“Internet surfing of non-work related nature results in up to a 40% loss of productivity each year for American businesses”- this objective statistical data embodies the nightmare of virtually every employer. No wonder everyone’s so obsessed with employee productivity – for the vast majority of businesses, salaries/wages are the biggest expenses. It is only natural for company heads to wish that their subordinates would constantly improve their productivity as their time and efforts are paid for.
But before talking about the improvement methods, let’s first find out what exactly is employee productivity? According to Whatis.com, it is ‘an assessment of the efficiency of a worker or group of workers. Employee productivity may be evaluated in terms of the output of an employee in a specific period of time.’ So, basically, it means handling more work during the same time.
Factors hindering productivity
Sounds wonderful, but the reality reflected in stats, is far from being optimistic: 64% of employees say they visit non-work related websites each and every day on the job.
In other words, the bigger part of workers not only neglect improving their efficiency, but even spend the time meant only for work on personal matters or entertainment.
Without a doubt, an employee who never took advantage of Internet access to draw a breath in the course of the day simply doesn’t exist. Moreover, a few minutes spent in Facebook can sometimes be only beneficial. So, instead of prohibiting the use of such resources, it is best to take their use under control and not letting them interfere with the work.
However, it’s easier said than done, since an office is full of distractions and it takes efforts to deal with them successfully. Apart from all kinds of social networks, gaming websites and online stores, employees are constantly distracted by work-related instant messaging and emails that pop up at the most unsuitable moments. Phone calls, both personal and business, make them steer away from the task at hand, and switch to some other activity, having difficulty to “tune” back into their work afterwards. Don’t forget about colleagues, asking for help or simply wishing to chat, coffee breaks and emergencies that are inevitable – and you start wondering how on Earth your employees manage to get anything done at all.
How time tracking software helps tame distractions and boost productivity
Using automatic time tracking software lets not only monitor all employee activity on their computers but also measure their productivity. This is the first step to improvement, as you’ll know the current quantitative parameters and will be able to set clear goals for the future.
Secondly, time tracking software records the time spent for all websites and software applications during the work day. This is the way to define the activities/resources taking up most of the time. In case this time could be better used for some other tasks, it is the signal that it’s time to reprioritize certain tasks.
Next, a productivity app, like Yaware.TimeTracker categorizes all resources used as productive, neutral and unproductive, so you’ll see at a glance how much time an employee spends on non-work related activities and what exactly they are. This opens the way to dealing with such cases – by setting time limits, excluding this time from the overall hours worked etc.
Moreover, this tool takes into account the periods when a worker was absent from the computer and their duration (even reason – but it’s optional). Thus, you can take under control all offline activity.
The great feature of a time tracking app is that employees have access to their personal stats. It serves as an excellent means of self-discipline and helps them manage their time more effectively. Typically, overall employees’ productivity grows by 20% right after implementation of such software, as they tend to work more diligently, but it’s not the limit.
So, would you like to see how much more productive your staff will get once you introduce time tracker software? Then, sign up for Yaware.TimeTracker and enjoy its full capacity during the 14 day trial period without any obligations or investments – no credit card number required.
