Looking for ways to track employee productivity? You’re not alone. Less and less businesses are relying on the dreaded year-end performance review packages; opting to redefine what exactly employee productivity means for their organization.
And just in time, too; productivity is declining in the American workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During the last quarter of 2014, the Bureau found hours worked jumped by 5.1 percent, and productivity declined by 1.8 percent.
Why:
There can be any number of reasons for an employee’s low level of productivity, but some of these are some of the most common:
- Attitude;
- Boss;
- Feeling sick;
- Technology (particularly if programs are down more than they are up and running); and
- Downsizing and outsourcing.
Ways to improve employee productivity?
The answer might come as a surprise to you and you might feel a little like Big Brother is watching. Improving employee productivity on any level isn’t without challenges, but technology is helping to make the transition as palatable for the employee as management.
“Technology now makes transparent goal-setting and agile performance management easier than ever. A host of new tools permits employees to share their goals, provide feedback and recognition to others online and even “gamify” the performance management process to make it more productive and useful,” according to Deloitte University Press.
Online time tracking software, like Clockspot, allows staff to log in from any computer, cell phone or landline phone as long as they are connected to the internet. The software tracks IP addresses, device IDs, caller ID and GPS, with caller id reputation services. More and more companies tend to get time and attendance software to track and manage employee work hours.And all of the information is stored in the cloud for your easy access; meaning you can approve timesheets without having to be in the office. Technology has come a long way since employees were required to punch an actual time clock or even hand-write their hours on a time sheet.
Benefits
Often time what bogs down any good employee isn’t Facebook or other social media sites, but projects where not everyone is playing fair. With online time tracking technology, you can now see firsthand where an employee spends their time with a specific job, task, client or project.
How’s that beneficial to the employee? Simply, it shows their productivity in real time so when they become bogged down by a project it isn’t a case of he said/she said. This is one of the most common complaints of frustration stems from, which leads to an unhappy employee and lower production levels.
Additionally, everyday tasks that may be regarded as easy could end up being more time consuming and online time tracking software will allow you to see if that is the case.
For managers, the technology benefits are just as productive. They can approve/deny requests, make changes, track projects and review a detailed report of hours; heading off overtime hours and saving your business money. And they can do it from any web browser, which means their commute home just made them more productive for your business!
The biggest benefit, though, is the time employees get back to do actual work that is going to help you grow your business. Technology shouldn’t be just about how to make you money; it should be about how to save you money, too!