurate time tracking.
  • Managers may see improvements in communication and collaboration. -> Recognize and encourage positive changes among team members.
  • The software may help reduce conflicts or confusion around scheduling. -> Use the software to improve scheduling transparency and clarity.
  • Some employees may be using the software to improve their own productivity. -> Share success stories and best practices with the team.

First Month:

  • The software may provide valuable data that helps inform decision-making. -> Use data to make strategic decisions and set future goals.
  • The software may streamline workflows and reduce redundancies. -> Acknowledge and appreciate the time and cost savings.
  • Managers may have improved visibility into employee performance. -> Use data to recognize and reward high performers.
  • Some employees may be using the software to develop new skills. -> Provide opportunities for professional development and growth.

First Year:

  • The software may have become an integral part of the company's operations. -> Celebrate the successful implementation and adoption of the software.
  • The company may be seeing significant improvements in productivity and efficiency. -> Share the success and use it as motivation to continue improving.
  • The company may have identified new ways to leverage the software for additional benefits. -> Explore and experiment with new use cases and features.
  • The software may help improve accuracy and reduce errors in payroll. -> Acknowledge and appreciate the accuracy and time savings.

Overall, introducing time tracking and online scheduling software can be a transformative process for any company, but it's important to recognize that it may not be an easy or instant fix. By being patient, supportive, and open to feedback, companies can successfully integrate the software into their operations and reap the many benefits it has to offer.

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    I love this, thank you for sharing it. It in fact reminds me of when we were planning the launch of an analytical tool to track user's time and we were debating how users will perceive it and ways to make them comfortable with it.

    Eventually, we launched the product, and the app is dedicated to individual users to have visibility on how they are speeding their time along with insights to help them do better.

    The trick is that this data is only available to them, this way we make them feel more secure and at easer when using the app. On the other hand, to support managers in their roles, we started offering separately a managerial report that gives an aggregate report on employees performance with data that includes their after-hours, their collaboration time, focus time etc and of course it's all anonymous to protect employees as the goal is never to point fingers at people but rather sport any unhealthy patterns so managers can make accurate decisions and provide help when needed,

    1. 2

      I absolutely love your insights! It's not easy to find like-minded individuals who prioritize employee comfort and well-being. Nowadays, everyone acknowledges the importance of workforce well-being and work-life balance from both ethical and business perspectives. However, the focus is mostly on their free time. During working hours, people are expected to follow the rules and accept that it's tough. But it doesn't have to be. People are people, with mechanisms that drive them, and fighting against those is unwise.

      I also appreciate the idea of anonymizing data. I hadn't considered it myself since my home country is Poland, where workforce timesheets are a government issue, and every employer must report work time and other information (PTOs, sick leaves) monthly to various offices. However, for Western or less bureaucratic countries, it might be a nice feature to provide access only to aggregated data. It's more than enough to see if you optimize productivity month by month or project by project without knowing who is responsible for that because, in my opinion, it's always the supervisor/owner who is.

      My favorite purpose for using time management tool is determining whether we need to hire or not. Thanks to the tool, it's no longer a matter of one person's word against another's - you can easily prove that projects generate revenue and that it could be even greater if you increased the number of people involved.

      Thank you again! If you enjoy content like this, I'd like to invite you to follow me on Medium - https://medium.com/@unrubble. I publish there regularly under the name Unrubble, and the content mainly focuses on team management, so your opinion would be invaluable. ;)

      1. 1

        Sure, I'll check it out!

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