What is Online Attendance Management, and how does it shape up the future of Corporates?

Online attendance management is a very modern-day concept where employees’ productivity is monitored with software build to perform this function mainly. This monitoring is real-time based and helps keep a complete track of the number of hours an employee has worked. This time tracking software does not only monitor but also can store data.

The attendance of each employee is a parameter based on which they receive their paychecks. Attendance shapes the future of the corporates as this real-time data shows their sincerity and punctuality at work. The time tracking tools have an entry-exit time frame set in them. It means a delay of a minute at work can cost a loss in income to the employees.

Online attendance management has made employees more efficient and punctual at work. Organizations can value and appreciate employees that are hardworking in actuality and get hold of employees that disguise to be one. The system is not only beneficial to businesses and organizations. Employees get paid for extra hours of work and projects they handle. No hour is left uncounted, and an error-free salary receipt is generated. Other benefits of such software are that if an employee is unable to visit the office due to some health-related or personal issues, they can work from home by logging into the software sitting at home. These systems are very cost-effective.

The better are the statistics about an employee, and the more are the chances of them getting promoted or receiving a fair bonus for their diligent performance. Thus, these time management tools play a crucial role in shaping the future of an employee.
xTimesheet is a very functional time tracking software with a fluid interface. It is compatible with Android and Windows, enabling employees to enter and exit the software anytime and anywhere. It performs functions like activity tracking, project management, expense management, and generating invoices.

How to maintain employee discipline (pandemic edition)

The challenges faced by employers to maintain employee discipline has widened way more than ever amidst this pandemic. HRs worldwide would never have predicted that looking after the employees’ productivity and well-being would suddenly go virtual. So, ‘How to maintain employee discipline?’ is the question of the hour. Below are five ways you can achieve workplace discipline even when your staff is working from home.

  1. Set realistic deadlines- Setting up realistic deadlines is the first task after delegating duties. Most managers fail to understand that setting deadlines are essential, but the time constraint should be achievable. Giving employees reasonable time to produce quality work requires that they be kept well informed of the deadlines and expectations.
  2. Inculcate feedback system- As an employer or a manager, you will be benefitting a ton if you have a feedback culture. The employees’ efforts and hard work should be appreciated, and also, if an employee is not performing as per the requirements, they need a fair chance to improve upon their mistakes. A feedback system in the workplace helps employees set better goals for themselves, increasing efficiency. Feedback from clients is another useful tool that will make your employees directly responsible for their work attributes and discipline.
  3. Set productivity criterion- Each organization has its own set of expectations from its staff. Thus the measure set for employee evaluation should also be in affinity with the core of the company. Making a customized productivity metric rather than blindly following what other companies do is highly advisable. These metrics can even be customized further within the institution for multiple teams and projects. These measure variables can be based upon the number of projects an employee is simultaneously working on or the number of clients handled by them daily. Other such variables could be time taken to perform specific tasks or the number of hours worked.
  4. Follow discipline yourself- It is well said that you must ‘Practice what you preach.’ Being an employer/manager, one must follow deadlines and keep up with scheduled tasks. The staff is bound to follow and listen to your instructions, but your indolent approach would affect their sincerity. If you can attend meetings on time despite being overdecorated with work, they will have no excuses except for getting inspired by you and following it themselves.
  5. Use a time management software- Time management/tracking software is immensely helpful and currently used by various enterprises and agencies as a quick one-step solution to keep track of employees’ time on their respective work.
    xTimesheet is one such go-to application that will give you peace of mind and help shoot up your employees’ work pace. It is assimilated with features like Activity Tracking, Project Tracking, and Expense tracking. Accelerating, Declining, or Consistent performance, xTimesheet helps you know all through statical charts. It is compatible with Windows and Android. The interface is seamless and hassle-free; also, exporting data is smooth and does not require expertise.

The five most important factors leading to a productive workplace

There’s this quote by Robin S. Sharma that, “Productivity is less about what you do with your time and more about how you run your mind.” Any workspace needs that environment and facilities to make the mind run in the right direction. There are varied factors that influence workplace productivity. Here are listed five most crucial ones.

  1. Distractions- An average human brain processes up to 6,200 thoughts per day. To say, you have ten staff members, now multiply it with this four-digit number, and a result you h the number of ts present in that space. Thoughts are essential to generate ideas, but all of them won’t be productive. Instead, it’s better to say that many of them can be distractive. Keeping your staff away from distractions can be a colossal challenge. Thus, having policies like no social media during work and giving your employees a reasonable number of breaks is recommended for increasing competence at work.
  2. Workplace Environment- The environment we work in is expected to be peaceful, and it must help concentrate. The physical surroundings and the essence of the very place, the seniors, co-workers, and subordinates we work with influence our work efficiency immensely. Maintaining a supportive and cooperative environment is essential for growth in productivity during work hours.
  3. Personnel Training- How well personnel has been trained and how well they have imbibed the training plays a vital role in the quality of performance. An employee should be able to perform well without supervision or in case of absences of directives if they are trained well. This saves the precious time of a senior, which would otherwise be put to use for essential tasks. Thus, selecting proficient candidates and their training is a vital factor leading to productivity at the workplace.
  4. Employee Wellness- The workforce is the key factor with which the day-to-day activities of an organization are executed. Looking after the well being of employees, keeping them happy by providing them security, and giving them appraisals from time to time will keep the employees motivated at work. Providing necessary refreshments at work will keep them rejuvenated. All of these are little things, but they matter.
  5. Workplace Technology- One significant factor is the tools and equipment used in the workspace. The technology includes applications, software, devices. They should support the employee in achieving goals and reduce the amount of time they would otherwise waste on a small task. It should make completing tasks seamlessly. One such technology that you can incorporate in your workplace if you are a Start-up, SME, Agency, or Enterprise is xTimesheet. It enables you to track the productivity levels of your employees using timesheets. It not only is helpful in time management but also will help in invoice processing and calculates billable hours. Keeping track of your employee’s work throughout the day and for 365 days, hassle-free is the need of the hour.

Beat the ‘Work from Home’ isolation blues

Our work gives us goals in life, keeps us motivated and high spirited, but sometimes it might just make you feel isolated and lonely if you’re someone who is permanently working from home for years or is trying to adapt to it. The laptop lifestyle, more than being a privilege, is becoming a problem. Thus, here are five tips for you to keep up with the Isolation blues when you’re working from home.

Plan to work outside of the house- Working from home gives a lot of advantages and relaxation, but it can also fill you with loneliness and isolation due to the lack of human interaction. People develop habits of sitting and working in the same space day after day, making work-life monotonous. You can get rid of this dull lifestyle by merely switching to a new work environment. Find another place outside of the house that helps you concentrate and gives you that inspiration you were looking for. It can be a cafe, a friend’s place or even a park.

Schedule Video Conferences- Video conferencing is the easiest and most practiced way to stay connected in today’s world. Get your clients, co-workers, even friends that aren’t related to your work on video chats. Emails are necessary, and they serve the purpose of communicating pretty well, but nothing can replace a face to face interaction. It’s easy to explain, understand, and discuss topics in video conferences. It can help in avoiding unnecessary waste of time and confusion, also can be a savior in the times when you feel isolated.

Join or build a group or community- Building or joining a group related to your interest can help you keep away from the feeling of isolation. These groups can be work-related or anything that enables you to keep up with your hobby. Sharing things from your everyday life, such as pictures of your plants or pets or books and movie recommendations, can be very refreshing. People with varied skills can share tips and teach one another so much. One must look forward to being a part of such groups if you feel a lack of human interaction and connection.

Reach out to your co-worker’s- If you’re someone who is permanently working from home and don’t meet your co-workers regularly, then finding people who work in the same organization and spending time with them can help you beat that quarantine feels. They don’t need to be from the same department as yours. So, don’t just phone a friend, but find a friend.

Schedule your day- This is one of the most difficult to follow, but it’s essential to recognize how crucial it is to keep up with a schedule even if you don’t visit an office daily. Working from home is not like you need to sit with a laptop until midnight. Plan out your day for other important activities. Planning out things in advance can help you in keeping your work and personal life separate which will give you time to meet and be around people.