This post originally appeared on the Louisiana Technology Park blog.
Money isn’t always our biggest motivator to be productive at work. For many of us, it’s a sense of accountability, which can be hard to replicate in remote work. But just because you and your team are working separately doesn’t mean that you have to work in silos. Technology can help your team learn to manage their time and responsibilities.
Don’t just drop new tech into your remote workflow. Carefully evaluate your needs and processes before adding new technology. “First determine the best fit for your needs,” says Ben Marcel, CEO at Torapath Technologies. “Then put the technology in place.”
Here’s how to use digital tools to stay accountable, motivated and productive from the comfort of your home office.
MANAGE PRODUCTIVITY WITH TIMEKEEPING SOFTWARE
A significant part of productivity is time management. Timesheets help you track your time spent on projects — and your employees’ time. “Moving to remote work can be a huge culture shock,” Marcel says. “The tendency is to increase micromanagement to ensure productivity is met.” Having employees track their time allows you to see how they are using their time while working remotely and can help you resist the urge to micromanage. “Timekeeping software allows you to track your team’s internal productivity,” Marcel says.
Look for timekeeping software that aligns with your use case. Do you need timesheets for internal use, billing purposes, or a combination of both? If your intent is to track internal time, then timesheets are great for helping your employees self-monitor and be intentional about how they spend their day. If your revenue is based on the amount of time spent working on a project, then look for timekeeping software that automates tracking billable hours. This makes your invoicing process more efficient.
There are several timesheet options on the market. Zendesk is popular for managing time spent on client and customer relations, while Harvest is easy to use and integrates with most existing software.