The Right Employee Time Tracking Software Can Actually Push Up Your Profits

What is Employee Time Tracking Software?

Employee time tracking software allows businesses to track their employees' time and performance on the job. They help businesses improve their productivity by identifying which employees spend their time working and how well they measure up to performance indicators, and which of them fall short.

Employee time tracking software is an invaluable tool for businesses. It is designed to help companies not only keep tabs on employee time and productivity, but on their attendance as well. It can automatically record when employees clock in and out, track absenteeism, figure out how many hours have been worked, and much more.

Monitoring attendance helps businesses identify patterns of absenteeism or tardiness, and take corrective action. Monitoring productivity spotlights top performers and highlights those who need extra support or additional training. And last, but not least, tracking attendance and productivity helps a business pay their employees fairly and accurately for hours worked.

The market has a range of time tracking software programs with different benefits and functions. Some time tracking software programs are better at managing tasks, others work well at tracking employee productivity, and some ace at comprehensive workforce management. A business should select a software solution that meets its particular needs.

How do Time Tracking Apps Works?

Employee time tracking apps are popular with businesses that want a handle on where and how their employees are spending their time during work hours. They are a great platform for employees to log their work hours, and for employers to track employee productivity. Some employee time tracking apps also allow employers to set goals and reminders for their employees, to help them stay on schedule with assigned work. This data is then transmitted to a central server, where it can be accessed by managers and used to generate reports on employee productivity, attendance, punctuality, and other metrics.

While some people may view this as a way for businesses to micromanage their employees, others see it as a helpful tool that can be used to improve efficiency and productivity.

There are a couple of ways time tracking software can work. Some use the punch method, which is the traditional time-card system that requires workers to manually insert a paper time card into a machine upon arrival and departure from the workplace. However, this method is not feasible for remote workers or work profiles that require people to work in the field. On the other hand, time tracking apps allow employees to login through a mobile device and track time more accurately.

Every time tracking app has different features. For instance, some allow employers to track employees and their location through GPS tracking. For apps that track employee's geolocation, employees will generally have to clock in and out of shifts using a mobile app. The app will then use GPS to track the employees' location throughout their shift. It can be helpful for businesses that need to make sure their employees are working on site. For example, the restaurant industry uses this technology to track delivery staff and ensure that orders reach customers on time.

Sometimes, tracking apps require employees to clock in and out of specific tasks. It allows businesses to monitor the time spent on each task. Again, when it comes to the restaurant industry, such apps are helpful because it helps shift workers segmentize work and become efficient at it.

What are the Features of a Good Time Tracker?

Time tracking software allows businesses to cut down on losses due to employee non-performance. Some common features of a good time tracking software are listed below-

1. One of the most important features a good employee time tracker should have is accuracy. It means that the time tracker app should be able to calculate the time an employee spends on various tasks precisely.
   
2. To get the most out of a time tracker, it is important to find one that's easy to use. This way, employees are more likely to input their data accurately and be able to retrieve it when needed.
   
3. The best time tracking software also has multiple tracking methods to allow employees to find what works best for them. This flexibility enables employees to make the app work according to their needs, and managers can trust that the data they're seeing is reliable.
   
4. A good employee time tracker app integrates with your existing payroll system to run reports and process payments, saving the Human Resources team time and trouble.
   

How Can a Time Tracking App Improve Employee Performance?

Automated time tracking software is not just a timesaver for employees, it also creates a sense of transparency and accountability in the workplace. It helps managers develop a better understanding of their employees' work patterns, efficiency levels, and potential areas for improvement.

1. A time tracking app helps determine if an employee is meeting their targets on time. It does this by enabling employees to record their work hours and the work completed during that time.
   
2. Tracking time is an effective way for employees to see how their time is spent. It incentivizes them to finish a task on time and review how much time they spend on a task, providing them more autonomy and ownership over their work.
   
3. Overworking and the resulting burnout is one of the leading causes of lowered productivity. Working intensely for extended periods can cause disturbed sleep, anxiety, and stress. By blocking time in your calendar for specific tasks and sticking to them, the chances of burning out can be minimized. Time tracking tools help you evenly spread your work across the week.
   
4. Two of the most common issues that impact employee productivity are time theft and buddy punching. According to the American Payroll Association, time theft affects 75% of businesses. To discourage buddy punching and time theft, implementing a time clock or time tracking software that requires a password, biometric scan, or thumb impression to clock in and out, will help reinforce a culture of accountability.
   

How Can a Time Tracking App Improve Your Bottom-line?

The benefits of using time tracking apps are two-fold- not only do they improve employee productivity by giving an employer more insight into how employees work, but they can also help improve a company's bottomline. By tracking employee productivity, an employer can identify areas where employees are slacking off or working inefficiently. The best time tracking apps can integrate with workforce management systems to ensure that everything in an organization is streamlined.

The data generated by these apps can then be taken into account, enabling employers to address issues plaguing the bottomline and help employees boost productivity. In addition, by understanding which employees are putting in the most productive hours, an employer can better allocate resources and reward those employees accordingly.

A time tracking app can also help a business save money on labor costs by ensuring that employees are only working the number of hours they are supposed to, as per labor laws.

Best Time Tracking Apps of 2022

ZipClock-
One of the most popular software apps on HubWorks, this time tracking app helps restaurants track employee time punches and breaks in real time. Available as a monthly subscription that costs between $90 and $995, depending on the size of a business, the ZipClock app helps businesses track their employees' whereabouts in real time by using GPS tracking. It also ensures compliance with labor laws. In addition, it eliminates time theft by ensuring employee punches are validated. It has integrated Performance Management tools as well that help managers with performance reports and sales statistics.

When I Work-
This time tracking software solution is another great platform for employee scheduling and time tracking. With its one-click scheduling features, managers can easily build employee schedules themselves. This software is perfect for shift-based workforce management and delivers a great employee experience with its easy to use interface. There are three monthly price packages to choose from- $4 per user, $6 per user, and $8 per user per month.

Trello-
Trello is a time tracking and productivity tool that helps team members move work forward by collaborating and managing projects, reaching new heights of productivity. Trello can be used anywhere, from high-rises to the home office. In addition, it has a unique feature that allows tasks to be divided into cards, enabling work to be more streamlined. With every task broken down into manageable sections, it's easy to see what needs to be done, set deadlines, and communicate with team members. Opening a card provides access to checklists, due dates, attachments, and conversations. Trello has a free trial plan, and its standard plan starts at $5 per user per month.

Final Word

Time tracking is a crucial element of every business, and using the best time tracking apps can help your employees understand their workload clearly. Time-tracking software helps businesses keep track of their employees' time, allowing them to organize tasks, and produce quality work.

It also helps managers accurately monitor the extra hours put in by employees. In addition, managers don't have to worry about missing deadlines because they can see when an employee started and stopped working on a project. Online time tracking systems generate comprehensive and comprehensible reports on projects by keeping track of expenses and invoices. This helps companies meet their sales and other business goals, and ensures that the business is profitable.