{"id":10896,"date":"2023-04-10T15:38:17","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T13:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/?p=10896"},"modified":"2025-09-18T11:20:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T09:20:51","slug":"how-to-implement-employee-time-tracking-analytics-webinar-suzanne-lucas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/how-to-implement-employee-time-tracking-analytics-webinar-suzanne-lucas","title":{"rendered":"Employee time tracking 101: Best practices from an HR expert [watch webinar]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>[What&#8217;s in this post: HR expert Suzanne Lucas is well-known for her blog the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.evilhrlady.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Evil HR Lady<\/a>, and she&#8217;s an expert when it comes to matters of the people. That&#8217;s precisely why we asked her to lead this webinar on <strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=P7nJCWQ4xSo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Employee Time Tracking and Analytics<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u2014be sure to watch it entirely, with plenty of tried and tested tips.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-employee-time-tracking-matters\">Employee time tracking &amp; why it matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I returned from an HR conference and dumped my swag bag on the table. My husband, who is a consultant and has absolutely nothing to do with HR, said, \u201cOh, I hate\u2014\u201d and then he named one of the companies on my swag collection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy on earth do you hate them?\u201d I asked. After all, their swag was particularly lovely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a consultant, he has to track his hours for billing. Which means he uses time tracking software. He hates it. He\u2019s not the only one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s why. If you create one product, you can see what happens quickly. When everyone worked on a farm or in a factory, there was a tangible product at the end of the day. You could count the widgets or weigh the corn. Productivity monitoring was easy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowledge workers are different. Take that strategy meeting for a client\u2014was it productive or unproductive? You may know when the project finishes, six months down the line, or even longer. But you\u2019d like to know sooner. That\u2019s where <a class=\"highlighted-link bbl-link-hs bbl-link-hs-v-1\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/project-time-tracking\/\"><span>project time tracking<svg width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.25 0.875H15.625C15.7908 0.875 15.9497 0.940848 16.0669 1.05806C16.1842 1.17527 16.25 1.33424 16.25 1.5V5.875C16.25 6.04076 16.1842 6.19973 16.0669 6.31694C15.9497 6.43415 15.7908 6.5 15.625 6.5C15.4592 6.5 15.3003 6.43415 15.1831 6.31694C15.0658 6.19973 15 6.04076 15 5.875V3.00833L4.81667 13.1917C4.69819 13.3021 4.54148 13.3622 4.37956 13.3593C4.21765 13.3565 4.06316 13.2909 3.94865 13.1764C3.83414 13.0618 3.76854 12.9074 3.76569 12.7454C3.76283 12.5835 3.82293 12.4268 3.93333 12.3083L14.1167 2.125H11.25C11.0842 2.125 10.9253 2.05915 10.8081 1.94194C10.6908 1.82473 10.625 1.66576 10.625 1.5C10.625 1.33424 10.6908 1.17527 10.8081 1.05806C10.9253 0.940848 11.0842 0.875 11.25 0.875ZM2.5 4.625C2.16848 4.625 1.85054 4.7567 1.61612 4.99112C1.3817 5.22554 1.25 5.54348 1.25 5.875V14.625C1.25 14.9565 1.3817 15.2745 1.61612 15.5089C1.85054 15.7433 2.16848 15.875 2.5 15.875H11.25C11.5815 15.875 11.8995 15.7433 12.1339 15.5089C12.3683 15.2745 12.5 14.9565 12.5 14.625V7.75C12.5 7.58424 12.5658 7.42527 12.6831 7.30806C12.8003 7.19085 12.9592 7.125 13.125 7.125C13.2908 7.125 13.4497 7.19085 13.5669 7.30806C13.6842 7.42527 13.75 7.58424 13.75 7.75V14.625C13.75 15.288 13.4866 15.9239 13.0178 16.3928C12.5489 16.8616 11.913 17.125 11.25 17.125H2.5C1.83696 17.125 1.20107 16.8616 0.732233 16.3928C0.263392 15.9239 0 15.288 0 14.625V5.875C0 5.21196 0.263392 4.57607 0.732233 4.10723C1.20107 3.63839 1.83696 3.375 2.5 3.375H9.375C9.54076 3.375 9.69973 3.44085 9.81694 3.55806C9.93415 3.67527 10 3.83424 10 4C10 4.16576 9.93415 4.32473 9.81694 4.44194C9.69973 4.55915 9.54076 4.625 9.375 4.625H2.5Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a> comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time tracking allows you to know:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where your time sucks are <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What people are doing <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How long <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/why-documenting-your-processes-is-key-to-surviving-as-remote-business\/\">the process really takes<\/a> (as compared to how long it \u201cshould\u201d take) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where you can cut unnecessary things <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to maximize productivity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are all great things, but there are <em>downsides<\/em> to time tracking. First, if you\u2019re tracking time for exempt employees who don\u2019t have billable hours, they will resent it. It feels like micromanagement\u2014and since the employee has to do the work in time tracking, it\u2019s like they are micromanaging themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professional employees want to be treated like independent adults, and if you make someone record their day in 15-minute increments, they feel that they aren\u2019t. But you, as a business leader, know there\u2019s value within this time tracking data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mportance-of-justifying-employee-time-tracking\">The importance of justifying employee time tracking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Data is king<\/strong>. You need to understand this, and <strong>your employees need to understand this<\/strong>. They need to see the benefits of time tracking. If you hide the data from them, they won\u2019t support you, and their time tracking efforts will be haphazard at best and out and out rebellion at worst. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, businesses speak two languages: Data and dollars. You need to speak both to be effective in your leadership role. To justify time tracking, you\u2019ll need to present data, and you\u2019ll need to use best practices for best results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"employee-time-tracking-best-practices\">Employee time tracking best practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don\u2019t data mine. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What is data mining? This is where you take your data and look through it, trying to find things. Why is this bad? Because it often results in you finding correlations that are supported by causations. You can find all sorts of things by happenstance this way\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeednews.com\/article\/kjh2110\/the-10-most-bizarre-correlations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">like a correlation between ice cream and murder<\/a> that makes it seem like the more ice cream people consume, the more murders there are. To avoid this, <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/top-kpis-service-based-businesses-should-be-monitoring\/\">set goals<\/a> before you collect the data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What problem are you trying to solve? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Figure this out as well. Knowing your problem helps you collect and look at the correct data in the right light. Time tracking data can\u2019t solve everything, but it can give you insights into whether<a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/google-spreadsheet-timesheet\/\"> your staff is overworked<\/a> or ineffective. It can help you see how you distribute resources among your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pick the least intrusive way to gather your data. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you need to know the data in 15-minute increments, or is it enough to ask for a weekly report on the number of hours spent in meetings versus working on projects? Can you skip the time tracking and ask your employees if they are overwhelmed and where they think they waste time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asking, of course, can lead to falsified data. Not that people lie\u2014it\u2019s just that humans aren\u2019t always the best judge of how they use their time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Time management solutions such as <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/\">Beebole<\/a> can show how employees use time. If you go the software route, ensure you have one with <a class=\"highlighted-link bbl-link-hs bbl-link-hs-v-1\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/employee-timesheet-reports\/\"><span>robust reporting capabilities<svg width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.25 0.875H15.625C15.7908 0.875 15.9497 0.940848 16.0669 1.05806C16.1842 1.17527 16.25 1.33424 16.25 1.5V5.875C16.25 6.04076 16.1842 6.19973 16.0669 6.31694C15.9497 6.43415 15.7908 6.5 15.625 6.5C15.4592 6.5 15.3003 6.43415 15.1831 6.31694C15.0658 6.19973 15 6.04076 15 5.875V3.00833L4.81667 13.1917C4.69819 13.3021 4.54148 13.3622 4.37956 13.3593C4.21765 13.3565 4.06316 13.2909 3.94865 13.1764C3.83414 13.0618 3.76854 12.9074 3.76569 12.7454C3.76283 12.5835 3.82293 12.4268 3.93333 12.3083L14.1167 2.125H11.25C11.0842 2.125 10.9253 2.05915 10.8081 1.94194C10.6908 1.82473 10.625 1.66576 10.625 1.5C10.625 1.33424 10.6908 1.17527 10.8081 1.05806C10.9253 0.940848 11.0842 0.875 11.25 0.875ZM2.5 4.625C2.16848 4.625 1.85054 4.7567 1.61612 4.99112C1.3817 5.22554 1.25 5.54348 1.25 5.875V14.625C1.25 14.9565 1.3817 15.2745 1.61612 15.5089C1.85054 15.7433 2.16848 15.875 2.5 15.875H11.25C11.5815 15.875 11.8995 15.7433 12.1339 15.5089C12.3683 15.2745 12.5 14.9565 12.5 14.625V7.75C12.5 7.58424 12.5658 7.42527 12.6831 7.30806C12.8003 7.19085 12.9592 7.125 13.125 7.125C13.2908 7.125 13.4497 7.19085 13.5669 7.30806C13.6842 7.42527 13.75 7.58424 13.75 7.75V14.625C13.75 15.288 13.4866 15.9239 13.0178 16.3928C12.5489 16.8616 11.913 17.125 11.25 17.125H2.5C1.83696 17.125 1.20107 16.8616 0.732233 16.3928C0.263392 15.9239 0 15.288 0 14.625V5.875C0 5.21196 0.263392 4.57607 0.732233 4.10723C1.20107 3.63839 1.83696 3.375 2.5 3.375H9.375C9.54076 3.375 9.69973 3.44085 9.81694 3.55806C9.93415 3.67527 10 3.83424 10 4C10 4.16576 9.93415 4.32473 9.81694 4.44194C9.69973 4.55915 9.54076 4.625 9.375 4.625H2.5Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a>\u2014otherwise, you won\u2019t get the information you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do something with the data.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have the data, don\u2019t just sit on it! First of all, what a waste of time and money. And secondly, if you thought your employees didn\u2019t like time tracking before, they will really hate it if they can\u2019t see results. But, if you can share results, and make improvements that track with the data, then people will be happier to track time. Remember, if you\u2019ve set out to solve a problem, found the data, figured out a solution, and implemented the answer, it\u2019s time to move on. You don\u2019t have to collect data forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div\n    class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto p-4 p-lg-5 position-relative bbl_customer_story_blurb\"\n>\n  <svg\n    class=\"bk-svg-top position-absolute w-100\"\n    fill=\"none\"\n    height=\"114\"\n    viewBox=\"0 0 724 114\"\n    width=\"724\"\n    xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n    <path d=\"M-18.2595 85.4232C15.6765 58.6399 103.632 22.1092 183.964 90.253C284.38 175.433 358.663 -39.1831 421.703 17.5374C484.743 74.2578 573.058 -90.3762 669.372 0.952557C746.423 74.0156 852.42 -37.4955 895.787 -102.384\" stroke=\"#F9F8FD\" stroke-width=\"7\"\/>\n  <\/svg>\n\n  <svg\n    class=\"bk-svg-bottom position-absolute w-100\"\n    fill=\"none\"\n    height=\"113\"\n    viewBox=\"0 0 724 113\"\n    width=\"724\"\n    xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"\n  >\n    <path d=\"M899.19 176.521C864.862 150.242 776.377 115.015 697.059 184.338C597.913 270.991 520.468 57.496 458.273 115.141C396.077 172.787 305.34 9.47523 210.386 102.217C134.422 176.41 26.7898 66.4765 -17.5308 2.23568\" stroke=\"#F9F8FD\" stroke-width=\"7\"\/>\n  <\/svg>\n\n  <div class=\"position-relative\">\n    \n    <div class=\"bbl-csb-text\">\n      <p data-start=\"214\" data-end=\"403\">Best practices aren\u2019t just theory\u2014Dashe &amp; Thomson put them into action with Beebole. By making time tracking simple and transparent, they turned it into a tool their team actually values. And here&#8217;s how it has paid off:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"405\" data-end=\"568\">\ud83d\ude80 Automated reminders boosted consultant compliance<br data-start=\"457\" data-end=\"460\" \/>\ud83d\ude80 Real-time insights improved project profitability<br data-start=\"512\" data-end=\"515\" \/>\ud83d\ude80 Clearer data enabled smarter resource allocation<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n\n          <a class=\"bbl-csb-link\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/time-tracking-for-consultants\/\">\n        Read the case study\n        <svg width=\"16\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n          <path d=\"M2 8H14\" stroke=\"#464646\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n          <path d=\"M8 2L14 8L8 14\" stroke=\"#464646\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/a>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\">Final thoughts on employee time tracking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, time tracking can lead to answers, but implementing the solutions is up to you. Making everyone\u2019s day better is a great benefit of using data to solve your problems.<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/timesheet-reminders\/\">A proper implementation<\/a> and a clear goal in tracking the information are critical for success<\/strong>. The more people are on board, the better your data will be and you can make real changes for the better with good data. Time tracking doesn\u2019t just have to be about what time people arrive and leave; it can be about creating an effective and efficient company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"employee-time-tracking-webinar\">Watch the employee time tracking webinar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"bbl-video-yt-subscribe\"><span class=\"bbl-vys-video\"><span class=\"bbl-video-outer\"><span class=\"bbl-video\" data-type=\"youtube\" data-id=\"P7nJCWQ4xSo\" data-title=\"Employee Time Tracking and Analytics: A Management Webinar from Beebole\"><img alt=\"Employee Time Tracking and Analytics: A Management Webinar from Beebole\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/P7nJCWQ4xSo\/hqdefault.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/><svg class=\"bbl-video-play-btn\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\"><path d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Employee Time Tracking and Analytics: A Management Webinar from Beebole\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/P7nJCWQ4xSo?start=1197&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/span><span class=\"bbl-vys-cta\"><span class=\"bbl-vys-cta-text\"><span class=\"bbl-vys-cta-title\">There's more where that came from.<\/span><span class=\"bbl-vys-cta-subtitle\">Don\u2019t miss a single video.<\/span><\/span><a class=\"btn btn-primary text-white px-5 px-lg-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@BeeBole?sub_confirmation=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Subscribe<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out Beebole&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/videos\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/videos\/\">video resource page<\/a> for webinars, tutorials, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n<div  class=\"mb-4 call_to_action-block\">\n    <div class=\"call_to_action-blockcontent py-5 px-4 text-center border-top border-bottom\">\n                    <h4 class=\"call_to_action-header h2 mt-0\">Project Time Tracking Done Right<\/h4>\n                        <div class=\"call_to_action-btns btns-wrap d-block d-lg-flex justify-content-center mx-auto\">\n                            <a class=\"w-100 w-lg-auto btn btn-outline-primary text-primary link-light me-lg-4 mb-3 mb-lg-0 bbl_cta_block_demo_btn \" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/talk-sales\/\" id=\"cta_post_10896_article_demo_1\">Book a Call<\/a>\n                                        <a class=\"w-100 w-lg-auto btn btn-primary text-light bbl_cta_block_signup_btn \" href=\"https:\/\/beebole-apps.com\/signup\/\" id=\"cta_post_10896_article_sign_up_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sign Up<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u2014<br>Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash<\/p>\n      <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        ( function() {\n          var iframes = document.querySelectorAll( '.bbl-video:not(.loaded)' );\n          iframes.forEach( function( iframe ) {\n            iframe.addEventListener( 'click', function() {\n              if ( iframe.dataset.type === 'youtube' ) {\n                iframe.innerHTML = '<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/' + iframe.dataset.id + '?feature=oembed&autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen title=\"' + iframe.dataset.title + '\"><\/iframe>';\n                iframe.classList.add( 'loaded' );\n              }\n            });\n          });\n        })();\n      <\/script>\n<div class=\"bbl-post-disclaimer\">The experts who have written or contributed to this article are independent from Beebole, and their contribution doesn't serve as endorsement for our company\/tool or their past\/present organizations, employers, or associates.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[What&#8217;s in this post: HR expert Suzanne Lucas is well-known for her blog the Evil HR Lady, and she&#8217;s an expert when it comes to matters of the people. That&#8217;s precisely why we asked her to lead this webinar on Employee Time Tracking and Analytics\u2014be sure to watch it entirely, with plenty of tried and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":10900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[123],"tags":[1395,1768],"class_list":["post-10896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productivity-time-management","tag-time-tracking","tag-webinar"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10896"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10896\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14249,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10896\/revisions\/14249"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}