It’s been four months since U.S. President Joe Biden signed the bill that ended the Covid-19 national emergency, yet many businesses have still not enforced a full return to onsite work.
In Washington D.C., 47% of surveyed employees in the country’s capital said they have jobs with responsibilities that can be done from home. Also, the same poll showed that two-thirds of those surveyed said they were remote-capable workers who would rather work from home 'most' or 'all' of the time.
California-based Buildremote reports that 77% of the Fortune 100 companies operate on a hybrid work setup today, while a survey from MIT also shows that 34% of the entire U.S. workforce has shifted from on-site to either a full remote or hybrid work arrangement.
While most Americans are happy to continue working from home, the shift has also presented employers and team leaders with challenges on how to monitor their team’s progress and ensure productivity. In response, 60% of companies have started using at least one type of employee monitoring software to ensure productivity and accountability amongst employees, a Pew Research study shows.
But employee monitoring can be controversial as it raises data privacy concerns.
A 2022 PubMed study shows that 61% of employees perceive time-tracking as a lack of trust. PRNewswire also reports that two out of three people hesitate to join organizations that use robust monitoring measures, like facial recognition technology and camera surveillance.
However, that doesn’t mean time-tracking is completely bad.
Here are three tips for business owners and managers who are considering implementing a time-tracking policy for remote teams:
Be transparent: Inform your team of the importance and the benefits of time-tracking
Have an honest conversation with your team about the use of a time-tracking platform, especially on its several productivity benefits, the specific data that you will be collecting, and how you plan on using it. Solicit feedback from team members as well and make them feel welcome to the conversation on whether a time-tracking system is required within the organization.
Make the system simple: time-tracking is supposed to help with productivity
Use time-tracking platforms that don’t require additional work from your team. Look into automated tools that don’t require them to manually log minutes or press the “start” and “stop” buttons. Also, look for ways on how your team can seamlessly integrate your time-tracking platform into the other tools that they use.
Incentivize team players: Don’t reward good work with more work
Time-tracking can be fun and engaging. Look into “gamifying” your time-tracking policies so employees feel motivated to follow the system. Some companies offer cash incentives to highly productive team members. Instead of giving more work to those who finish their tasks quickly, why not reward them with well-deserved rest?
Implementing a time-tracking policy and creating a transparent, flexible, and inclusive remote workspace are not mutually exclusive. Employers or team leaders just need to be open about how time-tracking systems are a win-win situation for everyone.
