Best Attendance Systems for HR Departments

HR departments are busy and vital to organisations of various sizes. Therefore, anyone with decision-making power should aim to support them through process optimisation. In this article, we will introduce some of the best attendance systems that can transform the way your company operates.

There are more than enough reasons to track your staff's attendance. This ensures they work the correct hours and receive appropriate payment while also measuring productivity and ROI for your business. The best method for doing this is through timesheets. However, traditional pen and paper sheets are easily tampered with, and Excel spreadsheets often struggle to handle large volumes of data.

Moreover, inputting the data from these timesheets into a payroll system consumes considerable time, not to mention the potential for human error. Nevertheless, there is a solution to these issues – adopting a digital approach to timesheets. In this article, we will introduce some of the best solutions that your HR department will appreciate.

Why Do I Need an Employee Attendance System?

Aside from the obvious ‘to better track the attendance’, employee attendance systems provide several other significant benefits. Firstly, they save considerable time for HR; most solutions integrate with payroll software, automatically transferring employee work hours instead of requiring the back-office to enter them manually. Secondly, they add multiple layers of protection against attendance malpractice, such as buddy punching. Lastly, most solutions offer additional features that support your business's growth. Let us introduce some of the top ones.

1. Timesheet Portal

Timesheet Portal is a flexible system that can be tailored to the needs of any sized company. Rather than providing a few pre-set plans, customers have the freedom to create their own unique set of features and can easily upgrade them as their needs grow. From a range of built-in reports to fully customisable timesheets and an approval process, Timesheet Portal is the software that meets you on your terms.

A wide range of integrations means that not only will your HR department gain a powerful tool, but it will also expand capacity and automation opportunities across other solutions it uses. For example, Timesheet Portal integrates with payroll systems such as Sage and Quickbooks, allowing the timesheets logged on the platform to be exported directly rather than being entered manually. 

2. PurelyHR

For those seeking a solution that enables thorough customisation of time tracking, PurelyHR may be the ideal platform. Although it offers only one base plan, a variety of add-ons such as performance management, talent management, policy violation warnings, and many others allow you to tailor this software to meet the specific needs of your business.

While the rest of the functionality meets the expectations one would have of an employee attendance system (even exceeding them, e.g. allowing for adding comments on time card punches), it has one major flaw. There is no mobile phone app available. If your staff are constantly on the move between locations or if there is no computer access on site, this otherwise excellent platform is certainly not suitable for you.

3. Time Doctor

While equipped with standard time and attendance tracking features, Time Doctor is software that is ideal for companies operating from the office. It provides visibility into users’ devices, the websites they browse while on the clock, the applications used, and even allows for taking screenshots of activity.

While it provides high levels of transparency to the employer, the software is also designed to assist the employee. It is equipped with time usage alerts, reminders that help them stay focused on their tasks (e.g. notifying them when they are attempting to visit a non-job-related website), and daily activity reports. When utilised correctly, Time Doctor is more than merely an attendance system; it can also enhance office productivity. 

4. OnTheClock

This solution is most suitable for smaller businesses with limited budgets but requiring a functional platform. OnTheClock doesn’t offer more than the industry standard, but its competitive pricing and cost-per-employee pay model make it ideal for growing companies.

One very attractive aspect of OnTheClock is that it offers several methods for clocking in and out, from a mobile app to a kiosk. While it allows you to customise your attendance-related procedures, it may also help you tailor them better to the individual needs of employees. Additionally, the platform features a drag-and-drop scheduling tool, ideal for workplaces that utilise rotas, as it will be stored in a centralised location.

Summary

HR has historically undergone digital transformation at a slower pace than other areas of the business. This is primarily due to its responsibility for some of the core processes within any organisation. Nonetheless, your business will benefit from adopting it as swiftly as possible. You can find more information on the topic in this article here.

We aimed to set you on the right path by presenting a diverse range of employee attendance systems, demonstrating that no matter how unique your needs may be, there is a digital solution available to address them.

If you would like to discuss the path of digital transformation in HR, we can offer further guidance.