Time tracking is essential for almost any business that bills customers or uses external resources.

It ensures that your employees’ time is recognized accurately. It also helps you make sound decisions about when to hire (or fire) because it tells you what’s happening in the workplace.

Yet, many people in the tech industry have trouble tracking their time, whether because they’re “non-accountant” types or perhaps just by habit.

Whatever the reason, you must now take steps to ensure that time tracking becomes part of your company’s standard routine.

The following are ways to help transition your team into time tracking.

1. Keep It Anonymous

You’ve probably heard, “What gets measured gets managed.” That phrase applies to time tracking as well. If you’re going to try and influence your team’s use of time positively, which we recommend, they need to know that everyone is making an effort to improve, and it can’t be at the expense of another person.

So keep the timesheets anonymous, publishing only group totals weekly even when using time tracking software for employees. The software will help you find and fix any problems that cause employees to fall behind their peers.

2. Show Them How It Benefits Everyone

Early in the time-tracking process, don’t just talk about how it will make your team more efficient or accurate. Your team will be frustrated already because they consider time tracking a nuisance. If you want your team to embrace time tracking with open arms, show them how the new system benefits everyone.

Have a weekly meeting where you discuss which employees are ahead of schedule and why. Showing the benefits will motivate those further behind as they realize what’s possible when they’re on time daily.

Doing so will help you support your employees and improve their performance. With software like Slite, managers can see each member’s weekly progress. This way, employees are clear about the company culture and expectations, leading to improved job satisfaction.

3. Keep Employees In-The-Know

If you’ve made time tracking anonymous, your team should still know their peers’ progress weekly. So if someone is ahead but falls behind, they need to be informed quickly for immediate corrective action.

If someone is procrastinating or not taking responsibilities seriously, they should be made aware immediately. Accountability is vital for employee growth. Employees who know everyone’s progress are more likely to help and collaborate.

4. Take It A Company Goal

If you want to ensure that your team adopts time tracking as a daily habit, your first step should be to show them that upper management is committed. If your goal is to improve accountability throughout the company, you need to ensure top-level management knows it.

Every week, you should have a meeting with the CEO and COO to discuss time tracking as a company goal, which will lead to improved work culture. Instead of setting quantitative goals like “reduce the time per ticket,” set a qualitative goal like “increased productivity.” Doing so will keep your team accountable for their actions in a way that quantifying things doesn’t.

Time tracking may seem like a tedious task, but it can have a profound effect on your business in the long run.

Not only does it help you stay productive and improve your work-life balance, but it also helps employees become more conscientious about their responsibilities. But to get everyone on board with time tracking, you must ensure they understand how it benefits them personally.