Choosing and Implementing a Time Tracker with Employees in Mind

Going through all those time clock app reviews in order to find the right one for your company can be overwhelming. There’s just so much stuff to think about - features, price, installation, support, data and reports... The list is seemingly endless. And of course, you have to make sure that the system you choose fits in nicely with your business goals and your organizational dynamics.

But in this sea of different deciding factors contained within time tracking and project management software reviews, there’s one thing you should never lose sight of - your employees. Or, to be more precise, how your chosen system will affect the employees’ workflow and whether it’s the best choice for improving their performance.

So in this article, we’re taking the employee-centric approach to implementing a time tracking app and offering you a reminder of some things that you shouldn’t forget about during the important stage of time tracking software comparison.

Choose the App That Requires the Least Effort from Employees

Technology has advanced pretty far. Now, even a cheap employee time clock will be able to tell you whether a particular employee is active or not. A slightly better one will also be able to tell you which apps they’re using and even which websites they’re visiting, which is pretty useful information for you. And the good news is - all of these things so far are collected completely automatically, so your employees don’t have to do anything.

But say you want to associate this time spent on tasks with actual projects that your employees are working on. For this, you need a project timer app, which works a little differently - your employees have to indicate which project they’re working on manually.

This is where you need to be smart in your choice of software. You want to pick the best work time tracker app that does this project tracking in the simplest way. You can go with the one that only requires employees to click the ‘start’ and ‘stop’ buttons as an indication. This will be the easiest process to explain during onboarding and it’s not that time-consuming for employees.

You can also go with automated time tracker, which, as its name suggests, does this project assignment automatically based on file names. So your employees don’t need to have any interaction with the software at all. If you’re looking for the most convenient hands-free time tracking experience for your employees, this is the way to go.

Make Sure the Software Can Work on All Employees’ Computers

More specifically, we’re talking about operating system compatibility. In other words, just making sure that the software works on your computer isn’t going to cut it because you need to install the time tracker on all the computers you wish to track as well.

You can choose the employee time tracking software Mac version if that’s the operating system you’re using, but if most of your employees are running on Windows, the app isn’t going to be that useful. So then, is the best time tracking software Mac or Windows compatible? Well, the answer is both - just to be on the safe side.

Plus, things get even more complicated when you add remote workers who use their own computers to the mix. Because even if it’s a standard for in-office workers to use Mac or Linux, you still need a time clock app for Windows users in case your remote workers need it.

Don’t Be Too Stingy

You might be tempted to go straight to free time clock software reviews, but it’s not a bad idea to weigh the price with the features you get. Free versions usually don’t have as many functionalities as the more sophisticated ones, so they might not be the best choice for improving your employees’ performance. Basically, it all depends on what you aim to accomplish.

Some of the more advanced systems offer freemium versions, but be extra careful when implementing those. These deals, although often better than a free timer app, are restricted to only a limited number of users - typically up to ten. So if you have more employees than that, or even if you’re just planning to grow, this isn’t the optimal solution - it’s not really fair to track some employees and not others just because you’ve reached the user limit.

Opt for the Software with Access Sharing

The flexibility in sharing access to the time tracking data is crucial for employees and any improvements you’re aiming to make. For the best outcome, try to find a software that allows employees to see their own data. This shouldn’t be difficult. But also, don’t forget to actually encourage your employees to use this feature once you implement it.

Giving your workers access to employee tracking software is good for their motivation - they’ll see that you trust them enough to give them access to whatever you have access to. And plus, they might start coming up with their own strategies for improvement.

Don’t Forget the Briefing

The final consideration when it comes to implementing a time tracker in your workplace (or at least the final one before you actually start using it) is the onboarding process. It’s advisable that you tell your employees about their time being tracked from now on, but how you do it is extremely important as well.

Try to understand your employees’ point of view and their reactions. Explain the process thoroughly and allow them to ask questions. Being transparent and open about time tracking will earn you credit with employees and they’ll be more likely to perform just as well with the addition of the time tracking software as they did before it.

Conclusion

When choosing the best employee time tracking app for your company, don’t forget that you also have to make the best choice for your employees. Considering the things we’ve talked about when implementing the new employee time tracker software will keep your employees satisfied because they’ll be able to see that everything is happening in their best interest.

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