Clock in, clock out. Time clock software has always been the same, and neither you nor the employee think twice about it. So what if you could be using it with better efficiency?
Countless hours of employee productivity are already lost due to shady clocking-in practices. It would be a real shame to lose more despite having the best intentions. Fortunately, there are ways you can use your time clock software more efficiently.
If you use online time clock software, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s talk about the 5 steps to using your time clock software with improved efficiency.
1. Enact Strict Clock-In/Clock-Out Practices
Oftentimes, there’s a lot of chaos between shifts. New employees show up, and old employees are on their way out. Perhaps they begin to socialize, or they get ready and then clock out.
Every business can benefit from a streamlined clock-in and clock-out procedure. Employees should only clock in when they’re ready to work and leave when they finish. Any socializing or discussion needs to happen off the clock.
A great way to do this is to keep the employee time clock software away from the break room. Put it in an open place that the manager can see, closer to the work area. If possible, put it on the path to the working area after the breakroom.
That way, employees only clock in when they’re truly ready to work. Socializing happens off the clock since people would need to go out of their way to game an extra few minutes. It saves you money and keeps everything more streamlined.
2. Team Employees How to Use the Time Clock Software
Time clock software may seem simple in practice, but not everyone is good with technology. Since there are often multiple options, they might get tied up in the menus.
TimeTrakGO has some of the easiest software to use, but it never hurts to educate your employees.
Bring them all together and do a slide show about how the software works. Show them the clock in process from beginning to finish. You can even provide a demonstration so they know how to do it.
It doesn’t hurt to show them the extra functions of the time clock as well. If they need to edit their clock-in time, for example, you can show them how.
This saves a lot of time for those who need a bit of technical help. They’ll spend less time confused when doing clock-in at the beginning of their shift. That means they won’t be holding up other employees who are waiting to clock in for the same shift.
3. Keep an Eye on Remote Employees
During the pandemic, many jobs went hybrid or remote. Even though the pandemic is mostly over, many jobs still have remote employees. They often use the same free time clock software as the other employees.
While remote workers can be just as productive, it is harder to keep an eye on them. You may trust them fully, but it still proves difficult to manage them in tandem with the in-person team. Luckily, time clock software is here to help as well.
You can see when your remote workers have begun the day. You can see when they take breaks, and when they go off on lunch. Even though they’re not there in person, the time clock makes it as if they are.
This provides a wealth of opportunities to better manage a remote team. You can ensure there’s better synergy between digital and in-person teams. That provides better overall workplace efficiency.
4. Educate Employees on What Constitutes Time Theft
Sometimes, employees simply don’t realize that they should have clocked out for a certain activity. Not all time theft is intentional and malicious. It might be a lack of awareness of what time theft is in the first place.
Reminding them that they should only clock in for work-related tasks is essential. They need to clock out for breaks and give themselves adequate time to return from the break and clock in again. Taking breaks that are too long will eat into their next lunch, and so on.
You can also spend time making sure they understand that unplanned overtime is not okay. If they’re going to have overtime, they should speak to their supervisor for approval first.
An employee meeting or two goes a long way. Remind them of your policies, and the fact that they’re on CCTV camera. Remind them that you’ll investigate instances of time clocking software abuse.
Accuracy with time clocks is essential, so it goes a long way to take these small steps.
5. Send Out Emails and Put Up Reminders
It never hurts to remind people of policy. Everyone can forget the minutia of the rules, so don’t hesitate to remind them.
It’s easy to post a sign over the time clock with reminders. You can even use this place to put updated policies and anything else you need.
Emails and group work texts are also a great place to keep everyone updated. It all contributes to time clock efficiency as your employees get reminders of how you run things.
Find the Right Time Clock for You
You can use time clock software for a lot more than just tracking employee hours. It’s a useful tool for maintaining workplace efficiency. Keeping track of employee time clock software can help to better manage projects, time clock practices, and merge digital and in-person teams.
Looking for the best time clock software around? Look no further. Try TimeTrakGO for free for 14 days and see what you’ve been missing out on.
