A time tracker is a tool for monitoring the work of both in-office and remote employees. Most time trackers take random screenshots, count keystrokes, and store a list of resources used during the workday. Trackers are especially useful for keeping track of hours worked: it allows freelancers to transparently track the work done and understand what kind of pay they will receive, and it allows employers to accurately calculate wages without loss to the company.
Recently, work monitoring software has been used by more and more companies, due to the increasing number of people switching to a remote work format. Companies often have doubts about whether they will be able to maintain the same level of productivity in remote teams, so they decide to implement trackers.
In general, as with most innovations, trackers have also met with resistance and opposition from employees. And this reaction is understandable, because no one wants to be monitored, controlling every step.
But in such a situation, it is very important to explain to employees that trackers are not intended for surveillance.
Every employee should know that the only purpose of time trackers is to increase productivity and efficiency, which will ultimately lead to the achievement of goals. Time tracking is by no means spying, micromanagement, or reprimanding.
So, where does this opinion on time trackers come from?
First of all, the reason for employee resistance is poor familiarity with the tool. And here’s what most employees think about time trackers without first familiarizing themselves with their purpose and capabilities:
- High level of envasion into personal space
- Feeling that your bosses don’t trust you
- Constant feeling that you are being watched
- Losing focus because you are being watched
Some employees also claim that trackers make them feel less productive and less motivated. When they know that they are being monitored, they cannot work in a focused manner because they feel like someone is constantly looking over their shoulder to monitor their actions.
According to these employees, time trackers are indeed intrusive.
In addition, some trackers have screenshot modes with an interval of 10 minutes, which is considered one of the questionable aspects of such tools. In fact, it is a violation of privacy.
However, this issue is controversial, as some people see nothing wrong with monitoring working hours if it is done for work, while others are outraged.
But wait! Is a time tracker really a bad thing?
As mentioned above, employees may have a negative opinion of a time tracker when they are not familiar with the tool, its purpose, and functionality. Or when they were not warned about the innovation in advance and not prepared for the new work format.
Therefore, it is important that before implementing a time tracking system, employees are familiarized with the tool. This first introduction should be informative and accurate. It is precisely because not all companies can do this and employees still continue to resist.
Without a first introduction and explanation of why the tracking system is being implemented, employees will continue to think that trackers are used for supervision, to make sure that they do not waste a single minute without doing their job. On the other hand, some managers use trackers to micromanage their employees, which also leads to the infamous assumption.
What’s ideal?
In the ideal case, employees know that the trackers are used for their comfort and to improve results in the long run. Employees know that they also benefit from the trackers:
- the ability to monitor hours worked
- the ability to prevent overtime work
- transparency of payroll calculation
- motivation to work more productively
- increase your income
How can you make sure that your employees react well to the news of the time tracker implementation?
To successfully implement the program, we suggest following a few simple steps:
1. Gather middle managers (administrators) and explain to them the benefits of time tracking and the reasons for its introduction.
2. Gather all employees together with managers (administrators) and inform them about the introduction of the time productivity program. Explain how the monitoring will be carried out and answer any questions employees may have.
To make employees feel more comfortable, immediately discuss such issues as the amount of unproductive time, what will be considered the norm, etc.
3. Send reminder instructions to all employees by email. The letter should include the start date of the monitoring and the rules for conducting it.
4. Regularly collect the feedback on expanding the list of possible actions to make employees’ work even more effective.
5. And most importantly, listen to your employees, even if it means giving up some of the tracker’s features, such as screenshots.
By following these simple guidelines, employees won’t feel like they’re being monitored, but rather that their work is being tracked for their own benefit.
Want to start using a time tracker? Try Yaware.TimeTracker.
Yaware.TimeTracker is a simple and flexible productivity monitoring tool that allows you to keep track of time with minimal interference in the employee’s personal space
With its help, you can find out:
- what time is the most productive for employees
- what resources employees use to perform a specific task
- how much time is spent on solving a task
- when difficulties arise when performing a task and help is needed
- what distracts employees and prevents them from moving forward
Use only good time tracking software, such as Yaware.TimeTracker, and you won’t face any problems. Only solutions!
