Some people thrive on change while others shudder at the thought. You probably have a mix of those feelings within your company. Time tracking software isn’t just a simple change if you haven’t implemented it before; it’s also commonly misunderstood and intimidating to employees. They wonder if their employer is now watching every second of their work lives. Dispel the myths and reassure your employees with our tips for how to introduce time tracking software to your company.

 

What’s the Culture Like?

 

Whether you planned on it or not, your company has its own culture. Every company does. Culture is the atmosphere of the company, from the day in and day out, to how monthly and yearly meetings are conducted. Before gathering employees to explain the new time tracking software, take into consideration the vibe or culture of your company, then gear the announcement, meetings, and training toward that.

 

There are four common types of corporate culture. Yours may fall into one of these categories:

 

  1. Market Culture: The goal is results and as much profit as possible. The atmosphere is highly competitive, even among co-workers.
  2. Clan Culture: Like a family, the clan culture works together and is very loyal to each other and the company. Coworkers are more important than profit.
  3. Hierarchy Culture: Strict rules and guidelines. It’s clear who the leaders are and who’s in charge. What they say goes.
  4. Adhocracy: Leaders are seen as inspirational motivators rather than a “boss.” Risks are welcomed and everyone is open to new ideas.

 

Every culture is different and yours may be a mix of more than one. What’s important is that you have a clear understanding of the company’s current work environment before introducing time tracking software to your company.

 

Explain the Purpose

 

After understanding the culture of the company, it’s time to explain the purpose of the new software. Hopefully, the purpose is to make life easier for everyone involved, not just the leaders. Make that clear to employees. Here are some ideas of what to point out about time tracking software:

 

  • Improve employee accountability
  • Increase efficiency
  • See tasks easily
  • Understand use of time
  • Credit for time spent on tasks
  • Improve leadership accountability
  • Streamline payroll
  • Easier billing for clients

 

The goal is to improve the overall company, and that benefits everyone.

 

What Time Tracking Is Not

 

Employees want to understand what time tracking software is, but possibly even more so, they want to know what it is not. Understandably so, when time tracking hasn’t been used in the past, the words “time tracking” sound like spyware. Make it clear to employees how you won’t be using time tracking software. Let’s look at what to not use time tracking software for:

 

  • Unnecessary location tracking
  • Tracking restroom breaks
  • Secretive time tracking
  • Screenshots and jumping to conclusions

 

As an employer, it’s your responsibility to remain honest and never abuse time tracking software. When working together with employees, time tracking software is beneficial, and it’s your job to help them see that.

 

Employee Focused

 

There are plenty of available time tracking systems that don’t consider the employees, and you want the opposite, so choose wisely. Your time tracking software should allow employees to see just as much as you see, including scheduling, time off requests, tasks and time allotted, and hours worked. This negates the spying issue.

 

Whatever time tracking is used for, whether it be clocking in and out, assignments and tasks, or scheduling, employees have a right to access all of their information. If time tracking isn’t collaborative, employees will lose their loyalty to the company.

 

Training

 

Going back to understanding the culture of your company, implement the proper training for the new software according to how your group functions. Would they prefer a large meeting with break-out sessions so they can all catch up, share, and converse, or do they want some quick online tutorials so they can get back to business? Understand your employees and the culture, then train accordingly. Train leaders beforehand so they can answer questions and easily participate with employees.

 

Incentives and Rewards

 

When time used is better understood, it’s easier to offer incentives. Rewarded employees are more likely to enjoy having their time tracked when they are finally recognized for their hard work. Encourage your employees and add some fun to time tracking software with useful incentives.

 

Ask for Feedback

 

Whenever something new is implemented into a company, feedback is absolutely necessary and it’s the only way to know if it’s working well for all involved. Consider a private poll for employees so you’ll gain full honesty. If only a few employees are struggling, it’s hard being the one who complains or admits it. After the results from the poll or polls are in, create a meeting that’s an open conversation so everyone can bounce ideas off of each other.

 

On a positive note, you may find there are no glitches and that everyone is quite happy with the time tracking system. This happens often once the benefits are seen.

 

Choose Wisely

 

Choose the right time tracking software from the beginning to eliminate headaches and frustration for employees. Not all time-tracking systems are user-friendly or employee centered. A user-friendly system makes the entire day easier for employees and leadership, not more difficult. Don’t choose a system that requires constant questions due to confusion or seems to glitch often.

 

Time tracking software is an excellent choice to improve efficiency, productivity, and even boost morale within your company when used correctly. At TimeTrakGO, we’ve created a time tracking software that’s user-friendly, employee focused, and designed to work for everyone, not just the leaders in the company. We offer employee scheduling and time tracking software for all your time tracking needs. If you’d like more information, please contact TimeTrakGO and we can discuss your goals and needs, and from there, find the right time tracking method for your company.

How To Introduce Time Tracking Software To Your Company

Published On: August 3rd, 2021 / Categories: Time Tracking / Tags: , , /