Does Your Time & Attendance Software Offer Self-Service Options?

Self-service features are the hallmark of most cloud-based time and attendance software. These features are designed to be employee-centric, giving them the ability to use the software in ways that improve both their user experience and the experience of their coworkers.

Many self-service features aim to enhance mobility, simplicity, and ease. But what business solutions actually deliver these benefits? In time tracking, effective solutions typically focus on two key areas important to both employees and managers: scheduling and forecasting.

Schedules and Forecasting for Managers and Employees

No matter what industry you're in or how you describe your work environment, chances are your employees appreciate having as much convenience as possible when it comes to checking schedules, syncing work and personal schedules, and even swapping shifts in the event of a scheduling conflict or when they know they're going to miss work.

Similarly, managers want to be as far ahead of schedule as possible. This is especially true at a time when cities, states, and even the federal government are pushing for fair scheduling practices across the board.

Managers don't want to find themselves in situations where they're canceling shifts at the last minute, falling behind schedule, or making workers stay late to cover for someone because the schedule was wrong.

This is where native features that support scheduling and forecasting can make a huge difference. Read on to learn how stratustime delivers on the promise of simplifying the way managers and employees approach scheduling and forecasting.

Cloud-Based Scheduling and Forecasting

Today, employers are seeking ways to meet the evolving needs and demands of their workforce, which spans up to five generations. One way to achieve this is by adopting new software tools that enhance flexibility, accessibility, and engagement. Surprisingly, some companies still rely on paper systems for absence management. Even those using digital solutions often lack cloud-based features that allow employees to manage their absences from anywhere, sync work and personal schedules, and help managers streamline their planning and forecasting.

When time tracking is done through cloud-based time tracking software like stratustime, it can:

• Create new opportunities for flexibility for employees and managers
• Give managers new ways to monitor and adjust schedules to fit workflow
• Promote new levels of accountability and engagement among employees

As companies embrace new approaches to time tracking, many are turning to stratustime, in part for its employee-focused features and solutions, including:

• Greater accessibility and ease of use. With stratustime, employees and managers can clock in and out in a variety of ways, such as a dedicated time clock, central kiosk, PC, tablet, or smart phone.
• Stratustime's simple interface is ideal for BYOD environments, where employers encourage employees to bring and use their own devices.
• With stratustime on an employee's device, they can access the schedule and even swap shifts on their own time without having to be physically in the office or workspace.
• Likewise, thanks to the simplicity of stratustime, employees can also view things like vacations and paid time off (PTO).

Many of the features and capabilities that encourage employee engagement also benefit managers:

• Managers can create scheduling templates that employees will follow.
• Managers can also create and share policies for shift swapping, schedule feedback, flextime scheduling, and more.
• Stratustime can also help resolve issues related to absenteeism, chronic tardiness, or time theft.
• Managers can set up and launch mechanisms that allow employees to adjust their schedules on their own. This helps avoid situations where workgroups or shifts are understaffed, especially during periods of high workload.

Finally, managers can create and share important reports that help leaders measure productivity and ROI and get a better sense of where employees are spending their time.

• These metrics can help you forecast schedules for the coming weeks and months, update and manage budgets, conduct training, and even activate recruiting and hiring mechanisms.

Self-service features in cloud-based time and attendance software streamline scheduling and forecasting, providing flexibility and enhancing productivity for both employees and managers. IceHrm offers similar employee-centric solutions to meet the evolving needs of the modern workforce.