Every business in America is legally obligated to keep track of the employee working hours. But unfortunately, the law does not state how business owners can achieve that. If you have tried looking for a time tracking software to meet your business needs, you may have noticed the minefield of options available out there.

The worst part is, you cannot differentiate between them to understand which one is best suited for your organization. To help you make that decision, we are going to tell you about the different types of software available out there and what you must consider while choosing one for your business.

The Different Types of Time Tracking Software

Even though most time-tracking applications have similar names, they can provide a wide range of functions. You would need to consider each one carefully to choose the right fit for your business. These are some of the categories of time tracking software that are found in the market. We are going to discuss the most advanced type first and end with the one that is the most rudimentary.

Automated Time Tracking Software

You might have seen that every time tracking software advertises themselves as automatic. But not all of them provide every automated feature and report that you might need. So what are the aspects that you must look for in an ideal automated time tracking software other than recording the number of hours that each employee has worked?

You should be able to verify that your employees are present inside your premises with the help of a GPS locator because the software gets integrated with the timesheet app for your team on each person’s phone. That way, you can ensure that the right employee is in the right place where he or she is needed.

You must also be able to monitor who is on shift, leave, or on a break with the help of the software. It is not only beneficial for your organization but also your staff members, because they will be able to manage their working hours and breaks themselves.

The software should also calculate the wages of your employees automatically, based on the number of hours they have worked. You must be able to allow your managers to maintain the employee timesheets so that they can export the data directly to the payroll software. That way, you will be able to monitor the labor hours and cost, which will allow you to manage your profits.

Online Timesheet Apps

Most of the timesheet solutions available on the internet are online timesheet apps. Although they claim to provide a lot of automated features through their dashboards, it is often limited to email alerts. What they really do is to record the number of hours that your staff has worked for and their reporting times.

That means although they might simplify your employee time tracking, they won’t be able to provide any real-time solutions. Even though the user interface might look pleasing, you and your employees would need to complete every function manually, such as clocking in, clocking out, recording breaks, calculating wages, and other activities.

Online Time Clocks

These are an online version of a classic electronic device that is used to clock in and clock out. Your employees would need to start a timer on the computer when they begin a task and end it when they are done.

However, since the application is online, your employees can do that from their phones as well. That means you will have to manually check their whereabouts and productivity to ensure that they are in the right place doing the correct job.

Variables to Keep in Mind

These are some of the variables that you must keep in mind while choosing an employee time tracking software for your business. You can find these out from the company’s website or reviews posted by other users.

Accuracy

You would need to find out how accurate and reliable is the data provided by the software. Remember that you may need to prove your compliance with the software data.

Ease of use

The software you choose must be easy to use by you and your staff. Therefore, people with varying levels of intellect must be able to operate the software.

Integration of tools

If you have any tools related to employee management, you must check if they can get integrated with the software for the exchange of data.

Privacy

Since the software would be handling sensitive data, it must comply with the latest privacy laws and regulations.

Choosing the right employee time tracking software can be an important decision for you since it is directly related to the productivity, costs, and profits of the company. We hope that the details mentioned in this article can help you make the right choice.