With remote work and flexible schedules on the rise, it’s becoming more important than ever before for businesses to utilize the latest and most robust employee tracking app.
Not only is robust tracking software critical for an ever-evolving workforce, but it can also be a huge time and money saver as well.
The latest tracking software offers a number of different features that can help businesses boost their bottom line in a number of ways.
When choosing the right employee tracking app, here are 7 features to look for.
What to Look for in an Employee Tracking App
1. Tracking For Your Specific Needs
Employee tracking software is far more than just a glorified timesheet that allows employees to clock in and out.
Various employee tracking apps are available that can also track your employee’s activities.
If your employees never need to drive for work, then you don’t need GPS mileage tracking. On the other hand, if your employees spend a good portion of their day driving or working in multiple locations, then you might choose an app that offers GPS tracking.
If your employees spend most of their day working on a computer, then you might want tracking software that tracks what they are doing with their time online.
The important thing is to make sure the app offers the specific type of tracking you need most.
2. Integration
One of the key time and money savers that tracking apps offer is the ability to fully integrate with other systems such as payroll, tax accounting software, scheduling software and/or accounts payable systems for expense reimbursement.
They also track time spent on different projects as well as overtime, bonuses or jobs that pay at a different rate or scale.
Good employee tracking software can also help ensure you are in compliance with employment laws and tax codes in every state or country you operate in.
Many systems also work with a number of different third-party apps and programs to seamlessly integrate documentation and information into one streamlined system.
3. Geofencing
Employers always have to walk a line between giving their employees freedom and flexibility while still ensuring they are actually where they need to be and doing what they need to do.
Geofencing allows employees to clock in from multiple locations but keeps them from clocking in if they are not actually in one of those locations.
For instance, some employees can work either from home or at the office, but they are expected to be in one of those two locations.
If a remote worker prefers to work at a certain coffee shop or other location, that location can be geofenced to allow them to clock in from there.
4. Mobile Apps
As cell phones screens are increasing in size and tablets are offering more laptop-style features, mobile devices are slowly taking the place of laptops.
This means you want your employee tracking app to work as well on mobile devices as on a desktop or laptop.
This is particularly true if you have a mobile workforce or employees that travel frequently.
Even remote employees might be just as likely to work on a tablet as on a laptop. Making sure your tracking software is mobile compatible can even help you significantly reduce business costs.
The rise of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is not only making employees happier, but it is also helping small business to significantly reduce their expenses.
That being said, however, if you want employees to be able to use their own devices for business purposes, you need to ensure your employee tracking app works on their devices and across all platforms.
5. User-Friendly Interfaces
Not all of your employees are going to be super tech savvy, so you need to make sure that the app you choose offers robust features while still being simple to use.
You certainly want an employee tracking app that offers a wide variety of powerful features, but that doesn’t mean it should be difficult for your employees to use.
After all, the more time they have to spend fooling around with or learning how to use tracking software, the less time they spend actually working.
Employee tracking apps should help your employees be more productive rather than less. If it’s too complicated to use, it will just eat up valuable time instead of creating more of it.
6. Powerful Analytics
Good employee tracking software should do far more than just track employee hours, activities and expenses. It also needs to compile that information into detailed analyses.
Good employee tracking apps can do far more than just tell you how much or how long your employees are working, it should also be able to tell you what they are doing.
This doesn’t mean your employees are goofing off or not doing their work all day, but sometimes they may be spending more time on less important tasks or failing to prioritize tasks in the way that you need them to.
They may get to the end of many days having accomplished a great deal, but not necessarily having done the things you most need to be done.
In addition, they can often be completely unaware themselves of where their day is going or just how much time they spend on certain tasks.
7. Time Management Features
A good employee tracking app doesn’t just help you and your employees track their time, it can also help them better manage it.
Today’s employee tracking apps offer everything from integration with some of the top project management apps to features like Pomodoro timers and Private Time features they can turn on so their activities won’t be tracked.
Employee tracking doesn’t just track the time they spend working, it can also help them achieve better work-life balance as well
Today’s employee tracking app can be simple or sophisticated as you need it to be. With a wide range of options available, there are apps that are just right for any type of business, large or small.