There’s no question we’re living in the era of information and analytics.
Some people would probably argue there’s too much information available at our fingertips these days but we all need to get used to the fact that every step we take, every move we make, someone is watching us, and no, it’s not Sting or The Police.
Related: Smart Cushions Take Data Collection to Controversial Extremes in China
More companies these days are relying on employee productivity tracking software, especially with much of the workforce still working from home as we continue to deal with the ongoing spread of the coronavirus across the U.S. and around the world.
While there’s certainly some controversy in companies relying on software to figure out if their workers are actually doing the jobs for which they’re being paid, employee productivity tracking software comes in handy in five ways, says market analyst Aaron Paul:
Find the most productive time for work
You cannot tell what is the ideal work schedule; it is a rather subjective issue. Some teams would work 9 to 5 and call it a day. Others may find it effective to sit in the quiet time before kids are up, or hitting the keyboard right after the second coffee break.
Some also like to go through emails before bedtime. When people know their most productive time frame, work gets easier to complete.
Not just the hours, employees can also find which days of the week they remain most productive. You know Monday mornings are tough, but what are the least productive hours? Viewing productivity trends allows to optimize work schedules based on facts, and prevent missing project timeline and reporting.
Balance workload to prevent burnout
Exhaustion periods do come at times of the career. They are unpredictable and can cost the employer. As Gallup found, employee disengagement causes 37 percent higher absenteeism, an 18 percent reduction in productivity, and an overall 15 percent decrease in business profitability. Even a study on doctors with burnout found more than double the chances of self-reported medical errors. In conclusion, no organization can afford the damage caused by burnout.
Avoiding employee productivity tracking can also cost big time for the business. An employee could be working 60 hours a week, only to find out his/her boss does not know about it. Employee productivity tracking software helps employers know who has an unmanageable workload, and decide if someone needs support or additional resources. Employees can show the data and ask for rebalanced workload as well.
Employee productivity tracking software helps to lessen overload
Management needs to know what things employees are dealing with on the frontline. Some teams do check-in daily, others keep in touch on a weekly basis, and some only come back when they have something specific in hand to discuss. But who has not been a victim of never-ending meetings? Meetings that pull out all the energy and motivation to work and make you think, “This just could be an email.”
Employee productivity tracking software helps pinpoint where a workers’ time goes at work, and if any of those activities are unnecessary for the actual project. For example, if an employee finds it hard to match the timeline of a project due to a temporary workload, he/she can show the breakdown of the time spent and sit with the manager to lessen or discharge the optional activities.
Help employers to adopt the right tools for work
When managers notice a tool that helps employees to get the job done effectively and efficiently, they want to invest money into it. For example, if employees spent more time on Slack than email, the company may consider buying a premium Slack account for direct file sharing.
If the marketing team spends a lot of time responding to social media post comments, the company may look for an automated solution. Productivity monitoring platform keeps tabs on webpages and running applications, allowing managers to notice inefficiency, adopt the right tools and reduce frustration while saving time.
Create a win-win framework for businesses and employees
By leveraging employee productivity tracking software, businesses and their workers can smoothen work processes. Having the actual data at their disposal allows employees to optimize work schedules based on individual productivity patterns.
It also helps find and eliminate unnecessary meetings and inefficient tasks, while finding the right tools to get the job done. Balance employee workload and prevent burnout with the productivity monitoring tools, and boost organizations’ ROI while accelerating employee careers.
Business leaders in all industries are getting better at a lot of these things as the months roll on and employees continue to wonder when or if they’ll return to their offices. How have you balanced the need to ensure your employees are staying busy with the idea of trusting them to do their jobs?
