{"id":1889,"date":"2021-11-22T12:36:18","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T12:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/?p=1889"},"modified":"2022-01-07T15:30:52","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T15:30:52","slug":"how-to-get-employees-to-track-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/how-to-get-employees-to-track-time\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s a Matter of Time: How to Get Employees to Track Hours"},"content":{"rendered":"

When she first met him, Alice was enrapt with the Mad Hatter. Perpetually trapped at six pm, he swept her off her feet, dancing away with his unbirthday celebration.<\/p>\n

Eventually, however, his deluge of senseless poetry and riddles drove her away.<\/p>\n

A manager with an overbearing fixation on time has a similar effect on employees. When every keystroke is recorded and overseen, it really jeopardizes a company culture that values individual motivation and accountability.<\/p>\n

Yet, remote working has become commonplace, and it’s created a dangerous blind spot for managers.<\/p>\n

They’re having a rough time finding solutions to questions such as: How is it possible to know if an hourly employee really works 40 hours each week? How can I approve overtime pay? How can I know the amount of time going toward a client or project?<\/p>\n

It’s tempting to wish for a \u201cdrink me\u201d potion that magically reveals all the data around work hours, but doesn’t interfere with team motivation<\/p>\n

There is a strategy, but it’s delicate. The right solution for each team entails carefully looking at all the issues around how to motivate employees to track time.<\/p>\n

Anytime you’re ready, let’s dig in.<\/p>\n

\"Give<\/p>\n

<\/span>1. Give Them an Easy Time<\/span><\/h2>\n

It’s so simple for employees to just forget to track their time. Yet, it’s information the manager needs: to bill clients, to track projects, and sometimes, to pay employees!<\/p>\n

If you want employees to track time consistently, make the process as easy as pie.<\/p>\n

Some time-tracking systems are pretty dang complicated. When it takes a lot of digging to figure out where to enter hours, people look for excuses to put it off, and then it doesn’t happen at all.<\/p>\n

It’s important to find a simple system where time is recorded with just a click or two. Having the capacity to enter time from a phone really helps.<\/p>\n

Friendly reminders work, too. Sending them out every few days, around the end of the day, might be just the jolt people need to get into the software and record daily hours.<\/p>\n

Providing incentives is another good idea. Acknowledging perfect time-tracking at weekly meetings, with an award such as a small gift card, motivates people to get on board.<\/p>\n

\"Make<\/p>\n

<\/span>2. Make a Stitch in Time<\/span><\/h2>\n

Have you ever had trouble sleeping at night, and the doctor’s advice was simply to do things like turn off the lights, roll down the shades, wear warm pajamas, and sleep in a quiet room?<\/p>\n

Sometimes, employees get hung-up just because the basics aren’t covered. Or they’re hazy about the overall process: they want to understand the \u201cwhy\u201d behind the system, and now just the \u201chow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Particularly when onboarding employees<\/a>, but also at least once a year, make an effort to explain time-tracking expectations thoroughly and completely.<\/p>\n

In order to eliminate miscommunication, it\u2019s important to explain the process in person. Then, follow up with an email. Here are some points to address.<\/p>\n