When running a new business, you must be smart about using your resources to keep things going. You want to ensure you’re investing in the right time clock solutions to help your business grow and make your employees more productive. And when it comes to making employee time-tracking decisions, there are a few factors to consider.
The things to think about when choosing the right business time clock solution for your startup business are covered in this article.
The Need For An Automated Timekeeping System
When running a small business, it’s also essential to think about how to set up an automated timekeeping system. A time-clocking system can help prevent common payroll mistakes and ensure that each employee is paid the proper compensation. It also lets you keep track of time estimates for projects that are still going on. For businesses with short project deadlines, this can be helpful.
Here are some of the most common ways that an automated time-tracking system can help employees be more productive:
- It gives employees more power and gets them more involved. Employees can let the company know when they have worked more than expected.
- Employees can easily record their work hours without typing them out by hand or filling out paper timesheets.
- It makes employees feel like they have more control over their schedules and gives them more confidence in their ability to balance work and life.
Factors To Consider In A Time Clock App
When choosing the right time clock solution for your small business, there are a few things to look at first. Before integrating an employee time-tracking solution into your business process, you should take into account the following key features:
Cloud-Based Or Desktop Time Clock Software
When choosing the right time clock software for your business, you must choose between cloud-based and desktop solutions.
Cloud-based software is kept on a remote server accessed from any internet-connected device. This is great for businesses with many locations or employees who can work from anywhere and still access the same database.
On the other hand, desktop software only works on one computer or server and must be installed the first time it is used. This could be a good option if you’d rather keep your data on your computer or need the more advanced features of desktop software. But this type of software isn’t as flexible as solutions that run in the cloud. Employees who work from home or another office won’t be able to access the clock-in from those locations.
When considering which option is right for your business, consider the type of workforce you have.
Payroll Integration: How The Time Clock App Syncs Employee Hours With Your Payroll
Integrating a time clock with a payroll service is crucial for any business to ensure employee hours are tracked and paid on time. An employee time tracking app sets billable hours and labor costs that work well with HR, payroll, and time entry systems. This takes care of the time-consuming task of tracking employee work schedules. It helps ensure that payrolls and reports are correct and error-free. Moreover, it provides the capability to track multiple projects, enabling companies to track employee performance more efficiently and accurately.
In the end, Clockify’s integration features help:
- Reducing work by automatically calculating hours so they don’t have to be recorded or transferred by hand.
- All employee activities are being tracked, improving attendance records.
- Saving money by making sure that each month’s payments are correct.
- Streamlining automated tasks like making reports or billing for projects
- Making it easier to see how productive and effective a team is.
Security Of Employees’ Time Logs And Data
When looking for the right time clock solution for your business, you should also consider the security of your employees’ data and time logs. You are in charge of keeping the secrets and confidential information of the people who work for you safely.
Several time clock apps offer a safe way to keep track of employees’ time and attendance who are out in the field or in various locations. Most time clock solutions give employees more privacy to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other data protection laws that affect tasks like keeping timesheets. Employers must keep accurate records of the hours worked by non-exempt employees. This is to ensure that the employees receive the right amount of compensation.
To keep timesheets safe from being changed or accessed by people who shouldn’t be able to, it’s essential to think about a security system with data encryption, audit trails, secure authentication methods, and daily backups.
Cost Of The Time Clock Solution: Free Vs. Paid Options
When integrating a time clock entry system into your business, one of the most important things to think about is the cost of the time clock solution. A free or paid employee tracking time app or software is an option.
Free Options
Small business owners can choose from some free time clocks. They can give each employee free time clock software or a free time entry system that can be used by as many people as they want. The essential features of these options are as follows:
- tracking the time of employees
- keeping track of records
- making a report
But there may be limits to what you can do with these free time-tracking solutions. They must work better with your other software or have the necessary features.
Paid Options
On the other hand, many paid time-clock solutions offer a wide range of features and advanced integrations that can help your business grow. For example, TimeClock Plus doesn’t have a free trial. Still, it does have useful features like automated workflows for timesheet approval, support for multi-factor authentication, employee shift scheduling, etc. However, depending on the number of employees in your company, it can be pretty expensive.
Before choosing which time clock solution to use, it is essential to carefully consider the cost. Research to find one that meets your business needs and won’t break the bank.
Types Of Time Clock Solutions: Software Vs. Hardware Vs Mobile Apps
Small businesses may need help deciding on the right time clock solution. Many solutions make knowing which is best for you difficult. You can choose between software, hardware, and mobile apps for time clocks.
Time Clock Software
Installing time clock software on a device that can connect to the internet gives you access to features like costing jobs, GPS tracking, employee surveys or forms, mobile app access, punch restrictions, and scheduling. These options are great for people who want the software to do more than track employees’ time.
Time Clock Hardware
Time clock hardware solutions are physical devices that don’t need to be set up in any particular way or connected to other devices or equipment. These can be fingerprint scanners or cameras that recognize your face, GPS tracking devices, tablet clocks that can recognize your face, and more. These are cheap but might need more features than their software equivalents.
Mobile Apps
Mobile time clock apps can have the same features as the first two solutions. The added convenience of accessing them at any time from any device with an internet connection makes this type of time entry system solution particularly useful.
Conclusion
Technology is a tool that small businesses can’t do without. You can take control of your business operations and ensure that they run smoothly and effectively with the right time clock app. Consider the features, prices, and customer service when looking at time clock solutions.
Look for a clocking system that works well with your existing HR and payroll systems. Also, ensure it is flexible enough to meet your needs and business growth. Don’t be in a hurry to test the time clock software in the field. Instead, take the time to look at and compare different time clock solutions so you can choose the right one for your startup business.