Accounting for our employee's time

by Clayton Beverlin
(FLorida)

Should we use some software to track the time our employees spend on each particular task?

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Accounting for our employee's time

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Tracking employee time
by: Anonymous

Denis,

Clayton asked whether one should use time-tracking software to monitor employees' time on particular tasks.

While this may be a productivity enhancing practice when dealing with simple, routine tasks (with pros and cons), i am of the view that it has the opposite effect on employees working primarely on tasks demanding high levels of creativity and out of the box thinking.

Generally speaking, employees will respond to what they perceive to be their employer's prime concerns and to the inventives present in the workplace. If time spent on a task is the indicator of choice, it could have the perverse incentive of pushing employees on "a race with Time"; focusing on having the tasks done rather then coming up with innovative ideas or solutions that could benefit the company. If you want to inhibit someone's creativity, there is nothing like undue and unecessary time pressure. We can all attest to this in our own personal lives.

I would also point out that there are studies out there supporting this view. DRIVE by Daniel H Pink, while not exactly on point, deals with this question. It is a worthwhile read.

B

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Accounting for employee time
by: Denis

Hi B,

I'm not clayton, but was wondering what are the differences, in terms of accounting for your employees time when they are working on Creative or Complex task versus when they are not?

I'm thinking that regardless of the nature of the tasks, recording time spent on them would only yield positive results! Not to say that we need to have a predefine number of hours to which they need to adhere to, but at least as a reporting mechanism.

For example, if they spend 10 hours on a "Creative" type task and they haven't yield any results, perhaps then, as a manager you would be able to provide some information/coaching on how to increase creativity.

Look forward to reading your perspective.

Denis

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Accounting for employee time
by: Anonymous

Clayton,

I would say much depends on the nature of the tasks being accomplished by your employee. Are we talking about tasks requiring a lot creativity or complex problem solving?

B

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Time is quantity but not necessarily quality
by: Jeremy Horne

It is surely the case that software may account for hours but will not necessarily track quality. Goldbricking comes to mind.

As to monitoring people, one may look at Frederick Taylor with admiration, but I see him as merely a lab technician devising a way of measuring but having nothing to do with making the workplace a more humane place to work. Now, place yourself in the position of having your keystrokes monitored. Sounds like Super Max, no? Kant said do what you would like to see universalized. Pass it on, and here is what I say.

There is an issue far above this that ultimately may make your question moot. Each person has to have a sense of belonging, purpose, and motivation in the organization. Too often companies have not shown the same loyalty to employees that the employees have shown the company. Hence, they are alienated. They feel used, also, if they do not have a say in what decisions are made, and, especially, how they are made. This means democratization of the workplace. If we are going to use the word so freely, then, let's mean it in all walks of life. Make your organizational setting communitarian, not authoritarian. Once everyone sees that they are the organization and the organization is them, there probably will not be a need for an "all seeing eye", save that of the community.

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Time Management Software
by: Denis

Hi Clayton,

Of course we should use time management software to ensure that our employees feel accountable for the time they spend on each task that they were assign.

That being said, we should also note that there are many other advantages in doing so! If you want to read more on the subject, I recommend to you see the section on Time Management Articles, more specifically read the following article http://www.leadership-central.com/employee-time-management-software.html.

Hope that helps.

Denis

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