Large employers are changing their approach to how their deskless workforces are managed. Advances in workforce time and attendance technology have allowed organizations to gather a wealth of data. It’s clear that there is a link between employee well-being and successful business outcomes.
The difference between engaged and unengaged workers is vast, especially for deskless shift workers, who make up over 80% of the workforce. These workers encounter many obstacles that restrict their level of engagement in their roles. Many of these issues center around ineffective task management, time and attendance tracking, labor forecasting, and poor judgment calls based on limited data. Addressing these issues is a matter of using the right technology.
Today, global employers are navigating challenges that are reshaping the way they engage with employees to achieve better operational efficiency and enhance client experience by using modern time and attendance software. As the landscape of workforce management continues to evolve rapidly, organizations are using transformative solutions to redefine their employee engagement strategies.
Does Time Tracking Software Improve Deskless Shift Worker Efficiency?
Time tracking software offers strategic benefits that help improve deskless shift worker contributions and ultimately lead to better business outcomes:
- Enhances workforce autonomy with user-friendly tools
- Improves worker safety with proactive fatigue alerts to help reduce accidents
- Refines operational communications inside a time and attendance software, which helps workers quickly access necessary information
- Shift change visualizations lay the groundwork for flexible scheduling
- Improves employee engagement by allowing them to monitor their own performance and progress
Time Tracking Software Enhances Employee Autonomy
By definition, the deskless workforce is often on the move. Often, these employees are not given desktops or even email addresses where they can easily check their hours on the go.
Advancements in workforce time and attendance tracking technology have enabled workers to quickly use user-friendly interfaces that clearly communicate employee hours, sick time, PTO balances, and more. Having quick access to these details, both on and off the job, helps deskless workers feel they have a say in how they get their work done.
Organizations can use advanced employee time tracking features like data to better understand the link between employee well-being and operational effectiveness.
Improved Safety
Intelligent workforce time and attendance technology can better allocate time for each task. This helps avoid rushed work that can lead to lapses in focus, which could put a worker in harm’s way. Additionally, managers can easily use time tracking technology to identify the average time it takes to complete a task and compare this with their labor allocation to see whether it is practical.
Enhanced Communication
Traditional, tiered communication structures facilitate the flow of information from the top leadership down to the front-line workers. Without a fluid communication option for employees to voice questions or feedback, any breakdown in the tiered network communication model can have a severe impact on the business and on employee engagement.
Workforce time and attendance tracking technology that integrates centralized communication channels saves the company time and eliminates errors. Being able to communicate via a mobile-friendly interface and transcend company silos by talking and developing relationships with colleagues at various levels of the company can help deskless workers to quickly get the information they need to complete a task effectively. This places less of a communication burden on management’s shoulders and gives more autonomy to the worker.
Flexible Scheduling
Optimized time tracking technology gives managers and workers more flexibility in shift scheduling. It can quickly sift through data on all worker shifts and present it in easy-to-digest visuals, making it simple for managers to swap shifts and see whether worker shift requests are feasible.
For many employees, being able to see an organized overview of their co-workers’ shifts on a centralized platform can help them organize shift changes without being completely dependent on their managers, empowering workers to take more initiative in vocalizing their needs for shift flexibility.
However, based on the Third Annual Global Employee Experience Study, 31% of employees polled reported that their employers did not offer flexible scheduling. This suggests organizations may not have the right technology to support it. But as employers are looking for new ways to stay competitive in the market and recruit and retain great employees, investing in the right time management system may support better engagement with employees.
Engaged Workers
Leaders at the forefront of highly productive retail and manufacturing giants aren’t afraid to explore how they can integrate workforce management solutions across all operations.
Such leaders quickly rectify any missed opportunities to engage deskless shift workers and are mindful of choosing a workforce time and attendance solution that’s designed for multi-generational use.
When selecting a time and attendance solution that will be more engaging, ask the following about the technology:
- Does it use mobile-centric software to ensure information about training, schedule adjustments, pay sheets, and knowledge resources is easily at workers’ fingertips?
- Does it encourage effortless communication through organizational hierarchies, sharing information across ranks and between co-workers?
- Does it enable greater independence with self-performance monitoring and self-training tools?
- Does it help leaders keep their teams in the loop, with minimal delays or physical barriers?
- Does it foster a collaborative culture inside and outside of the production environment?
The Value of Employee Well-Being
The value of a balanced work and personal life cannot be overlooked when it comes to keeping employees in their best mental and physical state. Employees who feel valued and aren’t overworked have fewer days of unplanned leave and are more likely to feel a sense of loyalty to their employer.
A growing body of research supports the notion that engaged employees are more productive, creative, and committed to their work. Organizations that prioritize employee engagement and well-being are better positioned to drive growth, enhance client satisfaction, and establish a strong employer brand. By implementing comprehensive workforce management solutions, businesses can cultivate a culture of engagement that promotes employee satisfaction and fosters a positive work environment.
The ADP WorkForce Suite offers solutions designed to streamline scheduling, improve task allocation, and enhance communication across teams. These solutions can be tailored to optimize your organization’s operations, reduce inefficiencies, and empower employees to achieve their full potential.
See how time tracking software can empower your workforce.
