If you manage a small or mid sized enterprise, then you probably have a long list of concerns to deal with during an average day. Along with budget constraints, hiring issues, and project deadlines, you face the daily task of efficiently deploying your workforce and keeping your employees motivated and engaged.

But before you can motivate and engage your team members, you have to make sure they’re showing up. And you have to find ways to keep them on the premises until the workday officially ends. This might seem simple, but experienced managers know how challenging it can be to keep employees on the clock without undermining morale or becoming overly authoritarian and losing their respect. And when it comes to time management, success isn’t optional. Chances are, your employees represent your most valuable form of capital, and how you measure and utilize their time can have a powerful impact on your productivity.

Here are a few time management considerations that can help you navigate this universal challenge:

 Emphasize Documentation

The old fashioned method of tracking time by having employees punch in and out using an actual card and time clock is still used in some workplaces. But time management technology has come a long way. In environments in which employees don’t sit at desks or use desktop computers, it may still make sense to implement software with a check-in/check-out requirement at the building entrance. But for office venues that rely on desktop computers, time management software programs can be installed that allow employees to simply log in and log out as they turn their computers on and off. These sign-ins provide an accurate attendance record that can be transmitted directly to HR.

A discreet and precise employee time clock software system offers vast improvements over public, voluntary systems. Automatic prompts can keep employees from forgetting to sign in and out, and private time management systems keep employees from becoming competitive or cagey about the hours their co-workers may or may not be maintaining. Accurate documentation also helps resolve HR disputes about attendance before they begin.

 Don’t Rely on Time Alone as a Measure of Productivity

Make sure your time management software system is up-to-date and appropriate for your workplace and industry, but remember: No matter how sophisticated your software may be, time alone can’t provide a complete picture of overall productivity. Use weekly reports and appropriate performance metrics to fill in the gaps.

Balance on-the-clock-time, overtime hours, and general attendance data with analytics like 1.) rate of performance improvement, 2.) project completion times, 3.) control over project budgets and resources, 4.) new clients gained, 5.) new revenue streams created, and any other metrics that help you evaluate how profitably your employees use their time.

If you can measure and document at-work hours, you can measure and document these other data points as well. Building employee productivity isn’t a guessing game—Base your evaluations on data that’s fair, accurate, and directly tied to performance.

Maintain Control over Your Image

Physically watching your employees come and go may seem like a foolproof way to control their attendance. But too much of this, as experience managers know, can backfire. It’s true that you have purchased, and therefore rightfully own, your employee’s lives between the hours of nine and five, but don’t push this. Employees resent bosses who hover too closely or who don’t seem to trust them. And when employees get resentful, productivity and morale both tend to slip. The extra minutes you may gain by tapping your watch and raising your eyebrow significantly when an employee arrives late are not worth the damage this can do to your managerial image.

So don’t put yourself in this position. Just place your trust in a software system that can keep accurate, documented records of employee work hours, preferably one that can be accessed from anywhere. Then you can take your attention off your employees and bring it back to the responsibilities of running your business.

Searching for ways to maximize your workforce?
Contact Expert Staffing. Our team of human capital experts will help you leverage one of your most important assets to drive productivity and reduce costs.