I have managed a business for several years and struggled with my team the first few years. I was responsible for sales goals, getting them in on time, tracking their sick days, and ensuring they completed their projects. I cannot tell you how hard it was to follow all of this by hand. It made my daily and weekly life as a manager stressful because I was so consumed by tedious tasks that could have been avoided had I adopted a time attendance clock sooner.

The owner was against using any modern technology. Unfortunately, they’d adopted the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. Needless to say, I had difficulty convincing them this tool was necessary. Luckily, a new owner came in, listened to concerns,d understood how employee time clock software could help with day-to-day operations.

Through my last few years of managing a small business, I have learned some crucial lessons to help me run my own business one day. This software can be a lifesaver if you are a new manager struggling to keep up with administrative tasks or an exhausted owner with no time.

Five Of The Biggest Lessons Learned

Here are some of the most significant lessons I have learned from implementing employee time clock software. Hopefully, you can take these lessons and grow from them as I did.

Online Time Clocks Make Far Fewer Mistakes But Still Need To Be Checked

When my company switched to employee time clock software, it allowed me and those I manage to see work hours and schedules in one convenient location. Access to this information resulted in fewer scheduling mistakes, no-call no-shows, and far lower turnover rates. One of the biggest lessons was learning that automated time clock solutions resulted in far fewer time tracking and scheduling errors.

However, nothing is perfect, so you must have a review process. Most employee time clock software has a time card approval process available. This allows employees to review and confirm their work hours. Once the employee has reviewed their time card, it can be sent to their manager for final approval before moving on to payroll processing.

Getting Everyone Onboard Can Be Challenging

As mentioned earlier, the previous business owner firmly rejected using modern technology, as did most of their hired employees. When the new owner came in and gave the go-ahead to invest in employee time clock software, the next challenge was getting employees on board.

I quickly found that most employees were adamant about using modern employee time clock software because of all the unknowns. How would this impact their time-tracking process? Will they be monitored all day? What do they do if they have questions? The best way to address this is by having an open forum with your workers. Outline the benefits of using an online time card system, and most importantly, let them know they won’t be left to fend for themselves.

You Don’t Need To Micromanage Anymore.

Every day, I would walk into work and continuously feel the need to remind my team what they should be working on. I was always watching and correcting them, which took away time from what I was supposed to be doing and negatively impacted our work relationship.

Implementing a timekeeper app gave my team more freedom and promoted workplace autonomy. I no longer had to remind employees about upcoming projects or let them know their schedule had changed because automatic reminders took care of that for me. I quickly found that employees appreciated having more control over their time-tracking process, which increased productivity.

Advanced Time Tracking Features Can Be Expensive

Many time tracking systems come with all features included. However, others charge for access to more advanced features. I learned This huge lesson quickly after getting the new system in place.

It would help if you determined your business needs before you implement online time clock software. Do you have employees out in the field? Then perhaps GPS tracking is a requirement. Is your business reliant on job costing? Then, being able to track time per job is essential. Though more advanced features may add to your expenses, the return on investment will far outweigh those costs.

Implementing employee time clock software was one of the most significant changes I made as a manager. It allowed me to focus on essential duties and give employees more control over their time-tracking process. Hopefully, the insight I’ve gained through this tool can help you make an informed decision when choosing a solution.