Time tracking can often be seen by employees as a tiresome and annoying to-do. Sometimes the sense of time recording is questioned, sometimes the process of entering time is seen as too time-consuming.
However, the fact remains that a time recording system can make work within a team more efficient, and it also offers many other advantages. Find out what these are and how you can convince your employees of the possibilities of recording working hours in a software in this blog article.
Eliminate employee prejudices
The introduction of a time recording system is often met with reservations and doubts from employees at the first moment. However, before you can highlight the benefits of project time tracking, it is important to eliminate possible prejudices as a first step.
Why time tracking does not mean lack of trust and micromanagement?
Two common concerns that often arise on the part of employees are control, lack of trust in the work, and the unnecessary micromanagement that can result from project time tracking.
Employee control is a sensitive issue that comes up when implementing a time and attendance system. Many employees fear that they will be permanently monitored as a result.
It is therefore all the more important to make it clear from the outset that the aim of time recording is not to monitor employees, but to improve project management and make optimum use of available resources. The recorded times are not used to monitor individual activities, but to plan projects more effectively, identify bottlenecks and create meaningful evaluations and statements.
The basis for this is the individual working times that are posted to the projects. At first glance, this looks like micromanagement. However, the recording of the individual working hours serves as the basis for being able to carry out meaningful evaluations, log the billable hours of the projects and improve the efficiency of the project work.
Therefore, before the software is implemented, all questions and doubts of the employees should be clarified. Open communication is key to clearing up misunderstandings and building trust. In the process, employees should understand how their collected data will be used and how they can benefit from it.
Choose a system that is easy to use
From the first point, an easy-to-use project time tracking system is critical to increasing efficiency and productivity. After all, it should help employees focus on their essential tasks.
Implementing a system that seems like an additional task to employees is not conducive to achieving goals. The system needs to run smoothly and take as little time as possible.
So look for a system with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.
How automations can eliminate the need to manually record working hours?
There are now many automation options that can reduce manual processes and replace them with automations. This is also the case in time recording systems.
How timeghost automatically records all your Microsoft 365 activities in timeghost?
To show you the possibilities of automations, we will show you our feed function in timeghost. If you are in the Microsoft environment, you have exactly the right tool with timeghost. timeghost captures all Microsoft activities and suggests them to you as a time entry in the software.
The only thing you have to do is to book the time entries to the project. In just a few clicks, your times are recorded and you can focus on the next task.
Zapier also offers over 6000 automations for timeghost. With Microsoft Power Automate you can also create workflows to other programs. We have already created some templates that you can integrate. In this blog article you can see the most used Microsoft Power Automate flows.
Another important aspect is that, in the best case, employees should have fun using the time tracking system. A positive user experience for employees is an important factor when choosing a system. Therefore, solicit feedback from your project staff during the testing phase and take it into account in the decision-making process.
By choosing a user-friendly system like timeghost, companies can ensure that time tracking is not perceived as a nuisance and time-consuming, but as a useful tool that facilitates everyday work.
What are the benefits of time tracking for employees?
Implementing a time tracking system offers a number of benefits not only to the company, but also to the employees. It is important to communicate to employees that time tracking is also for their own benefit and offers them various advantages.
Support with your work-life balance
One of the most important benefits is assistance with work-life balance. By accurately tracking work hours, employees can better track how much time they spend on certain tasks or projects. This enables more deliberate planning and helps avoid overtime or evenly distribute the workload. Time tracking thus helps promote a healthy work-life balance.
Transparency and traceability of project work
Another benefit for employees is the ability to track which projects they have worked on at any time. This can be especially helpful in documenting their own progress, tracking work hours for reports or billing, and helping to plan future projects.
Set a good example
As a manager, it’s vital to lead by example, especially when it comes to time tracking. Your employees look to you for guidance and see how you handle the time tracking system. Therefore, it’s even more important to record your own work hours as carefully and accurately as you expect your employees to.
Conclusion
Implementing a project time tracking system can be a positive change for a team, but it requires a focused approach. Communicating prior to implementation, clearly stating the benefits, invalidating the drawbacks, and transparently outlining the reasons for implementation are critical factors in ensuring the system’s acceptance and success.
In addition, employees must understand exactly why a project timekeeping system is being implemented and how it will benefit them. It is important to show them the benefits of time tracking, such as increased productivity and efficiency, transparent mapping of work hours, extensive reporting capabilities and the ability to accurately account for projects.
When choosing a time tracking tool, it is crucial to find a system that is easy for employees to use. A tool like timeghost offers an intuitive and automated user interface that is not overloaded with unnecessary functions.
