This is an article ‘Workforce Software Management Tools You Need To Stay Competitive’ by Marc Primo
With today's growing trends in technology, businesses are stepping up their game, managing their workforce and operating their processes. Workforce management software and enterprise resource planning systems have been essential to companies, big and small, as they carry out their objectives. However, problems arise for businesses that are not yet tech-savvy and have no idea what they need to improve their systems.
While constant improvement is a continuous goal for management, the recent pandemic and digital natives of today's current generation prefer to operate online and play a role in catapulting workforce management systems to the top business needs list. Among the most common insight to have emerged with this realization is the growing desire of employees to have customized dashboards and their sense of productivity aligned with the software they use. Fortunately, there are all kinds of workforce management software out there that can get the job done.
Why the need for workforce management systems?
According to www.enlyft.com, most companies that utilize the benefits of such systems belong to computer software businesses (12%), information technology service providers (9%), telecommunications (9%), financial services (9%), insurance providers (8%), and retail (6%). These numbers mean that more businesses are yet to leverage from the advantages of workforce management software.
Businesses should familiarize themselves with how this software helps monitor employee activities, streamline the payroll process, and ensure that work gets accomplished per department. Features of these systems typically include time tracking, attendance records, and roster schedule. Others may include added tools that help with payroll management, paid time-off trackers, and other human resources features.
One underlying benefit that should be emphasized is how workforce management software can provide improved employee experiences, primarily when most employees work remotely at home during the health crisis. Businesses found the need to shift their attention to employees through online engagement activities while also establishing a clear line of communication with each other at the height of the pandemic.
Even if employees have returned to their office desks this year, workforce management systems remain vital to a company's success in managing its employees.
Here are the tools that every company should consider when establishing a digital infrastructure within the workplace:
Employee engagement features
In 2021, a study by global analytics firm Gallup registered a significant decline in employee engagement, with only 34% of employees feeling they have an engaged role with their respective companies.
Setting up employee engagement features in your workforce management systems can ensure that your workers feel secure in what they do and know they are fully engaged with your operations. This feature can nurture more productivity and passion for their jobs as you encourage them to stay true and honor their commitments to your company.
In the United States, disengaged employees comprise 16% of surveyed businesses in 2021, and the numbers are rising. Some of the most common reasons they feel this way are bad working experiences and mismanagement from the higher-ups.
Therefore, aligning your objectives and assuring your employees of their respective roles down the command chain is essential. You can accomplish this by sharing relevant data insights, benefits management, and workplace solutions within your workforce management software which they can access anytime, anywhere.
Encourage employee well-being
Since the pandemic, new trends have emerged regarding how companies offer well-being options to their employees. Your employees will greatly appreciate this feature as it tells them you prioritize their work-life balance and health. However, it may entail added costs on your third-party services.
Some companies resorted to offering hybrid solutions, cutting down work hours or days, and offering more flexible working options such as remote work and scheduling. Other good alternatives to include in your employee well-being programs for workforce management is the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines or fitness memberships.
Implementing such programs focused on health and wellness can also ensure that your employees are keeping themselves healthy and productive. It can reduce the number of absenteeism and motivate them to participate more in company activities via your workforce management systems.
Supplementing the workforce with the gig economy growth
With the continuing evolution of technologies in the workplace, more companies are hiring third-party providers or partners to help them install digital infrastructures in various processes. Some businesses hire freelancers and contractual employees who also need to feel like they belong within the fold and are not being excluded from your human resources roster.
Workforce management software tools can help track their service hours, performance, and payroll while keeping them in the loop for company developments.
In the country, 9% of employees were considered freelancers in 2021, which is constantly growing with the opportunities the gig economy is showing. Whether you hire them for short or long-term projects, it will help to keep them within your workforce management systems to oversee their tasks, challenges, and well-being within the company.
Stay ahead with workforce management software
Collaboration is always the key to getting the job done. With globalization shifting to nearly 100% digital, establishing your IT infrastructure internally via workforce management software is the first step towards growth.
With such expanded workforce management systems, companies can easily monitor productive indicators for their office and remote employees. It can allow them to upgrade their employees' skills via online training while also doing away with loads of paperwork that traditional processes used to accumulate.
Soon, these software systems can help you screen potential hires and lure in top-qualified men and women for the job. As more companies are trying to expand their search for candidates, these internal systems help them look outside the box and imagine a global perspective of hiring remote employees from abroad. All the benefits are still there; they never have to worry about monitoring their performance, establishing communication, or aligning them with company goals.