How to implement time tracking

The following article is a guest post written by our friends over at TimeCamp.

Time tracking is one of the many ways to optimize your company’s time management process.  

When implementing time tracking in your company, it is important that common questions are addressed, as it can sometimes raise doubts in your employees. Questions like, “Why is our company installing time tracking software on our computers? Do they not trust us?” This is just one of the concerns employees may have.

Below we’ve presented ten key ways to correctly implement time tracking software at your company and quell any fears your employees may have.

Explain to employees why it is important to implement time tracking software

During the course of everyday work activities, it is easy to forget that monitoring takes place. This can cause employees to lose sight of project budgets, decreasing productivity in the process.

Time tracking reduces the risk of going over budget. As a manager, business owner or employee, it’s critical to be up to date on time spent on each project. Time tracking software does this automatically and increases project efficiency.

Explain to employees how they should monitor short activities.

When I go out for a coffee, should I clock out?

When I have a 5-minute phone conversation, how should I monitor it?

I often help my colleagues with their problems at work, but how can this be measured?

If people in the company do not know how to report these activities (or their superiors have no idea how to), the time spent on particular tasks may differ from reality.

One of the simplest ways to manage this time is to select appropriate tasks from the desktop application automatically. This makes switching between them incredibly simple.

Ultimately, however, the manager is responsible for determining what activities should be registered for relevant projects or tasks.

For consistency, only let managers create projects and tasks.

Over the years, we have identified a common problem among many companies that use time tracking.

Businesses often have trouble with accurate time reports for individual tasks or for a variety of different projects.

This problem typically occurs when employees create their own job titles. Because of this, it’s a good idea for businesses to limit the number of people who can create tasks, e. g. have managers do it, who would then communicate these task names to employees.

Communicate the importance of monitoring time spent on each project.

If you want to measure your employees’ working time, consider providing them with an easy-to-use tool (such as TimeCamp).  This makes it easier to get accurate time tracking readings from all employees.

You should also explain to them that failure to properly monitor time spent on each task could cause greater confusion and more work for them later on.

Assign people to enforce time reporting.

In some companies, especially in those where everyone is their own “boss,” making the switch to time reporting will likely cause a bit of irritation for employees.

It wouldn’t be surprising that, after a few days or weeks, some employees fail to report their time. To make sure your reports are accurate, consider ‘promoting’ a team project time manager who enforces this new requirement. You’ll see more accurate reports if you do.

Follow the company’s work monitoring rules.

Every day there should be one person who spends a few minutes, sometimes seconds, to make sure the application is being used correctly and that timesheets were filled out on the previous day. This prevents inaccurate reporting across the board.

Streamline the process.

Before you start implementing time tracking, it’s a good idea to hold a meeting where you answer any questions your employees may have about the process. If you later find that the tools aren’t being used properly, you can then adjust your strategy accordingly.

Streamlining this process begins with proper time tracking, but a key component is communication. Keep your team up to date to gain the greatest benefits of this new strategy.

Show employees the value of time tracking.

Correctly implementing this time management strategy benefits your entire team. Be sure to reiterate how awareness can increase productivity and ultimately, lessen their workload.

Discuss how budgeting time for projects can make their job easier, and demonstrate it with readily accessible time reports.

Once employees understand the value of this new strategy they’ll be more likely to pull their weight.

Make it clear why you’re using the application in the first place.

A manager’s responsibility is to define the outcome of any changes they propose. Employees too must justify their objections.

Time management and monitoring should be more than just another ‘rule’ they have to follow. It should be embedded within your company culture itself. Focus on the profits and outcomes of better time management and you’ll see better results from your employees.

Facilitate your HR department.

The right time-tracking strategy should eliminate or reduce your HR department’s role in keeping track of time spent on holidays, overtime, and special projects.

For many companies, Microsoft Excel remains the primary time tracking tool. There are many other applications that allow HR departments to export data to Excel (including TimeCamp) so be sure to explore all options for the best results.

How to Implement Time Tracking at Your Company

Category: Employee ManagementHR Tools