Next-Level Features That Your Employee Time Clock Should Have
Image courtesy of Pixabay.
Whether you have five employees, fifty, or five hundred, there’s no getting around it: You need your employees to record the number of hours that they’ve spent at work so that you can pay them the proper amount. Luckily, nowadays, tracking time on the clock is faster and easier than ever, thanks to time clock software.
Despite its relatively recent incorporation into mainstream business technology, time clock software has undergone quite a rapid evolution—and while it might have started as a way to make timekeeping more convenient, it certainly hasn’t ended there. Keep reading to see just how far time clock software has come and which employee time clock features you don’t want to go without.
Time Clock Software Background Info
Before we get into the specifics of time clock software, let’s cover the basics: namely, what time clock software is and how it works.
What Is Time Clock Software?
Time clock software is a web-based form of time-tracking that digitalizes the process of clocking in and out, as well as the corresponding time cards and timesheets that go along with it. Furthermore, most virtual timekeeping platforms use cloud-based technology so that you and your employees can access the software from any Internet-connected device.
How Does Time Clock Software Work?
One of the aspects of time clock software that makes it so appealing is its flexibility and ability to be customized. This means that employers have a lot of options, even when it comes to basic interface with the software, like in terms of how employees clock in and out. Each employee will be assigned an account with a portal that they’ll use to clock in, clock out, and view their time card and timesheets. After that, it’s usually up to you as to how they’ll access their account: entering a username and password, scanning a QR code, or even snapping a photo in real-time and signing in via facial recognition.
Features That Can Change Your Business For the Better
Improved accuracy, expediting clocking in and out, and minimizing time theft are all standard benefits that come along with time clock software. But, as we said before, time clock software has expanded to do much more than simply record logged time. Below are a few examples of software features that can help you to optimize your company in more ways than one.
Another way that time clock software has improved? Most software providers now offer mobile apps for maximum convenience! Image courtesy of Pixabay.
Time Card Approval
Accountability helps us all to stay honest. With time clock software, you can adjust your settings so that you—or any other manager on-duty—will be notified whenever an employee punches in or out, allowing you or the other manager to check the time and ensure that it’s accurate. This means that you’ll never have to worry about inaccurate timesheets and can maintain complete control over the hours logged. (Conversely, if that isn’t something that you’re worried about, you, of course, have the option not to implement a time-card-approval system.)
GPS Tracking
If your business has more than one job site or requires employees to work from outside locations, you’ve probably found yourself wondering if everyone is always where they say they are. This is why many time clock software providers have incorporated GPS tracking features into their software, giving you the option to view and track employees’ GPS coordinates when they clock in.
Geofences and IP Locks
Have you been wondering what’s to stop employees from clocking in from outside of work? In addition to using time card approval, you can also create geofences and IP locks to prevent punches from occurring outside a certain geographic radius or IP address. Furthermore, you can assign these restrictions on an employee-by-employee basis so that if you have employees who rotate locations or are allowed to work remotely, those employees will still be able to clock in and out from the right offices or job sites.
Automated Reporting
One of the best ways to improve your business is to gather as much data as possible so that you know exactly where your company needs some extra help. That being said, keep detailed, organized records is usually easier said than done. Because time clock software is constantly updating and storing your employees’ hours and updating their timesheets, you’ll have precise, comprehensive datasets automatically compiled, which you can then export and analyze.
Integrations
As we dive deeper into the “Age of Technology,” the business world is becoming increasingly digitalized, and every company has its own set of online tools and programs that it uses to conduct logistical taskwork and keep its business running smoothly. But while these technologies are all individually beneficial, the most efficient way to do things is to have your software and other tools work together. This is why time clock software comes with a long list of integrations so that you can use it in coordination with a number of other forms of software, like the ones you use to do accounting, payroll, and other administrative tasking.
Time For An Upgrade? Find the Right Time Clock Software Provider Today
While many software providers offer the same basic capabilities, there are a few that really set their software apart from the rest with more advanced features—and, overall, better services. For the most part, this is why, generally speaking, paid time clock software surpasses software that’s free to download and use. A key part of finding the right time clock software provider is looking for a provider that offers extra features in addition to the standard time clock. After all, it is 2020, and you want to get your money’s worth from any paid service that you introduce to your business.
