Why and How to Use an Employee Time Tracking App

by Startacus Admin

Thinking about replacing employee timesheets with a tracking app? Here’s the lowdown on how and why you should do just that

Do you still accept timesheets written on pen and paper? Do your employees enter their working hours on a spreadsheet and send them to you by the month's end? Do you still use the age-old punch card system? If yes, it's high time you must consider joining the digital age. 

Having an employee time tracking app can eliminate such problems and also increase your workplace’s productivity. According to Forbes, 89% of employees admitted that they waste time at their workplace every day, which costs several dollars to the business owner in the long run. 

Types of Time Theft Possible at Workplace

Time theft in the workplace can be possible in several ways, such as:

• Buddy punching

• Late check-ins and early check-outs

• Stand-in attendance

• Longer than allowed breaks

• Unofficial overtimes

• Doing personal activities at office 

Time theft cost around $11 billion in a year to the employers in the US, while buddy punching alone costs $373 million a year. It has been found that 92% of accountants’ clients are dealing with time theft issues in their workplace. Considering these whopping numbers, using a time tracking app can result in accurate invoicing. Apart from that, when you know how your employees spend their time, you can do analysis and make better decisions for the benefit of your business.

Why Use a Time Tracking App for Employees?

Timers and time clocks are being used in businesses ever since man started hiring others to get their job done. Time tracking apps are recent developments that can be used not only on mobile phones but also on desktops, laptops, and other web-connected devices. Here are a few benefits of using the same:

Accurate Billing: It helps you to keep track of what your employees are doing and for whom. An employee time tracking app will note down everything accurately so that there is no chance of forgetting the entries, thereby helping in accurate billing without any disagreements. Your employees do not need to set timers or remember their tasks. They can accurately record all their working hours using this app.

Project Management: Time tracking gives you an exact idea of where your employees are using their time and which projects take the minimum and maximum amounts of time. When you have this information, you can write proposals better and predict future projects. With a time tracking app, you can have all the project-related information to improve your estimation processes and manage your costs effectively.

Enhanced Productivity: A Time tracking app helps in increasing efficiency by tracking trends and pinpointing weaknesses. You will be able to identify what elements are decreasing your speed and productivity so that you can address any inefficiency accurately.

Progress Communication: Weekly progress reports are easier to be made with the help of a time tracking application. It not only collects data but also presents useful reports. You can also share the updates with the company managers or provide your clients with a breakdown of where their project has reached.

Capacity Understanding: It helps you to plan your project, see how your work is aligned with the plans, and see how much work is being done from time to time. This will enable you to maintain a better workload and identify the sustainability of your workplace by knowing the capacity of your staff.

Increased Profits: When you know how your employees spend their time, you can quickly pinpoint where your money and time is being wasted. With accurate billing, while minimizing wastage, you save money and increase profits.

Choosing the Right Employee Time Tracking App

All applications are not the same, and there are certain factors that you have to consider while making your final selection. Some of them are:

• Location of work, in case of remote employees or field workers

• The distance of employees' location from your workplace, in case you are getting your work done by freelancers

• The device, your employees, are using, be it Android, Mac, iOS, or any other

• Communication needs, in case you need to send reports to your clients or other staff members

• Your purpose of using the app, whether it is just to track time, or you also want to bill by hours, share reports, sort entries, etc.

• Any extra features desired, like editing, exporting, customization options, invoice and payroll management, locking time entries, etc.

• Ease of use, as it should have a user-friendly interface that your employees can understand and use easily

• Cost should be well within your budget.

So, if you want to save your business from time theft and manage your time properly, then choose an employee time tracking app wisely that can serve your purpose well.

 

Subscribe to our newsletter

If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.

• #
• #employer
• #timesheet
• #efficiency

Published on: 9th December 2020