Member Article

5 Ways to Strike a Balance Between Employee Satisfaction and Time Tracking

When you’re trying to improve the way things are in a workplace in an effort to achieve organizational goals, a common challenge is convincing employees to accept change. Too often, new rules and new systems repel staff members especially if they mean getting rid of habits they’ve been used to. Today, we’re going to tackle the concept of time tracking. Smart business owners know how important tracking time is to boost a company’s productivity. After all, lost time costs money. Now here’s the dilemma: How do you implement and adopt an improved time tracking system without sparking intense emotions among your employees? Is there an effective way to bring more structure into your business and at the same time help employees feel at their best? You can strike a balance between keeping your team satisfied and monitoring their work hours by following the tips below.

Address Your Employees’ Individual Fears

One big reason why employees despise time tracking is that they are afraid of failure. More specifically, this fear is tied to the assumption that they might not be able to meet the goals of tracking their time. Whether it’s the thought that a time tracking software is too difficult to use or that they might make mistakes with the use of the tool, you need to address these fears. Let your team know that you understand their worries and that a progressive adoption of time tracking and practice yields better outcomes.

Prove the Benefits of Time Tracking

Don’t just verbalize the advantages of monitoring time at work. Prove them. Since office workers are accustomed to habits that prevent them from staying on task such as randomly checking emails and social media or gossiping, they might not value time tracking unless they experience its real benefits.
Of course, reaping the rewards of time tracking would be impossible if employees will not fully submit to the system. With consistency and accuracy in the use of the tool, your team should be able to enjoy the beauty of not working overtime, fairness in workload, more accurate paychecks, and worry-free work breaks. These translate to an increased job satisfaction.

Increase Motivation Through Simple Rewards

Surprisingly, even the simplest rewards can push a worker to go the extra mile. Yes, your office employees aren’t toddlers. However, you should remember that reward systems work because they symbolize appreciation. As a manager, show your team members that their efforts in adopting your company’s time tracking system will be all worth it. Your reward doesn’t have to be monetary. Simple, cost-effective, and meaningful ideas include coffee mugs, snack treats, recognition letters, and days off from work.

Promote Flexibility and Independence

No two employees are alike, especially with the way they track their time. To help your workers easily embrace time tracking and avoid treating it as a daily chore, let them choose a method that suits them. You can always go for a time tracking software that offers multiple ways to monitor hours worked. What matters most is that every method helps you meet the same organizational objectives. Flexibility in tracking time has a dual effect. Because your employees are at ease and happy using a tool that meets their preference, they’ll be able to deliver more. This positively impacts your bottom line.

Implement Regular Evaluation and Feedback

Time tracking is not a set and forget activity. If you want it to continue bringing about positive change in your company including your team members, seek regular feedback. Give everyone an equal chance to speak out his or her concerns and positive experiences with time tracking. You can compare their feedback with the overall performance of your company – that includes your leads, sales, and customer retention. Actionable information matters because it helps you make better decisions. By knowing how effective a time tracking system is, you can improve or modify its use to meet your needs and your employees’.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, keeping track of employee time benefits not only organizations as whole, but also keeps employees satisfied. Because workers can make efficient use of their hours, they’ll be able to stay active, avoid burnout (due to working overtime), and enjoy more opportunities for advancement. Since the challenge lies in getting everyone on board with time tracking, remember to follow the pieces of advice in this article.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Deborah Belford .