Time and attendance software can help businesses in many ways. You can track employee hours, organise shifts in complicated work areas and automate many administrative tasks along with many other benefits.
But what features should your time and attendance software have to ensure that it provides all these benefits?
We are going to delve into the top features of time and attendance software. We will use Softworks time and attendance software as a benchmark for what your software should have for your business.
If your software of choice has a combination of all these features, then you will be operating a system that will improve your business processes massively.
Top Features of Powerful Time and Attendance Software
1. Reporting and Analysis
An effective time and attendance software will have powerful reporting and data collection tools as standard. This data can be used for future staff forecasting, as evidence for breaches and to assist in staffing issues.
Such tools should also be capable of storing compliance information and hourly logs for overtime, weekend work, holidays etc. Softworks tools are a prime example of a quality reporting and analysis tool.
2. Integration Capabilities
One of the top features of any time and attendance software is the ability to integrate with other software and tools used by your company. It’s important to use time and attendance software that fully integrates with existing systems.
In this way, you save on time and cost associated with new systems, additional training and any adverse effects that the wrong software can bring.
A tool that can integrate with payroll and other management tools is ideal for your business’s success.
3. Clocking-in and Clocking-out
This is of course the core feature of time and attendance software. There should be several methods for employees to register attendance, especially for remote workers.
Having several ways to register employee attendance and time spent on-site/off-site ensures that errors do not occur when recording attendance.
Mistaken penalties and errors in payroll can cause issues along the management chain. Having a quality recording and reporting tool is essential for any business’s success.
For onsite recording, biometrics is one of the better options for successful recording of entrance and time spent on-site.
4. Accessible Timesheets
Your time and attendance software should have easily accessible timesheets and/or a simple-to-use dashboard for your employee to see upcoming shifts, holiday requests, time off etc.
This information helps improve the work-life planning of employees and assists in payroll recording.
5. Leave management
Leave management tools should come as standard as part of your time and attendance software. Necessary leave days, holidays and time off requests should be a basic function within your software. Allowing for easy planning and execution for your line managers and employees.
6. Cloud-based solution
The best and most modern time and attendance software should be a cloud-based solution. This ensures employees and management can access necessary information from anywhere with the correct security keys.
Having only onsite access can lead to issues of human error and forgetfulness. Cloud solutions allow you to silo information so only the relevant eyes have access to the information they require.
It is a fast, efficient and secure approach to information sharing and access.
7. Advanced Scheduling
Automated scheduling should be a key piece of your software capabilities. Recording of time and attendance does not start when an employee clocks in, but when they are registered and assigned working hours.
Shift scheduling is important for many industries including; healthcare, hospitality, retail and many others that have complex work schedules. Intuitive software can assist in scheduling by forecasting shifts, recording shift changes and removing many of the tedious administrative tasks that come with scheduling, recording and reporting.
8. Payroll Capabilities
Time and attendance software should fully integrate with your payroll system. Having accurate reports on employee working hours, overtime, holiday pay etc. will ensure that payroll is accurate, on time and distributed correctly.
This reduces or eliminates the need for human input meaning you save on costs and produce accurate payroll for your employees free of human error.
9. Enhanced Communication
Your time and attendance software should have a communication portal that allows employees to request time off, notify management of changes or directly configure their timetable in a safe and secure portal.
Effective communication is important in any business. Using the right software to achieve this means messages are not lost, notifications are accurate and easy to manage and employees have greater freedom and an easy-to-use platform for their scheduling.
10. Alert Notifications
Alert notifications for absences, requested time off and open shifts among others are a great benefit to management and employees.
Having time and attendance software that will automatically send notifications through certain communication channels helps to mitigate any staff shortages or confusion regarding time off.
Employees get to avail of additional shifts, management has up-to-date records and alerts are automated ensuring a free and fair approach to any open shifts.
Conclusion:
Not all time and attendance software are created equal. If the software, you choose has all of these and more then you have chosen a system that will be a powerful asset to your business.
It may not always be necessary to use each feature. For example, you may have an HR system in place that works for you already. As long as your time and attendance software can integrate with existing systems you are on to a winning formula.
