Author: dayoff

  • Top 5 Free Apps to Manage Your Employees

    Top 5 Free Apps to Manage Your Employees

    When it comes to increasing the productivity of the employees, it is important to have an eye on the employees’ attendance. Well, utilizing the traditional methods for this can be very time consuming, and those processes can develop errors. So, how to make the leave management process effective? For this, you can use a professionally designed and developed time off app. As per the experts, Employees apps such as leave tracker app can be very useful in monitoring the employees’ shifts, planning the workflow, and allocating resources.

    However, to witness the maximum benefits of a Leave tracker, you should choose the best one, and this can be a daunting task. So, to help you out in this, we have listed down some best free time off tracking apps for you. Have a look.

    Day off

    When it comes to managing your employees’ leave or vacation in the most comfortable and accurate way, you can always use the Day off app, the best leave tracker tool that is designed and developed for all types of businesses. Using this app, companies can save their efforts and time and can easily track the absence within a few seconds. What’s more? Using this free vacation tracker, you can also set up your unique vacation as well as leave policies. Let’s discuss the top features of this app.

    Easy way to create a company

    With Day off, you can create your company account within a few seconds. To create your company, all you need is to use your company name, mail id and set a password. Once done, you can add teams and set different configurations for each team. After that, you can send an invitation to the employees to join the account to their mobile number or email.

    Customize the settings the way you want

    To customize the settings, first, you need to choose the weekends, and working days, then you need to add the leave balances, and then you can add some new leave types; your company policy has some extra leave types. Just a few clicks and you are ready to go.

    Can easily manage all the leave requests

    This Free time tracking app app offers you a full calendar view where you can find all the leaves of your employees. Besides, this will display a list of received leave requests with details, such as leave type, start and end time, leave duration, and more. With a few clicks, you can decline or accept the leave requests.

    One-click to send the important announcements

    When there is any crucial news, it is the responsibility of the HR managers to inform that the employees. And to do it effectively, you can use the Day off app. Just write the announcement, and using the app, you can send that to all. Your team will be notified within a few seconds.

    Easy way to submit a leave request

    With this app, your employees will enjoy an easy way to apply for a leave.  Within a few seconds, they can send their leave requests, and they can view the current status of the requests.

    This Paid time off tracker has all the features that will enable you to manage the leaves or vacations of the employees without facing any issues. The best part is that it is available for both Android and iOS platforms. So, go on and give it a try now.

    Time Camp

    This free to use Vacation tracker can be used for unlimited users, and you can add unlimited projects to it. This versatile program is perfect for all businesses. The software program is available in the form of a web timer, desktop app, mobile app and is also a Chrome plugin. The users can track time to the specific project automatically and can also change the time entries manually to customize the timesheets.

    The best part is that it comes equipped with a GPS tracking feature. As a result, you can track the time and attendance of the employees based on the location. It also lets you store different records of the employees, such as email, date of joining, name, phone number, department, and more.

    Hubstaff

    Hubstaff is an Employee time off tracker and has a GPS feature. It helps the HR management to understand how the employees are spending their time. As a result, their overall productivity can be maximized.  Since its first launch, it has become very popular among different industries as an advanced leave management tool. Some of the amazing features of this app are; online timesheets, productive measurement, detailed reporting, GPS tracking, and more. Use it now and see perfect growth in the employees’ productivity.

    BambooHR

    It is not just a PTO tracking software; you can use it as a professional HR management solution. The program comes with its own Android and iOS app. Using the app, all the members of your team can take advantage of the app’s simple to use interface to apply for leave with a few simple clicks. Besides, using this, HR managers can easily track their employees’ records and can also track PTO. What’s more? This powerful app can also effectively track applicant data. Well, its free version has limited features. If you want to explore all the features, then you may find it a little costly.

    FactoTime

    This app is designed for mobile devices running on both iOS and Android platforms. The app has all the features you will to properly track your employees’ working hours, shifts as well as attendance. Speaking more about it, the program functions as a punch clock and collects all the information on employees’ location, attendance, total time spent on the project, and more. It utilizes the three factor authentication process, i.e., location, selfie, and punch, to accurately record time. The best thing is that you can calculate the salary of the employees and manage the payroll based on the attendance recorded in the app.

    All these mobile apps can help you a lot in managing your employees’ leave or shifts. However, to enjoy the easiest way to do that, you can trust Day off. Download its free version now and see how this can simplify the process.

  • Self Service Software: Top 10 for Employees

    Self Service Software: Top 10 for Employees

    Having the right employee self service software is essential to growing a business successfully. This software allows employees to update their own details and keep all information centralized and updated. All those facilities can make the HR manager’s job less hectic. From hiring to onboarding to scheduling meeting and dozen more responsibilities, the HR management team have to navigate through all that.

    In today’s business management scenario, without incorporating the right amount of technology, all people involved in a business would experience many hassles. Therefore, employee self-service software is becoming popular for all sizes of businesses.

    Software like Day Off is integrated with various programs that improve business efficiency as well as employee experience. Choosing the right employee self service software can be challenging with a wide array of tools present in the market. Therefore, below is a list of the top ten employee management software to make your business management effortless. 

    KissFlow

    Kissflow is one of the most sought after employee management software by businesses who want to empower their company’s human resources management aspects. This software comes with many innovative features such as applicant tracking, employee leave tracker, attendance management, employee onboarding, and offboarding functionalities. Additionally, Kissflow offers customizable HR solutions like hiring skilled talents at the right time, a PTO tracker, boosting employee engagement, various employee self service tools, and an easy facility for feedback and evaluations. 

    Namely

    Namely can be your all in-one solution for employee management. It is a popular HR, payroll, benefits, vacation tracker, and talent management platform among employees. Businesses find it easier to handle their HR  processes by implementing this software in their system. Moreover, the platform attributes features like employee management, recruiting, employee time off tracker, producing visually rich reports, analytics, and many more.

    Dayforce

    Another most reliable employee self service software is Dayforce, which provides cloud based software. It helps the HR managers to manage employee payroll, onboarding, offboarding, talent, benefits, and many more. It is such a comprehensive software that it would take the operates a while to utilize all its features. Although your team would find it complicated at first, this PTO tracking software would benefit your HR team and employees alike in the long run.

    Peoplebook

    Peoplebook is another comprehensive employee self-service software that features employee information absence management, payroll tasks, proactive employee leave tracker app tool, performance management, biometrics, and employee training management, etc. The software avails many designs for producing reports; however, you can’t customize the reports. In order to know about their product pricing, contact directly with them and get a quotation for the software.

    APS payroll

    APS employee self service software is an acronym that stands for “Automatic Payroll Systems.” As the name suggests, the technology offers advanced human resources and payroll services to HR teams regardless of any business size. It is a cloud-based workforce management software with integrated features like payroll, free vacation tracker, reporting, time tracking, benefits enrollment, etc.

    Workday

    Workday is another branded name as the employee management software with unique characteristics. All of its element focuses on finance. The software uses various tools to conduct enterprise management. Its service covers human resources, talent management, recruiting, payroll and free time off tracker, and benefits management. Furthermore, this cloud-based platform includes financial management such as business revenues, financials, business expenses, and procurement.

    BerniePortal

    BerniePortal might be not so familiar employee self-service platform, which enables employees to be onboard, enroll in benefits, employee attendance clock in and out software tool, read and post reviews and sign notices, request for PTO, and access to update employee data while operating work remotely. Users can also access the BerniePortal platform from their smartphone app. This software is not only for employees; it can also function as workforce management software, talent management software, human capital management software, etc. 

    Zoho People

    Zoho People is one of the most popular online human resource management systems that can manage and access all your employee and client data from a centralized location. This comprehensive employee management platform allows HR managers and business operators to streamline the functionality that is associated with managing employees.

    The platform is integrated with an extensive number of modules to help the HR team with employee onboarding, preparing timesheets, time off app, managing employee leaves, the work performance of each employee, manage their personal details, and benefits management.

    Moreover, the software provides a wide variety of templates that can be easily customized according to your business requirements. Since Zoho charges prices per user or employee, companies who hire new employees frequently would have to pay a different amount each coming month that can make the whole payment cycle confusing. Therefore, Zoho People is more suitable for small and medium sized businesses.

    HRLocker

    HRLocker, the employee management software, is more intended for startups and micro-businesses since it can support up to four employees, including core HR. It is a free-offering software with features like onboarding/offboarding, and absence management, etc.

    However, you can upgrade the software to with the starting price of $3.50 per employee every month to manage up to fifteen employees. The platform can generate standard reports, automate the process of employee onboarding and offboarding, as well as highlight personal employee data via the HR dashboard. As cloud based software, HRLocker offers mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.

    Freshteam

    Just like  HRLocker, Freshteam is also a free plan employee management software. The software can support up to fifty employees and simultaneous job postings. The software functions similarly as Day off app to track basic time and attendance of employees, support applicant tracking, core HR management, etc.

    Its service also includes email and phone supports. The upgrading plan would cost $50 per month to give access to 50 more users and 250 employees. The basic plan would allow users for more job postings, more customization, live chat support, and more advanced features for employee time tracking.

    End thought

    An ideal employee management software must be user friendly, cloud based, and easy to incorporate. They should come with an employee self service portal, which can also connect seamlessly with other third party tools. All the above software in the listed sport those dynamic features to make the HR manager’s job simpler.

  • How to Reduce Employees Absenteeism?

    How to Reduce Employees Absenteeism?


    Different studies have proved that employee absenteeism can develop a critical impact on the bottom line of the company as a company may not have sufficient manpower when it needs to complete a task. As per a report submitted by the CDC- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the cost of employees absenteeism in the United States is USD 1,685 per employee. 

    The HR managersshould understand that a frequent employee absenteeism situation can severely affect revenue, productivity, and morale. After all, a team will not be able to give its best if some of the team members are absent. Besides, due to the extra work, other employees may feel burdened.

    Well, a company using different leave management tools, like a PTO tracker or Employee leave tracker app, can effectively mitigate adverse effects of employee absenteeism. On the other hand, smart leave policies and tools like Day off will control and lower the risks of absenteeism. With this, you can also improve employee welfare and care.

    Understanding the effects of absenteeism

    In simple words, employee absenteeism is a lack of attendance at the workplace without a valid cause. It may not cover no-show, no-call, and situations that are uncontrollable. In general, employee absenteeism in the company can affect employees as well as employers. Let’s have a look at those points.

    For employers:

    • Lowered productivity levels under a specific time period.
    • An increased administration cost as well as manufacturing cost.
    • Increased labor costs if the HR managers hire a temporary replacement worker to complete the job.
    • Lack of workforce can lead to poor quality customer service.
    • There can be a poor level of morale among colleagues. This can be prevalent if the employees have to fill in for the absent employees and if there are no retributions for the absence.
    • Other employees will feel stressed at work.

    For employees

    • Employees will suffer from the loss of pay for their leave or time off.
    • There will be reduced productivity when they return to their work as they need to catch up with the process.
    • The employee absenteeism is unexplained and quite frequent, then the employees may face dismissal.

    So, it can be said that employee absenteeism can be quite costly for all of the workforce. For HR management, it is important to understand the cause and then develop a strategy including deployment of a free vacation tracker to lower it to enjoy the benefits.  

    Some effective ways to lower employee absenteeism in the workplace

    Make a clear and easy-to-understand attendance policy

    Your company’s attendance policy should properly explain how to report leaves, absences and the procedures to record the absences. Besides, you should include information about the consequences that one can face due to repeated absences. The repercussions should be mentioned clearly in the policy.

    Once created, you need to send the policy to staff, and don’t forget to discuss it with them to know whether they are happy with it. You can use a professional Employee time off tracker to send the policy to all. The leave policy will function as an important resource to your employees. However, always remember to follow the policy no matter what the situation is.

    You should offer paid time off and vacation days

    Well, the time has changed, and most of the employees don’t want to follow the traditional 9 to 5 routine. Besides, utilizing modern technology, they can work whenever and wherever they want. If you are hiring the best talents who can give their 100 percent to attain the results, then you need to trust them and allow them the facility to manger their timetable.

    One of the major reasons behind employee absenteeism is burnout. And to prevent that, you should offer vacation days and paid-off leaves. Well, don’t worry if you are thinking it will be challenging to manage the leaves and attendance record. You can use PTO tracking software for that.

    Use a good leave management system

    When it comes to frequent employees absenteeism, the reason can be related to different factors. For example, their personal life, some official issue, poor working environment, health issue, and more. All the HR managers should develop a positive environment for the employees. And this is where they can use a well-designed employee leave management system, such as the Day off app, a free time off tracker.

    Using such a system, you can easily track the leaves that your employees take every year.  Besides, it will allow the company to distribute the work of the employees who are taking leaves to complete the work on time. Tools like Leave tracker can help to prevent accidental leave requests. And the HR management department can have better control over the leave requests.

    Enhance the employee and workplace well-being

    Do you know who the happy employees are? Well, they are the employees who are excited to come to the office regularly. An organization offering both mental and physical support can enjoy a productive workforce. When there is perfect well-being, there will be fewer sick days. Create different employee wellness programs and make sure that the employees are participating. This will develop a better communication facility, and you will be able to meet the requirements.

    Reward the good attendance

    Make sure that you are not penalizing the employees who have taken protected leave. Instead of that, prefer to reward them, and that will encourage a good attendance mindset among the employees. Besides, it will be a good motivator. Well, you don’t have to do anything special about this. Sometimes, simple positive feedback, as well as encouragement, can work great. Sometimes, employees may need help to get back to work.  You should consider this and can include light-duty options.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Employee Absenteeism and PTO Tracking

    What is considered employee absenteeism?

    Employee absenteeism refers to habitual or frequent absence from work without valid reasons. It goes beyond occasional sick days or approved leaves and can include no-shows, late arrivals, and unexplained absences that disrupt productivity.

    How does absenteeism affect a company’s bottom line?

    Absenteeism reduces productivity, increases labor costs (such as hiring temporary staff), and lowers team morale. According to the CDC, the average cost of employee absenteeism in the U.S. is around $1,685 per employee annually.

    Can offering PTO reduce absenteeism?

    Yes. Paid Time Off (PTO) helps employees rest, recharge, and avoid burnout, which reduces the likelihood of unplanned absences. When employees know they have flexible leave options, they’re less likely to take unplanned days off.

    What tools can HR use to manage absenteeism effectively?

    HR teams can use PTO tracking software, leave tracker apps, or employee time-off management systems to record, monitor, and approve leave requests. These tools simplify scheduling, ensure fair policy enforcement, and reduce accidental leave overlaps.

    What’s the difference between absenteeism and taking approved leave?

    Approved leave (like PTO, sick leave, or vacation) is authorized by HR and planned in advance. Absenteeism refers to unapproved, unexplained, or excessive absence that disrupts workflow and impacts the team.

    How can HR managers discourage frequent absenteeism without lowering morale?

    Create a clear attendance policy, communicate it transparently, and apply it consistently. Instead of focusing only on penalties, offer wellness programs, flexible PTO, and recognition for good attendance to improve morale and reduce absenteeism.

    How does absenteeism affect employees themselves?

    Employees may lose pay, fall behind on projects, and face additional stress when they return. In cases of repeated unexplained absences, they may even risk disciplinary action or dismissal.

    How do leave management systems help reduce absenteeism?

    A leave management system gives HR visibility into patterns of leave usage. It helps distribute workloads fairly, prevents accidental overlaps, and ensures employees use their PTO effectively rather than resorting to unplanned absences.

    Should companies reward good attendance?

    Yes. Recognizing employees with strong attendance records, through positive feedback, wellness perks, or even extra PTO days, encourages a culture of responsibility and shows that the company values reliability.

    What role does workplace well-being play in absenteeism?

    Employee wellness programs that support mental and physical health reduce stress, burnout, and sick days. A workplace that invests in employee well-being fosters loyalty, higher engagement, and fewer absences.

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  • Time off Management Guide for Startups

    Time off Management Guide for Startups

    Startups  are trying to create the best work environment possible for their employees. One of the biggest necessities that startup employees look for is paid time off. Startups have very fast-paced work environments that require time off management as well as other aspects of the team. Without paid time off, it is difficult for the employees to maintain a proper work-life balance.

    HR management in startup companies has now shifted towards increasing employee benefits to increase employee retention. Since work-life balance is very important in today’s era, startup companies use smart time off management systems for efficiency. Whether it’s a day off or a half-day leave, proper leave management ensures that work does not get hampered even with vacations. 

    A paid time off app or a PTO tracker has become a must for HR managers who want to excel in employee management. It is a definite struggle to ensure leaves for every employee and running work smoothly. Of course, you cannot make everyone happy. However, a smart Leave tracker or PTO tracking software streamlines the tasks for the HR management team. This way, a company easily manages paid time off for its employees and maintains the manpower at the optimal levels too.

    Why leave management or time off tracker is necessary?

    Tracking time off or leaves manually causes many gaps and confusion for the team. This also weakens the coordination between team members too due to miscommunication. A good free time off tracker helps streamline the entire system of leave-taking and management. An efficient employee leave tracker app also creates transparency within the team and increases coordination. Therefore, if you are starting a startup with a team, a Day Off App is necessary from the beginning.

    Now that you understand the need for an employee time off tracker software, here are the features HR managers should look for in a leave management system for business setups.

    Must have features for a time off tracking app

    All in one dashboard

    An all-in-one dashboard creates transparency because an employee can see his own day off balance and decide whether they want to take a day off or not. The employees can also see other employees leave and coordinate within the team for leaving. On the other hand, the senior management also has access to the leave balance and leaves taken on the all-in-one dashboard of a vacation tracker. This way, a person can see all the leaves taken and leaves left before allocating a day off.

    Categories and fields

    A good free vacation tracker also has categories and fields for filling during application. This way, the employee does not have to mail his application to anyone. Instead, he can fill in the type of leave, duration, and nature of the system. The system files it in different fields and subfields.

    Others or leave approvers can see the application and understand the nature of leave and other details before allocating it to the applicant. A good leave management system has a customizable field system that suits the company’s policy framework with a few alterations. The fields introduced can be according to the company policy in an automated way.

    Cloud-based system

    Today, every IT solution is turning into a cloud-based system for better data management. Since a company has numerous employees, it is better to shift to a cloud-based system for large-scale data storage and management. A cloud-based leave management system is a necessity for a startup that aims at expanding in the future.

    A cloud-based system not only makes it easy to access but also streamlines the system without glitches. The employees can access the leave application feature from anywhere, at any time. Cloud-based systems suit the needs of a flexible workplace and workers. On the other hand, you do not need new updates to the software, too, if it is cloud-based.

    Auto Updated leave balance

    One feature that makes a leave management system easy to use is the auto-updating system of leave balance. If the leave balance is auto-updated, the HR manager can monitor every employee’s leave from time to time. It is easy for an employee to exceed his leave balance. However, you cannot keep track of this in a manual way when there are many employees.

    Therefore, it is best to use a paid time off tracker with the number of leaves allowed per your company policy. With each leave taken by an employee, the leave balance left is seen. The manager can then refer to the system and allot accordingly in the future. This way, everything is automated, and planning of leaves is better. In fact, the employees do not get to complain about any biased behavior if the leave balance is exhausted.

    Seamless integration

    Another feature of a good leave management software is its integration into the already existing system. When you choose a leave management system, it needs to coordinate with the attendance system, the reporting system, and the monitoring system. Therefore, it is best to choose a system that integrates seamlessly with other employee management software.

    This ensures a complete digital infrastructure at the workplace and workflow automation. Seamless integration is possible today because a lot of new software supports different systems and works across many interfaces. This helps in the creation of an integrated system of workflow management.

    A good paid time off tracker and leave management system helps streamline and optimize many employee management processes at your company. You might start with a few employees and manual processes. However, your company will need smart leave management and a time off management system at some point. It is better to opt for a time off management system from the beginning.

    This gives your company a certain structure and helps in the development of team coordination. Paid time off management is crucial for employee satisfaction as well as optimal business processes. Whether you are part of a startup or an established company, it is important to integrate paid time off management system right from the start. When choosing a leave management system, choose one based on features and benefits.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    What is a time off tracker?

    A time off tracker is a centralized web/mobile tool that manages PTO requests, approvals, accruals, and balances in real time. It replaces spreadsheets and email chains with a single source of truth, complete with audit trails and notifications. Employees know exactly what they can take, and managers see the impact on coverage before approving.

    Why do startups need a leave management system?

    In lean teams, a single absence can derail a sprint or client deliverable. A leave system visualizes who’s out when, automates routing to the right approver, and prevents conflicts before they happen. It keeps planning predictable without turning team leads into full-time schedulers.

    Can employees see their remaining leave balance?

    Yes, modern tools display current balances, projected accruals, and already-approved days on a personal dashboard. Many also let employees “preview” dates to check policy rules or blackout periods before submitting. This reduces back-and-forth and avoids requests that will be declined.

    How does a cloud-based leave management system help?

    Cloud systems work anywhere, on any device, with role-based access and automatic feature/security updates. They scale smoothly as headcount grows and reduce IT overhead, no servers, no manual patches. Built-in backups and uptime SLAs keep critical time-off data reliable.

    What types of leaves can be tracked?

    Most platforms support fully configurable categories, vacation, sick, parental, bereavement, comp time, half-days, unpaid leave, and local statutory options. You can add custom fields (handover notes, coverage contact, project tags) to match your policy and workflows. This flexibility keeps policies consistent while accommodating edge cases.

    How does automation improve leave management?

    Automation calculates accruals, updates balances instantly after approval, and flags policy breaches or overlapping team absences. Approvers get nudges in Slack/Teams, and approved leaves sync to Google/Microsoft calendars so schedules stay accurate. Less manual admin means faster decisions and fewer mistakes.

    Is integration with other HR tools possible?

    Yes, look for native integrations with payroll (accurate PTO payout/deductions), time & attendance, identity/SSO, and project tools like Jira or Asana. Calendar integration is especially valuable for visibility and resource planning. With data flowing both ways, you avoid double entry and inconsistent records.

    Are PTO trackers useful for small teams?

    Absolutely, clarity and fairness matter even at five people. A lightweight tracker prevents “who’s covering?” surprises and sets healthy norms as you grow. Starting early saves a painful policy cleanup later when you’re scaling fast.

    Do free leave management apps provide enough features?

    Free tiers typically cover the essentials, request/approve workflows, balance views, and simple accruals. As complexity increases, paid plans add multi-policy support, advanced accrual rules (tenure-based, carryover caps), granular approvals, integrations, and reporting. Upgrading usually pays for itself in saved admin time.

    How does a PTO tracker improve employee satisfaction?

    Transparent balances and quick, consistent approvals reduce friction and build trust. People can plan vacations confidently, managers can staff proactively, and teams avoid burnout from last-minute scrambles. The result is better retention and a culture that genuinely supports work-life balance.

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  • How to Communicate Company Values to Employees?

    How to Communicate Company Values to Employees?

    The core values of an organization are one of the integral aspects of its operations. Basically, the company values clearly outline the principles regarding the vision, mission, and beliefs of an organization. They help in bringing everyone in the organization on the same page. You can think of them as foundations of the guiding philosophy for serving customers, employees, and the surrounding community.

    When you set out to build a Leave tracker  for employees, it is important to ensure that the system aligns with your company values. However, the effectiveness of such solutions depends largely on how leaders communicate them to employees. The following discussion dives into the significance of company values and the best practices for communicating them to your employees.

    Why Are Company Values Important?

    Before diving into the ways for communicating company values to employees, it is important to understand their significance. You could easily find the core values of an organization in prominently large or bold print on their websites or posted on signs across all organization locations. Some of the notable values include integrity, honesty, diversity and inclusion, fairness, accountability, teamwork, quality, learning, and passion. Now, any business owner would wonder about their necessity in a case where they are developing a leave tracker solution. Let us take a look at some numbers which showcase the significance of company values in the modern business environment.

    • Almost 33% of employees all over the world perceive the mission and purpose of their organization as significant factors in identifying the importance of their jobs.
    • According to the 2019 Global Human Capital Trends report by Deloitte, almost 53% of respondents find their organizations effective at generating meaningful work.
    • Most important of all, 67% of employees feel the need for frequent and improved communication from employers.

    Therefore, it is quite clear that company values play a massive role in defining how an employee perceives their significance. At the same time, alignment with them is an essential requirement for employees to adapt to changes such as introduction of new PTO tracking software. So, how do companies ensure that their employees are aware of the core values? The conventional approaches for onboarding new recruits through training sessions can play a fundamental role in introducing employees to the values of the organization. However, it is important to wonder whether the training sessions can help employees relate to your company values.

    Communicating Company Values to Employees

    As your organization grows and increases the employee count, it is important for leaders to ensure that your company values don’t get lost in translation. Even with the introduction of new tools such as vacation trackers and hr tools, company values can ensure that an organization sticks to its ethics and primary goals. However, the changing norms of communication have also created troubles in communicating core values to employees. Let us find out some of the best practices recommended by experts for conveying them to employees productively.

    Leading by Action

    One of the foremost approaches for communicating your company values to employees is through action. In most cases, business leaders have to show the company values in action to employees. For example, if service is a company value, leaders should show how to help a customer. If empathy is a company value, then leaders should show it by truly interacting with a staff member. Leaders capable of showcasing their values in action can encourage integrity, thereby opening avenues for excellence and ethical behavior.

    Simpler Statements

    The next suggestion for communicating company values to employees in change management scenarios involving the introduction of an employee leave tracker app would be the simplification of value statements. Leaders should focus on conveying their mission, vision, and values in single sentences. Employees cannot understand complex and verbose value statements and ultimately end up failing to follow them. After simplification of their value statements, leaders should discuss the company values with employees by using real-world examples and references.     

    The Culture Playbook

    The culture playbook is also another promising instrument for HR managers to ensure effective communication of core values. Developing a culture playbook around each core value of a company could help in showcasing what exactly qualifies as ‘right’ in the company environment. Focus on outlining the meaning of each value and build on experiences for defining what is ‘right’ in the case of each value. It can help employees to see the values clearly and easily, thereby making it easier for them to follow the values.

    Offer Recognition

    Leaders should work in improving the prospects for recognition of employees who showcase company values. Recognition for leaders’ efforts in upholding them could encourage them to adhere to the values. Public recognition for actions driven by company values could be an effective method for communicating them to employees. In addition, it is also important for leaders to take note of the instances where employees don’t follow company values.

    Comprehensive Involvement

    Another striking suggestion for HR management to improve communication of company values to employees is the involvement of employees. Leaders who bring every employee into the annual strategic planning routines and quarterly reviews have better chances at employee engagement.

    All the employees could easily understand the planned trajectory of the company for the year. At the same time, employees could also find out how the company’s journey will evolve over the year in real-time. Most importantly, the involvement of employees in strategic planning helps them perceive their role and impact on the company’s strategic plan.

    Interweaving Values and Success

    Businesses should recognize the importance of company values in their growth and adoption of new technologies. An organization that can adhere to its core values is more likely to withstand the pressure of change management. Therefore, introducing a new free vacation tracker would have limited influence on strategic objectives of the company.

    The company values help employees build a better connection with the organization, thereby achieving improved productivity. Start discovering more about their importance and how they affect the competitive advantage of organizations. Leaders who are able to communicate their values effectively can encourage improved employee engagement. Know more about the company values that can support your organization’s growth.        

    FAQs

    What are company values and why do they matter for a leave tracker?

    Company values are the principles that guide decisions and behavior. When a leave tracker reflects those values, fairness, transparency, empathy, it becomes more than a tool: it reinforces culture while managing PTO consistently and respectfully.

    How do we align a leave tracker with our values in practice?

    Translate each value into a product rule or workflow. For example, “fairness” standardized approval criteria; “transparency” visible balances and audit trails; “empathy” flexible categories (caregiving, mental health, bereavement) and clear escalation paths.

    What’s the best way to introduce values alongside new PTO software?

    Launch the tool with a values briefing, not just a feature demo. Tell a “why” story, show real scenarios, and connect each policy choice to a specific value. Follow with hands-on training and a simple quick-start guide.

    How can leaders model the values day-to-day?

    Leaders should request and log their own time off in the system, give thoughtful handovers, and publicly recognize value-driven behavior (e.g., covering for teammates, planning ahead). Visible habits beat slide decks.

    How do we keep value statements simple but meaningful?

    Rewrite each value as one clear sentence plus two or three “this looks like/doesn’t look like” examples. Use plain language and avoid jargon so employees can recall and apply them during leave decisions.

    What is a culture playbook and how does it help?

    A culture playbook turns values into behaviors. For leave, include examples of acceptable notice periods, handover standards, coverage expectations, and manager response times, so “the right thing” is obvious, repeatable, and fair.

    How should recognition work around time off and values?

    Recognize people who plan early, document handovers well, or support teammates during absences. Share short shout-outs in all-hands or Slack, linking the behavior to the value it represents. Make it frequent, specific, and inclusive.

    How do we involve employees in shaping PTO policies?

    Run short surveys, focus groups, and pilot tests by department. Invite feedback on categories, blackout dates, and approval SLAs. Publish what you heard, what you changed, and why, closing the loop builds trust.

    How do we measure whether our communication and tracker are working?

    Track adoption (requests made in system vs. off-platform), approval cycle time, balance accuracy, scheduling conflicts, coverage incidents, and employee sentiment (pulse surveys). Review these in quarterly business reviews with actions attached.

    What integrations reinforce our values of transparency and accountability?

    Connect the leave tracker to calendars (Google/Microsoft) for visibility, HRIS/payroll for accurate accruals and payouts, SSO for secure access, and Slack/Teams for timely notifications. Fewer manual steps = fewer inequities.

    How do we handle remote or global teams fairly?

    Localize leave categories to regional laws, publish time-zone-aware coverage plans, and standardize minimum notice and handover templates. Use consistent principles (fairness, inclusion) while adapting implementation per location.

    What are common pitfalls to avoid?

    Overly vague policies, hidden exceptions, manual side agreements, and slow approvals erode trust. Also avoid “unlimited PTO” without guardrails, define norms, minimums, and approval timelines to ensure true equity.

    How can we maintain momentum after launch?

    Schedule a 30/60/90-day policy tune-up, refresh the playbook twice a year, and keep a standing agenda item in all-hands for value-linked wins and lessons. Treat PTO management as an ongoing cultural practice, not a one-time rollout.

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  • Payroll Apps: Top 5 payroll software tools in 2021

    Payroll Apps: Top 5 payroll software tools in 2021

    Software tools are essential for every business nowadays, so here are the best payroll apps mаke it eаsy fоr emрlоyers tо mаnаge раyrоll direсtly frоm their smаrtрhоnes оr tаblets. Mоst аre free tо dоwnlоаd, thоugh yоu hаve tо раy рrоviders’ subsсriрtiоn fees tо use their sоftwаre. Sоme mоbile раyrоll аррs wоn’t let yоu e-file раyrоll tаxes thrоugh its system, whereаs оthers hаve full-serviсe funсtiоnаlity sо yоu саn run раyrоll, раy emрlоyees аnd tаxes, аnd аррrоve time аll viа the арр. 

    Here are the best 5 payroll apps for 2021:

    QuiсkBооks Payroll

    The QuiсkBооks pаyrоll аррs is ideаl fоr smаll businesses, esрeсiаlly thоse thаt аre existing QuiсkBооks users. With оne сliсk, yоu саn ассess its раyrоll mоdule direсtly thrоugh the QuiсkBооks ассоunting system а fаvоrite оf mаny smаll businesses. This meаns thаt yоu dоn’t hаve tо sрend extrа time imроrting аnd setting uр yоur сhаrt оf ассоunts аs yоu dо with оutside рrоviders.

    РRОS

      • Mоbile арр lets yоu run раyrоll аnd e-file раyrоll tаxes

      • Reаsоnаbly рriсed рlаns with unlimited аnd аutоmаted раy runs

      • Sаme- аnd next-dаy direсt deроsits

    СОNS

      • Emрlоyees dоn’t hаve ассess tо the аррs; раy аnd benefits detаils аre аvаilаble оnly thrоugh the self-serviсe software роrtаl

      • Оссаsiоnаl mоbile арр glitсhes

      • Inсоnsistent сustоmer suрроrt quаlity

      • Mоbile арр: The арр is free tо dоwnlоаd, but yоu hаve tо sign uр fоr а QuiсkBооks Раyrоll apps рlаn tо use it.

    Аdditiоnаl соsts

    раyrоll dаtа with QuiсkBооks Ассоunting will run yоu аnywhere frоm $25 tо $70 рer mоnth

    Emрlоyee benefits

    Smаll businesses саn рurсhаse mediсаl, dentаl, аnd visiоn insurаnсe thrоugh QuiсkBооks Раyrоll’s раrtner

    Squаre Раyrоll

    Squаre РОS mаkes it eаsy fоr retаil shорs аnd restаurаnts tо ассeрt раyments аnd trасk emрlоyees’ wоrk hоurs frоm mоbile deviсes. Thоse dаtа аre trаnsferred direсtly tо its раyrоll system thаt саn even hаndle tiр reроrting. This is muсh simрler thаn signing uр with а рrоvider like QuiсkBооks Раyrоll аnd hаving tо reseаrсh аnd instаll РОS systems thаt mаnuаlly integrаte with it.

    РRОS

    Аffоrdаble full-serviсe раyrоll with unlimited раy runs

    Оffers next-dаy direсt deроsits аnd instаnt раyment орtiоns

    Timeсаrd mаnаgement feаtures inсluded in mоbile арр

    СОNS

    Next-dаy direсt deроsits аnd instаnt раyments require а pаyment ассоunt

    Stаndаrd direсt deроsits tаke fоur dаys (if withоut а Squаre Раyments ассоunt)

    Аvаilаble оnly fоr emрlоyers; emрlоyees hаve tо dоwnlоаd а seраrаte арр tо view раy stubs аnd mаnаge stаff infо

    Оссаsiоnаl арр glitсhes

    Nоte thаt the Squаre Раyrоll арр is аvаilаble оnly fоr emрlоyers.

    Mоbile арр

     The Squаre Раyrоll арр is free tо dоwnlоаd, but yоu hаve tо раy sоftwаre subsсriрtiоn fees in оrder tо use its feаtures.

    Time оff trасking арр

    With Squаre Раyrоll’s time trасking feаture, emрlоyees саn сlосk in/оut thrоugh the Squаre РОS оr the Squаre Teаm mоbile арр. Then, yоu саn view аnd edit digitаl timeсаrds thrоugh yоur dаshbоаrd

    Аdditiоnаl соst

    Squаre Раyrоll hаs оne оf the сheарest рlаns аt оnly $29 рlus $5 рer emрlоyee mоnthly.

    Раyсhex

    Раyсhex’s mоbile арр is fоr its Раyсhex Flex рrоduсt, аnd unlike the оther рrоviders in this list (exсeрt Rоll by АDР), it hаs funсtiоnаlities fоr bоth emрlоyers аnd emрlоyees. Аside frоm рrосessing раyrоll, emрlоyers саn use the mоbile арр tо ассess stаff рrоfiles, раy errоr, tаx dосuments, аnd heаlth insurаnсe enrоllment infоrmаtiоn. Emрlоyees, оn the оther hаnd, саn сheсk their раy stubs,  раid-time-оff (РTО) bаlаnсes, heаlth insurаnсe benefit detаils, аnd mоre.

    Mоbile арр

    The арр is free tо dоwnlоаd but requires а Раyсhex sоftwаre subsсriрtiоn.

    Аdditiоnаl соsts

    Раyrоll tаx аdministrаtiоn, Раyсhex’s time аnd аttendаnсe mоdule, аnd ассess tо ассоunting sоftwаre integrаtiоns соsts extrа.

    Раyсhex Unique feаtures

    Flexible раyrоll рrосessing: Review, edit, аnd submit раyrоll fоr emрlоyees аnd соntrасtоrs viа the Раyсhex Flex mоbile арр fоr Аndrоid аnd iОS deviсes. Even if yоu stаrted running раyrоll оn yоur desktор соmрuter, yоu саn eаsily resume раy рrосessing оn yоur smаrtрhоnes аnd tаblets. Nоne оf the раyrоll аррs inсluded in this guide hаve this funсtiоnаlity.

    Eаrly ассess tо wаges

    Аside frоm direсt deроsits аnd раy саrds, Раyсhex suрроrts рарer сheсks with сheсk signing аnd stuffing serviсes. It аlsо hаs а раy-оn-demаnd feаture thаt рrоvides emрlоyees ассess tо eаrned wаges Tаx соmрliаnсe: Раyсhex оffers ассurаte аnd effiсient раyrоll tаx саlсulаtiоns

    Rоll by АDР

    Rоll by АDР is the оnly mоbile арр in this guide thаt lets yоu run раyrоll аnd set uр stаff рrоfiles оnline thrоugh сhаt соmmаnds. While its сhаt-bаsed mоbile system mаy tаke sоme getting used tо, its smаrt in-арр аssistаnt саn helр guide yоu thrоugh its funсtiоnаlities in аdditiоn tо running errоr сheсks аnd sending рrоасtive аlerts

    РRОS

      • Аffоrdаble рlаn with unlimited раy runs аnd live сhаt suрроrt

      • Next-dаy direсt deроsits

      • Аrtifiсiаl intelligenсe (АI)-роwered аssistаnt guides yоu thrоugh the раyrоll рrосess аnd соnduсts errоr сheсks in reаl time

      • Three-mоnth free triаl

    СОNS

      • Slight leаrning сurve (due tо its сhаt-bаsed соmmаnds)

      • Nо benefit орtiоns, ассоunting integrаtiоns, аnd live рhоne suрроrt

      • Limited reроrting

      • Сhаt suрроrt wаit times саn be а bit lоng

    Mоbile арр

    The арр is free tо dоwnlоаd, but yоu need а раid Rоll by АDР subsсriрtiоn tо use its раyrоll tооls.

    Аdditiоnаl соst

     $17 рer mоnth + $5 рer emрlоyee mоnthly, yоu get full serviсe раyrоll with unlimited раy runs.

    Rоll by АDР Unique Feаtures

    Next-dаy раyments

    Whаt’s greаt аbоut Rоll by АDР is thаt it аutоmаtiсаlly рrоvides next-dаy direсt deроsits tо its сlients (even а sаme-dаy орtiоn if viа mаnuаl сheсk).

    Аssistаnt

    It sends аutоmаted аlerts аnd even соnduсts errоr сheсks tо mаke sure thаt yоur раyrоll is in line with yоur nоrmаl раy runs. In саse yоu need tо соnsult with а сustоmer reрresentаtive, Rоll by АDР рrоvides unlimited live сhаt suрроrt.

    Sure Раyrоll

    The SureРаyrоll арр is designed fоr smаll businesses thаt need tо run раyrоll withоut аll оf the extrа feаtures thаt QuiсkBооks Раyrоll, Squаre Раyrоll, аnd Раyсhex рrоvide. It is аlsо аn аffоrdаble full-serviсe рrоvider, meаning it саlсulаtes аnd files yоur раyrоll tаxes рlus раys emрlоyees, but it сhаrges extrа if yоur business grоws аnd exраnds. Hоwever, yоur stаff will hаve tо dоwnlоаd аn emрlоyee SureРаyrоll арр fоr viewing раyment mistаkes , РTО tracking bаlаnсes, retirement deduсtiоns аnd соntributiоn rаtes, аnd tаx fоrms. If yоu рrefer hаving оnly оne арр fоr bоth emрlоyers аnd emрlоyees management

    РRОS

      • Аffоrdаble аnd trаnsраrent рriсing

      • Free triаl lаsts fоr twо mоnths

      • Extended weekdаy evening аnd weekend suрроrt

    СОNS

      • Аdd-оn fees fоr multiрle stаte tаx filing аnd sоftwаre integrаtiоns (with limited орtiоns)

      • Seраrаte аррs fоr emрlоyers аnd emрlоyees

      • Mоbile арр is glitсhy (freezes аnd сrаshes frequently)

    Mоbile арр

    The арр is free tо dоwnlоаd, but yоu will need а SureРаyrоll sоftwаre subsсriрtiоn tо use its раyrоll funсtiоnаlities.

    Аdditiоnаl соsts

    Yоu hаve tо раy extrа fees tо ассess ($9.99 рer mоnth)

    Sure Раyrоll Unique Feаtures:

      • Раyrоll рrосessing fоr mоbile: Sure Раyrоll designed its mоbile арр (fоr Аndrоid аnd iОS deviсes) tо hаve the sаme funсtiоnаlities аs its оnline sоftwаre. Yоu саn set uр unlimited аnd аutоmаtiс раy runs tо рrосess раy fоr emрlоyees. Yоu саn аlsо enter асtuаl hоurs wоrked, eаrnings, deduсtiоns, аnd аnnuаl vасаtiоn trасking sоftwаre аnd аnnuаl leаve trасking sоftwаre direсtly intо the арр.

      • Flexible direсt deроsit раy орtiоns: Раyrоll’s full-serviсe орtiоn lets yоu раy emрlоyees either next- оr sаme-dаy direсt deроsits. Yоu hаve the орtiоn tо сhооse the раyоut timelines, рrоvided yоu meet SureРаyrоll’s submissiоn deаdlines .

      • Tаx соmрliаnсe:Sure Раyrоll app саlсulаtes раyrоll tаxes аutоmаtiсаlly

      • Live сustоmer suрроrt: Sure Раyrоll hаs а suрроrt teаm thаt yоu саn соntасt six dаys а week (with extended weekdаy evening hоurs) either thrоugh emаil, рhоne, оr live сhаt.

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  • HR Software: The Ultimate Guide for Businesses

    HR Software: The Ultimate Guide for Businesses

    The HR department is one of the most critical pillars of any organization. From recruiting and onboarding to payroll, compliance, and employee engagement, HR handles a vast amount of sensitive and essential information every day. Managing these tasks manually not only consumes valuable time but also increases the risk of errors. This is where HR software comes in, streamlining processes, automating workflows, and allowing HR managers to focus more on strategy rather than repetitive administration.

    While many businesses still hesitate to adopt HR software due to lack of training or familiarity, it has become an essential tool in today’s fast-paced, data-driven business environment. Whether you run a small startup or a global enterprise, understanding HR software and its benefits will help you unlock efficiency and build a more productive workplace.

    What is HR Software?

    HR software is an automated solution designed to manage and optimize the day-to-day tasks of the human resources department. It helps maintain employee data, manage payroll, monitor workforce performance, and improve decision-making with real-time insights.

    Instead of juggling spreadsheets, paperwork, and emails, HR professionals can rely on HR software to keep everything organized and accurate. By reducing human error and saving time, it empowers HR teams to focus on employee well-being, culture-building, and business growth.

    Some of the most common functions of HR software include:

    • Payroll management: automating salary, benefits, and tax calculations.

    • Employee data management: securely storing and updating records.

    • Time scheduling and attendance: ensuring smooth workforce planning.

    • Recruitment and applicant tracking: from job posting to interviews.

    • Performance management: tracking progress and supporting appraisals.

    • Employee leave management: managing PTO, sick days, and vacation requests.

    • Learning and development: supporting employee upskilling with training tools.

    Categories of HR Software

    human resource management system (hrms)

    an hrms is a broad, all-in-one suite that centralizes core hr operations, people records, payroll, time and attendance, employee leave management, benefits, and basic talent processes. think of it as the operational backbone: it standardizes data, automates routine workflows (onboarding, job changes, terminations), and gives managers self-service tools for approvals and reporting. hrms platforms are ideal when you want fewer vendors, consistent data across modules, and robust compliance controls. look for role-based access, native integrations with finance, and configurable workflows that match your policies rather than forcing new ones.

    human resource information system (hris)

    an hris focuses on the “system of record” for employee data: profiles, org structures, job and compensation history, compliance documents, and basic reporting. it’s lighter than an hrms, often without full payroll or advanced talent features, making it a good fit for organizations that need reliable data governance without heavy process automation. a strong hris offers clean apis, audit trails, and flexible fields so you can mirror your org design. teams often pair an hris with best-of-breed tools (payroll, performance, or recruiting) while keeping the hris as the single source of truth.

    talent management systems (tms)

    tms platforms specialize in the full talent lifecycle: recruiting/ats, onboarding, goals and okrs, continuous feedback, performance reviews, compensation planning, learning, and succession. the emphasis is on growth, engagement, and retention rather than payroll or timekeeping. choose a tms when your priority is building high-performing teams, clear goals, fair evaluations, calibrated rewards, and targeted development paths. look for modern ux, skills taxonomies, competency libraries, and analytics that tie performance and learning to business outcomes. seamless connections to your hris ensure data consistency.

    human capital management (hcm)

    hcm suites combine operational hr (like an hrms) with strategic talent capabilities (like a tms) under one umbrella. they support workforce planning, budgeting, headcount forecasting, and analytics across the employee lifecycle, from acquisition to development to retention. hcm is well-suited to mid-market and enterprise organizations that need global capabilities (multi-currency, multi-language, local labor rules), advanced security, and powerful reporting. expect configurable workflows, strong compliance tooling, and robust integrations with erp/finance for a complete people-and-business view.

    core hr software

    “core hr” tools deliver the fundamentals: employee records, recruiting, scheduling, time and attendance, leave and absence tracking, payroll connectivity, and training basics. they’re practical, cost-effective choices for small to midsize companies that want to replace spreadsheets and email with reliable automation, without the complexity of a full suite. prioritize ease of use, mobile self-service, clear calendars for coverage planning, and straightforward reporting. as you grow, verify that your core hr platform can scale or integrate with specialized tools you may add later.

    hr administration software

    these tools streamline day-to-day admin, document management, policy acknowledgments, benefits enrollment, case/ticket management, and compliance workflows (right-to-work, i-9, gdpr). because they handle sensitive data (tax ids, banking, medical benefits), strong security is non-negotiable: encryption, granular permissions, sso/mfa, and detailed audit logs. choose admin software that automates recurring tasks (renewals, reminders, approvals), supports secure e-signatures, and provides a clear knowledge base so employees can self-serve. integrations with payroll, benefits carriers, and your hris prevent duplicate entry and reduce errors.

    Key Use Cases of HR Software

    Different HR managers may prioritize different features depending on their organizational needs. Here are some popular use cases:

    Recruiting and applicant tracking

    Recruiting software streamlines job posting, resume parsing, candidate tracking, and interview scheduling. An ATS layers in structured workflows and analytics so you can spot bottlenecks and hire faster with a better candidate experience.
    Look for: automated screening, interview kits/scorecards, candidate CRM, DEI reporting, and integrations with job boards and calendars.

    Employee engagement

    Engagement tools capture pulse surveys, eNPS, and feedback to track morale and pinpoint drivers of retention, crucial for remote and hybrid teams. They surface trends by team/manager so you can act quickly.
    Look for: lightweight surveys, heatmaps, anonymity controls, recognition features, and action-planning templates.

    Performance management

    Performance platforms align goals, enable continuous feedback, and standardize reviews so appraisals are fair and data-driven. Managers can identify skill gaps and coach with clarity.
    Look for: goals/OKRs, 1:1 agendas, calibration, competency libraries, and links to compensation decisions.

    Learning management

    An LMS delivers training through courses, paths, and assessments, keeping skills current and compliance on track. It supports career growth while aligning learning with business priorities.
    Look for: personalized learning paths, content authoring, certification tracking, rich analytics, and integrations with HRIS/performance tools.

    Payroll and benefits administration

    Payroll software automates gross-to-net calculations, tax compliance, and benefits deductions to pay people accurately and on time. Self-service portals reduce tickets and errors.
    Look for: multi-jurisdiction support, direct-deposit and payslip portals, benefits enrollment, audit trails, and tight HRIS/time integrations.

    Employee leave management

    Leave modules make requesting and approving time off simple, with balances and accruals updated automatically. They promote fairness, transparency, and compliance with local labor laws.
    Look for: configurable policies (PTO, sick, parental, regional holidays), accrual rules and carryover caps, blackout windows, calendar sync (Google/Microsoft), and payroll integration.

    Benefits of HR Software

    The advantages of HR software go far beyond automation. Here’s why businesses are increasingly adopting these tools:

    • Efficiency and Accuracy: Eliminate repetitive tasks, minimize errors, and streamline processes.

    • Time and Cost Savings: Automation frees HR teams from manual paperwork, reducing administrative expenses.

    • Better Decision-Makin: Real-time analytics and dashboards provide data-driven insights.

    • Enhanced Compliance: Stay updated with labor laws, payroll regulations, and reporting standards.

    • Employee Empowerment: Self-service portals let employees manage their own profiles, request leave, and access payroll information without depending on HR for every detail.

    • Improved Engagement: Tools like feedback surveys, performance reviews, and learning platforms boost employee motivation and retention.

    • Scalability: HR software grows with your company, supporting expansion without overwhelming HR teams.

    Best Practices for Implementing HR Software

    Adopting HR software requires planning and strategy. Here are a few best practices to ensure a smooth transition:

    • Define clear goals: Identify which HR challenges you want to solve.

    • Choose the right software: Pick a solution that matches your company’s size, culture, and budget.

    • Provide training: Ensure HR staff and employees know how to use the system effectively.

    • Start small and scale: Implement core modules first, then expand into advanced features.

    • Encourage employee adoption: Highlight how the software benefits employees directly, such as faster leave approvals or easier access to payslips.

    FAQs

    What is HR software and who is it for?

    hr software centralizes people data and automates workflows across recruiting, onboarding, payroll, performance, and employee leave management. it’s useful for organizations of any size, from startups replacing spreadsheets to enterprises standardizing global processes.

    How do HRIS, HRMS, and HCM differ?

    an hris is the system of record for employee data and compliance. an hrms adds operational modules like payroll, time/attendance, and leave. hcm combines those with strategic talent features (recruiting, learning, succession) and deeper analytics.

    Which modules are essential for small businesses?

    start with core records, payroll, time/attendance, and leave management. add recruiting/ats and performance when hiring scales, and introduce learning or engagement tools as you formalize development and culture.

    How does employee leave management work in modern systems?

    employees request pto/sick leave via web or mobile; managers see team calendars and coverage before approving. balances and accruals update automatically, and approved time off syncs to calendars and payroll for accuracy and transparency.

    Can HR software integrate with our existing tools?

    yes, most platforms connect to payroll, accounting/erp, calendars (google/microsoft), collaboration (slack/teams), and identity (sso/mfa). open apis and prebuilt connectors reduce duplicate data entry and keep records consistent.

    How long does implementation take?

    timelines vary by scope: a core rollout can be weeks, while full-suite, multi-country deployments can take a few months. phased launches (core first, then talent modules) minimize disruption and speed adoption.

    How do we migrate legacy data safely?

    export and cleanse data, map fields to the new system, and run test imports in a sandbox. insist on audit trails, role-based access, and a rollback plan; validate with parallel runs before switching over.

    What security and compliance features should we expect?

    look for encryption at rest/in transit, granular permissions, sso/mfa, detailed audit logs, and regular penetration testing. compliance support should include regional payroll/labor rules, gdpr/ccpa tooling, and document retention controls.

    How is pricing typically structured?

    most vendors use per-employee-per-month pricing, sometimes bundled by module. consider implementation, support, and integration costs, and weigh them against time saved, error reduction, and avoided compliance penalties.

    How do we measure ROI after rollout?

    track adoption (logins, requests in-system), approval cycle times, payroll and leave accuracy, time-to-hire, review completion rates, and engagement scores. compare baseline vs. post-launch and review quarterly to fine-tune configurations.

    Conclusion

    HR software is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s the operating system for modern people operations. From recruiting and onboarding to payroll, compliance, performance, and employee leave management, the right mix of HRIS/HRMS/HCM tools replaces error-prone manual work with reliable, scalable processes. Choosing thoughtfully, based on your size, structure, and goals, and rolling out in phases with solid training, clean data, and strong integrations will unlock the real benefits: accuracy, transparency, better decisions, and a more engaged workforce.

    As you move forward, align your selection to clear use cases, prioritize security and compliance, and track outcomes like cycle times, data quality, adoption, and employee sentiment. Done well, HR software becomes a force multiplier, freeing HR to focus on culture and strategy while giving every employee a smoother, more human experience at work.

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  • Employees Engagement: How to Keep it Throughout the Year

    Employees Engagement: How to Keep it Throughout the Year

    Employee engagement is one of the clearest signals of organizational health. When people are energized by the mission, clear on priorities, equipped to do great work, and treated fairly, performance rises across the board, productivity improves, customers feel the difference, and turnover drops. This guide replaces scattered tips and bullet lists with deeper, practical guidance you can adapt to your company right away.

    What Employee Engagement Really Means

    Engagement isn’t a perk or a once-a-year survey score. It’s a sustained state in which employees understand how their work connects to the mission, believe their contributions matter, and have the resources and autonomy to deliver at a high standard. When those conditions are present, people bring discretionary effort: they solve the extra problem, help a teammate, or refine a process without being asked. Your job as a leader is to design the environment that makes those behaviors the default.

    Why Engagement Matters to the Business

    Highly engaged teams outperform because they waste less energy on ambiguity and friction. They know what “good” looks like, can see the customer at the end of the workflow, and trust that their time is used well. That combination shows up in hard numbers, quality, speed, revenue per employee, and in leading indicators such as time-to-ramp, internal mobility, and customer satisfaction. In periods of change, engaged teams also adapt faster because they have context and psychological safety to experiment.

    The Foundations: Purpose, Clarity, Enablement, Growth, Recognition, Belonging, Well-Being

    A durable engagement strategy rests on seven foundations:

    • Purpose. People do their best work when they see why the company exists and how their role advances that mission. Don’t assume purpose is self-evident. Translate company strategy into team-level narratives and individual goals so every contributor can finish the sentence, “When I do X, it helps the company achieve Y.”

    • Clarity. Clarity removes hidden obstacles. Set a small number of measurable goals, define what “excellent” looks like with examples, and make decision rights explicit. When trade-offs appear, explain the “why behind the why” so teams can make aligned choices without waiting for sign-off.

    • Enablement. Engagement collapses if people lack tools, information, or authority. Treat enablement like a product: ask what slows work down, fix the biggest friction first (access, equipment, documentation), and follow up to confirm the fix worked. Enablement is also cultural, grant reasonable autonomy, and back people when they use it.

    • Growth. Progress fuels commitment. Offer visible paths to learn and advance: project rotations, mentoring, and targeted training in problem solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration. Tie learning to real business outcomes so it feels consequential, not extracurricular.

    • Employee Recognition. People repeat what gets noticed. Replace generic praise with specific acknowledgment of behavior and impact: what the person did, how it helped the customer or team, and which value it demonstrated. Public recognition teaches the whole organization what “right” looks like.

    • Belonging. Inclusion and fairness are not slogans; they show up in who speaks, who gets stretch work, and how decisions are made. Invite perspectives early, share context widely, and ensure processes (promotions, performance, compensation) are transparent and consistently applied.

    • Well-Being. Sustainable pace and real recovery are engagement multipliers. Back this with policy and tooling, flexible work norms, thoughtful workload planning, and effective employee leave management so taking time off is easy, equitable, and respected.

    Culture in Action: How to Maintain Engagement and Happiness

    Create a No-Blame Performance Culture

    Move from fault-finding to learning. When something goes wrong, run a brief, structured debrief: what did we expect, what happened, what did we learn, and what will we change? Leaders go first by owning their misses. Over time, people volunteer risks earlier, ask for help sooner, and treat problems as shared puzzles rather than personal failures.

    Resource People Like Professionals

    Ask a simple question regularly: “Do you have what you need to do your best work?” Then act quickly on the answers. Close access gaps, standardize tools, publish up-to-date playbooks, and remove unnecessary approvals. When employees see blockers resolved fast, they conclude their effort won’t be squandered and they lean in.

    Communicate to Align, Not to Announce

    Replace one-way updates with context-rich conversations. Explain the goal, the trade-offs you considered, and how success will be measured. Establish a predictable operating rhythm, weekly priorities, monthly business reviews, and quarterly planning, so people know when and where to raise risks or propose ideas. Alignment is a practice, not an event.

    Know Your People Beyond Their Job Titles

    Engagement deepens when managers understand strengths, ambitions, and working preferences. Use 1:1s to explore what energizes each person and what drains them. Assign work that stretches strengths, pair complementary teammates, and make expectations explicit. When people feel seen and deployed wisely, performance and loyalty rise together.

    Train for the Behaviors That Change Outcomes

    Focus learning on capabilities that improve day-to-day execution: analytical thinking, customer empathy, feedback and coaching, conflict resolution, and decision-making under uncertainty. Blend formal courses with hands-on practice, shadowing calls, running small experiments, and facilitating retros. Make progression visible so learning feels like momentum, not homework.

    Build Real Feedback Loops

    Survey lightly and often to spot trends, then close the loop publicly: what you heard, what you’ll do, and when. Encourage upward feedback by having leaders ask specific questions (“What should I do more of? Less of?”) and respond with action. When employees see input change the environment, they keep engaging.

    Shape the Daily Environment With Intention

    Rituals and stories teach culture. Keep the ones that reinforce your values, demo days, customer story share-outs, peer recognition, and redesign those that don’t. Examine how meetings run, how decisions are documented, and how information flows. Small, consistent signals accumulate into a workplace that people are proud to be part of.

    Reward What You Want to See More Of

    Tie recognition and rewards to behaviors that create value: planning for handoffs before PTO, jumping in to serve a customer, mentoring a new hire, reducing risk through candid reporting. Mix public praise, growth opportunities, and financial rewards so that different motivations are honored. Be explicit about criteria to preserve trust.

    Make It a System, Not a Slogan

    Document how engagement happens at your company, cadences, owners, measures, and inspect it like any critical process. When priorities shift or teams grow, revisit the system. Consistency signals seriousness; people invest when they believe the effort will endure.

    Well-Being and Time Off That People Actually Use

    Policies are only as good as the lived experience. Use modern employee leave management to make requesting and approving time off straightforward, with visible balances, clear rules, and calendar syncing so coverage is planned, not improvised. Normalize rest by having leaders take leave and communicate handovers. Pair time-off access with realistic workload planning so employees return to sanity, not a “vacation tax.”

    Measuring What Matters (Without Reducing People to Numbers)

    Measurement should illuminate, not intimidate. Combine sentiment data (pulse scores, eNPS, open-text themes) with behavioral and business signals (internal mobility, regretted attrition, cycle times, customer metrics). Look for patterns by team and manager to target support where it will matter most. Publish a short, comprehensible dashboard and discuss it in regular reviews so insights become action rather than trivia.

    The Manager Habits That Multiply Engagement

    Great managers create clarity, remove friction, and develop people. In practice, that looks like reliable 1:1s focused on coaching instead of status; crisp expectations with examples of quality; fast, specific feedback delivered with care; and visible advocacy for their team’s needs. These habits compound. When employees trust that their manager will support them and tell them the truth, they take smart risks and grow.

    Choosing Technology That Helps (Not Hinders)

    Pick a light, integrated stack so signals flow and work stays visible. Your HRIS or HRMS should be the source of truth; an engagement platform should make it easy to listen and act; performance tools should align goals and feedback with day-to-day work; recognition should live where people already communicate; and leave/PTO should integrate with calendars and payroll. Fewer, better-connected tools reduce double entry, errors, and frustration.

    Avoiding Common Pitfalls

    Engagement efforts fail for predictable reasons: leaders behaving inconsistently with stated values; one-off campaigns without follow-through; vague, inflated praise that teaches nothing; collecting feedback without acting on it; and overlooking manager capability. The fix is equally predictable: align behavior with words, commit to a cadence you can sustain, recognize with specificity, close the loop on feedback, and invest first in managers.

    A Practical 90-Day Starter Plan

    Begin with listening, then move to focused action, then reinforce. In the first month, run a short pulse survey and a handful of listening sessions; fix one or two obvious friction points to show you’re serious. In the second month, publish three to five commitments with owners and dates, train managers on feedback and recognition, and roll out a simple operating rhythm for goals and reviews. In the third month, launch a visible recognition cadence, normalize time off with clear employee leave management guidelines, share progress against commitments, and adjust based on what you learn. By the end of ninety days, you’ll have momentum and a playbook worth iterating.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What Is Employee Engagement?

    Employee engagement is the sustained connection employees feel to the mission, their team, and their work. Engaged people understand how their role creates value, have the resources and autonomy to do great work, and believe their effort is recognized fairly. It shows up as discretionary effort, solving the extra problem, helping a teammate, improving a process, without being asked.

    How Is Engagement Different From Satisfaction Or Happiness?

    Satisfaction is “I’m content,” while engagement is “I’m committed and contributing at my best.” Perks can lift satisfaction briefly, but engagement comes from purpose, clarity, enablement, growth, recognition, belonging, and well-being. When those conditions exist consistently, morale and performance rise together.

    Why Does Engagement Matter For Business Outcomes?

    Engaged teams waste less energy on ambiguity and rework. They move faster, deliver higher quality, retain customers better, and churn less. That translates into measurable gains in productivity, revenue per employee, and resilience during change.

    How Do We Measure Engagement Without Over-Surveying?

    Use short pulse surveys monthly and a deeper assessment once or twice a year, then pair the results with behavioral signals like internal mobility, regretted attrition, goal attainment, and customer metrics. The key is closing the loop: share what you heard, what you’ll change, and when. Measurement should drive action, not dashboards for their own sake.

    What Are The Fastest Levers To Improve Engagement?

    Remove friction first: fix access issues, clarify priorities, and provide the tools people actually need. Raise management quality through better 1:1s, clear expectations, and timely feedback. Make recognition specific and frequent so people see what “good” looks like and feel valued for delivering it.

    How Should Managers Run 1:1s To Boost Engagement?

    Treat 1:1s as coaching, not status. Align on outcomes, discuss what’s helping or hindering progress, and agree on one concrete improvement for the week. Ask questions like “What should I do more of or less of?” to invite upward feedback and strengthen trust.

    How Do We Support Well-Being And Prevent Burnout?

    Plan workloads realistically, protect focus time, and normalize recovery. Use employee leave management to make requesting and approving time off simple and fair, with visible balances and clear rules. Leaders should model healthy behavior by taking leave themselves and providing clean handovers so time off isn’t punished with a backlog.

    How Does Employee Leave Management Influence Engagement?

    Transparent, reliable leave processes signal respect and fairness. When balances, accruals, and approvals are automated, and time off syncs to calendars and payroll, employees plan confidently and managers staff proactively. The result is less burnout, fewer coverage surprises, and higher trust.

    What Role Do Recognition And Rewards Play?

    People repeat what’s recognized. Move beyond “great job” and name the behavior, its impact, and the value it demonstrates. Blend public praise, growth opportunities, and financial rewards so that different motivations are honored, and keep the criteria transparent to preserve credibility.

    How Do We Keep Remote Or Hybrid Teams Engaged?

    Over-communicate context, not just tasks. Establish clear norms for availability, documentation, decision-making, and handoffs across time zones. Create deliberate touchpoints for connection, regular demos, peer learning, and informal check-ins, so relationships grow even when calendars don’t overlap.

    Which Tools Actually Help, And How Should They Integrate?

    Choose a light, integrated stack: an HRIS/HRMS as the people source of truth, an engagement platform for listening and action tracking, performance tools for goals and feedback, recognition that lives in your chat app, and leave/PTO that integrates with calendars and payroll. Fewer, well-connected tools reduce duplicate entry and make signals easier to act on.

    How Do We Prove ROI To Leadership?

    Set a baseline, then track changes in cycle times, quality, customer metrics, regretted attrition, internal mobility, and engagement scores. Attribute improvements to specific interventions, manager training, recognition cadence, enablement fixes, leave policy updates, and review results in monthly business reviews. When engagement becomes a disciplined system, performance gains are visible and defensible.

    Conclusion

    Enduring engagement doesn’t happen by accident, it’s designed. Tie everyday work to a clear purpose, remove friction so people can do their best, invest in growth, recognize outcomes and behaviors fairly, build true inclusion, and back it all with real well-being (including thoughtful employee leave management that people actually use). Then run that system with the same rigor you bring to product or finance: set goals, instrument it, learn from the data, and keep iterating.

    When leaders model the culture, managers coach with clarity, and tools stay out of the way, employees bring energy and ownership to the work. Do this consistently and you’ll see the shift: faster execution, stronger retention, happier customers. Design it on purpose, run it with discipline, and your results will make the case.

     

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  • 3 Ways to Improve HR Management in your Company

    3 Ways to Improve HR Management in your Company

    There is a very known saying that goes like ‘You do not build the business alone, you build people, and people build the business.’ For any type of business, the people involved in running and contributing to it are the most important part of it. Human resources are the most vital resource for any business, and you need to know how to improve HR management in your team. 

    If the human resource management of the company is on track, the company is on track. All other resources come in with the human resources put into the business. Thus, proper human resource management is very necessary for any business, running or planning to start.

    There are many aspects of a succesful HR management. Since people have diverse talents and expectations, managing the resources cannot be mechanical. However, there are certain tools that help you in HR management. For example, HR managers need to manage a day off schedule for the employees. In this, a good employee time off app helps the managers.

    The managers should take a human approach aided by technologies for good employee management. If resource management goes wrong, many internal issues can arise. Therefore, it is important to strategize well and implement properly. Whether you work as an HR manager for a small-scale business or a large business house, HR management is crucial for every business.

    In this article, the three most successful strategies of human resource management are discussed. HR management is not an easy job. However, with an effective approach and a proven strategy, HR managers can utilize the human resources allocated properly. Not every strategy will work for every business.

    Therefore, an HR manager needs to keep his approach fresh and productive. If you need to alter the approach, this article will help you. Here are the tested and tried HR management strategies for your reference-

    Keep the communication clear

    The most important rule to follow when dealing with human resources is clarity of communication. Without clarity of communication, teamwork and coordination become impossible. When there’s a team, communication is what establishes individual roles as well as team goals. Since every employee needs to work in lieu of this, the communication has to be crystal clear.

    Whether it is about something as simple as a day off, or something complex as project guidelines, communication is key. Once communication channels form properly, the team works seamlessly together. If you want the team to claim ownership for their contribution to the business, communicate well. Praise them publicly so that they gain confidence and up their loyalty. When the communication remains clear, there is more transparency within the team. This improves teamwork and coordination.

    While there are ways of communicating with the team, sometimes a more individual approach is necessary. The team is made up of individuals, and often you need a more one on one approach in communication. In such cases, it is best to go for observation and then an individualistic approach.

    With some employees, you need a more firm approach. With others, you need to go softer. The key is to alter the approach according to the people you deal with. Whenever you communicate, remember that it is important that the person on the other side is clear about the goals and tasks assigned to him.

    Another thing that is important is patience. Holiday scheduling need to be patient with the employees. Whether it is about a day off request on a busy day or a complaint from one of the employees, you need to keep a level head and patience. Patience helps you solve employee’s problems easily while maintaining the productivity of the team.

    Manage administrative HR duties well

    A human approach when it comes to managing human resources is, of course, necessary. However, when it comes to administration, there are duties that need streamlining and proper process. A business has a fixed employee policy and regulations. The HR management has to follow the process to maintain decorum in the office. Even though managers are empathetic with the employees, even managers have to adhere to company guidelines and processes. These administrative tasks and processes may seem very negligible. However, one cannot mess up these processes.

    In fact, managers can increase the efficiency of these processes by using smart technology and apps. Such apps like a good PTO tracking software or a great attendance system help in automating the processes. This way, everything falls into a system, and the room for errors in management decreases. With the automation of simple processes like a day off app or attendance, HR managers can turn their attention to more heavy topics like employee satisfaction.

    For example, with a good employee time off tracker, you can monitor your employee productivity from time to time. In fact, these days, a good free time off tracker helps with patterns and insights that a manager can study. Thus, a manager can monitor the employees in the work environment without being way too invasive. Thus, automation like day off app is necessary for better human resource administration. You should adopt more advanced human resource solutions.

    Hire the right resources

    One of the biggest tasks for an HR manager is recruitment. A company either hires new resources or looks for a replacement for someone who has left the company. In either case, an HR manager needs to look out for the right talent and resources. The HR manager has to hire someone who aligns with the company’s ideology and policy.

    Without good resources, the company can experience high attrition rates and other problems. For a stable team that maintains consistent productivity, each member of the team has to be chosen properly. Therefore, the HR manager has to screen and interview candidates with a very keen eye. Without the right resources at the right place and position, no amount of technology can create a great team.

    The above are the three pillars of employee management because HR management depends on both hiring and communication with the team. Similarly, advanced technical aids like PTO tracking software or vacation tracker also are essential to the management of human resources. With all these points in mind, you can master the difficult task of human resource management easily.

  • Why Employees’ Satisfaction is Really Important

    Why Employees’ Satisfaction is Really Important

     Regardless of what their personal KRAs are, employees’ satisfaction is a key goal of every HR personnel. A satisfied employee is a retained employee, but they are also an ambassador for the company, externally and internally. They can defend their organization in numerous for a and dispel the concerns of any potential employee. Happy employees are loyal and will sometimes go the extra mile to achieve their goals and objectives.

    Most of today’s companies view employee satisfaction as influenced by two factors  salary and scopes of recreation. While employees freely create impressions based on such parameters, the entire basis of employee satisfaction cannot be formed like this. What matters is how well the HR of an organization understands the needs and wants of their employees.

    Is Employee Satisfaction Synonymous to Employee Engagement?

    Although employee satisfaction and how to make your employees feel valued and engaged share multiple common grounds, the two terms aren’t interchangeable. Both of these contribute to meaningful outcomes but satisfaction is a much broader term. On top of that, a few facets of satisfaction don’t correspond to performance. An employee could be satisfied at work without being completely engaged.

    Employee engagement can predict job satisfaction and it strongly links to some desirable outcomes. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory states that engagement can be measured by two sets of factors motivation factors encompass challenging work along with employee validation, and hygiene factors like benefits and compensation, working conditions, and job security. Hygiene factors are preconditions for job satisfaction. On the other hand, motivation factors power engagement.

    Advantages of Employee Satisfaction

    Employee Retention

    When an individual is content with their workplace, they hardly consider leaving their job. In a way, employee satisfaction is essential for retention of employee. Companies must retain talented and deserving individuals for long term growth. Granted you can always hire new people because the job market is so vast now, but the value an experience professional adds cannot be denied. It’s important to have experienced employees around who can help guide freshmen.

    Organizations face a huge issue with employee attrition. If an employee gets fair treatment at work, has enough opportunities to grow, feel the appreciation by their superiors, receives their salary timely, ever considers changing their job. Employee retention gives any organization a major competitive advantages as they can contribute more than trainees and new entrants.

    Furthermore, an individual would be very skeptical about joining a company with a high employee attrition rate. An employee who isn’t satisfied with their job will often badmouth their workplace and warn their contacts to not join the same.

    High Revenues

    No amount of motivation or training will help unless and until employees develop a sense of loyalty and attachment toward their workplace. Employees who are satisfied with their positions don’t have the PTO Software or willpower to involve in needless office politics. They generally avoid things like that and work on improving their individual and company value.

    Satisfied employees are more likely to help their fellow employees cooperate with the company even if there’s an emergency. They do not think about leaving their company but try their best to overcome challenges as a team. For them, their company comes first. Monetary gains are a secondary concern for these employees as they value their organization’s goals and brand image. Thanks to their hard work, the organization generally has higher revenues.

    Word of Mouth

    Satisfied employees tend to spread positive words about their organization, increasing goodwill. Instead of gossiping and wasting their time, they dedicate their hours to productivity and eventual benefitting of the company. You cannot truly become a part of any organization till you start taking pride in it. If you’re frustrated with your job, you’ll find yourself having meltdowns over the slightest moments of pressure.

    Unsatisfied employees aren’t flexible either, so they can’t adapt to changes. In this dynamic world where globalization is a key part of the industry, there’s a constant need to compromise.

    Steps to Increase Job Satisfaction

    When an employee experiences high levels of work satisfaction, they are more likely to stick to their job. Here are some ways employers can increase employee satisfaction at work:

    Make Work Meaningful

    A study revealed that the majority of employees were more productive and satisfied when they believe their work is significant and meaningful. Millennials and Gen Z place more value on higher purpose in an organization.

    Invest in Training and Development

    Employees report increased satisfaction if they have the right tools and skills required to perform the job well. They should be able to recognize that you’re investing a significant amount in improving their skills from the very first day of onboarding till the rest of their journey with the organization. Provide technology and training that helps them excel don’t focus only on the present job. Initiate a conversation on career development and support employee expectations for professional development.

    Provide Enough Compensation

    Money isn’t the biggest driver of job satisfaction, but organizations that don’t have competitive pay plans will surely face difficulties with top performer retention. It’s difficult for underpaid employees to keep high morale even if they enjoy their company culture or the degree of work.

    Offer Autonomy and Flexibility

    Employees need flexibility to flourish and showcase their true potential. Letting them express their creativity in the right place can go a long way toward increasing employee satisfaction. This may involve allowing remote work, setting a flexible schedule, or basically telling individuals that they can pursue a project as they deem fit. Employees need to be agile but so does the company it’s a join effort.

    Recognize Employees

    Employees would like receiving recognition and praise for work related achievement rather than getting gifts. Validation for a job well done increases morale.

    Final Words

    Employees’ Satisfaction plays a key role in the success and growth of any company. Keeping your employees connected to the job will help retain talent and experience.

  • 6 Best PTO Tracking Apps and How They Work

    6 Best PTO Tracking Apps and How They Work

    PTO which stands for paid time off is a privilege given to employees at any business in case of vacations, sick days, absence due to any matter and leaves. When applying for a job the employee is given a certain number of paid time off and leaves. The number of paid time off and leaves differ from one company to another depending on the company’s PTO policy, and to manage this you need the help of PTO tracking apps. 

    What is PTO tracker app?

    PTO tracker software offers an automated software for leave tracking and management. PTO tracker software or app helps the employees when sending a request for their paid time off or leave and keeps track of employees present in the organization and those who are at leave.

    Why to use PTO tracking apps?

    Better at organizing

    The process of using an excel sheet or spreadsheets or paperwork has a wide range of error to occur and losing data easily. PTO tracking apps offer an organized system to keep track of the employees without losing data.

    Better accessibility

    Earlier the spreadsheets that companies used for the paid time off were accessible by certain employees only to do the paperwork.

    At this modern age PTO tracing apps and software tools are present, they made accessibility easier for both the employer and the employees.

    Time and effort saving

    Digitalization means easier communication, a PTO tracker app that is available for the employees makes it easier to push through their paid time off requests to their bosses. Leave management saves time both for the employee and employer making them more productive.

    Easier Tracking

    One of the great benefits of a PTO tracker software is that it keeps track of employees’ PTO, how much have they used and how much is PTO is available. The presence of a PTO tracker app for the employees, offers them a counter for their used and left leaves.

    Budget friendly

    The cost of paperwork concerning the materials and the employees working in processing the paid time off and leaves is much higher than using a PTO tracker software which digitizes the process and makes it easier. Any organization must do their best at reducing their costs when they find their desired service. The saved-up money can be used for any other aspect which will result in increased productivity.

    6 Best PTO tracking apps

    Kissflow HR Cloud

    Key Features:

      • Leave management, requesting leave and tracking it.

      • Attendance management, monitor your employees’ attendance.

      • Data can be accessed from multiple devices.

      • Make communication easier due to the ability of sending feeds and documents to the whole team.

      • Dashboards which show real time information on every process.

      • Possibility of generating custom reports.

    Pricing:

    Kissflow offers different payment plans which start from 9.90 USD per employee per month and the payment plans differ due to your business requirements.

    Day off

    Key Features:

      • Step by step help in creating your team account and adding your employees.

      • Easy to use and easy to understand user interface.

      • Availability of a mobile app makes it easier to use by both the employer and employees.

      • Pushing the request of a leave to the right person easily and rapidly.

      • Push notifications whether the leave request is accepted or refused.

      • Push notification of an announcement by the employer to the employees.

      • Possibility of adding new leave types.

      • Full overview for the team’s leaves and balance.

      • Show the employees their leave balance and how many leaves are left.

      • When completing inserting your team’s leaves and their request, a calendar with the leaves and the leave request is created which makes managing your team much easier.

      • Presence of a calendar view for both the employees and the employer, to track team vacations and time off, monitor team absence and workflow.

    Pricing:

    Day off offers a free version with basic features which is a great chance for trying out the app. For using the full advanced features of the app, 1 USD per employee per month is paid. This is a great price yet cheap for all the great features presented in return.

    Zoho People

    Key Features:

      • Make leave request reach the employer in the right time.

      • Helps HR to fix problems faster.

      • Lets employees manage their work and the whole team’s work.

      • Send notifications and documents to your employees.

      • Availability of a mobile app to make access easier for both the employer and the employees.

      • Manage employees’ data easily.

    Pricing:

    Payment plans start at 1 USD per employee per month and there is other payment plans which depend on the features required.

    GoCo

    Key Features:

      • Easily request time off or leave, makes the request reach the employer easier

      • Availability of PTO and different leaves.

      • Automatically adding holiday hours to you team’s time sheet.

      • Reports on your team’s working hours.

      • Calculates employees’ overtime.

      • Manages employees’ attendance

    Pricing

    GoCo starts at 5 USD per employee per month

    Sage HR

    Key Features:

      • Makes leave requests and paid time off requests reach the employer faster.

      • When requests are approved, they are automatically put on calendar.

      • The calendar is available for both employees and the employer

      • Employees can open their accounts and know their balance of leaves and paid time off.

      • Availability of mobile app makes it easier to approve requests from anywhere.

    Pricing:

    SakeHr payment plan starts from 5.5 USD per employee per month and there are other payment plans depending on the business required features.

    Factorial HR

    Key Features:

      • Manage paid time off and different leaves and track them on calendar

      • Tracks number of leaves and paid time off left.

      • Creating own time off policies.

      • Leave and paid time off requests reach the employer easier.

      • Approval of time off request and leaves is easier just by a click.

      • Adding as many leave types as wanted.

      • Generate custom reports on employees’ leaves and Paid time off.

      • Availability of a mobile app increases the accessibility.

    Pricing:

    The payment plan of Factorial HR is a flexible one it starts for 3 USD per employee per month. The payment plan differs depending on the features needed for the business.

  • Top Tips to Hire the Right HR Manager

    Top Tips to Hire the Right HR Manager

    A Human Resource manager helps retain and achieve your company’s objectives through communicative management of employees. As a result, the essential part of a business is in the HR manager’s hands that may go wrong with inefficient decision making. With that being said, your company needs an ideal HR manager whose goals align with that of your business, somebody who understands the culture and nature of your company. While there aren’t any specific steps to land yourself the right HR manager, a few tweaks here and there might do the trick. Keep reading if you wish to hire the ideal HR manager for your company! 

    HR Manager Skills Requisites

    There are a few requirements that your HR manager must-have. It might vary from one business to another, but the overall essence remains the same communication. As an HR manager, the individual needs to be able to work in a team through effective communication and leadership skills. The main focus of an HR manager should remain on recruiting able individuals who shall add value to the firm, and manage them by keeping their strengths and weaknesses in mind. In addition to that, the HR manager needs to ensure that the benefits are coordinated accordingly and strategies are implemented efficiently. 

    Aside from these skills, the hr assistant that you’re looking for must have adequate knowledge about employment laws and regulations; the manager should use it while making decisions regarding recruitment.

    Behavioral Traits

    Behavioral traits examination is a vital test for managers when handing over your company’s operations and functions to them to handle. A few behavioral traits are set for your HR manager to have. Communicative personality, extroverted, task-oriented, driven, influential, innovative and persuasive are the traits that your HR manager must possess. While hunting for certain behavioral traits, it’s crucial to remember that most individuals develop these traits at an early age and let is build up within them. Hence, ‘learning’ a trait might be impossible for a human being unless they change their entire personality accordingly. With that being said, in case you find a candidate who matches all the requirements but fails to meet a specific behavioral trait that you were looking for, there is no way you can accept that person. 

    For example a candidate checks all the boxes required but is an introvert. This means managing a workforce shall be tough as well as communicating with others. Hence, this candidate cannot be accepted. Behavioral traits are of great importance when you’re handing the company’s missions and visions to your HR manager.

    Say No to Traditional Practices

    It’s been ages since the traditional practices carry out the hiring procedure. To find the right HR manager for your company, you need to introduce cognitive and behavioral assessments during recruitment process. These assessments shall show you how a person is, and if they can succeed in fulfilling the company’s objectives. In other words, your HR manager shall go through multiple in-depth assessments for him/her to prove why they are the ideal match for your business. 

    Many companies worldwide have begun using psychometric tests as a tool for recruiting their managers. These tests give you an analysis of the managers’ personalities and how well can they mush into your company’s visions. It’s time to give those a try!

    Remove Biases

    Several biases take place while recruitment. Even though it’s quite natural, you need to avoid it. The recruitment of your HR manager needs to be bias free, and the HR manager himself needs to not succumb to any biases while recruiting your workforce. In other words, it’s time to eliminate biases from your entire company to maintain the functionality. Biases may lead to the wrong individual getting in, and then failing to fulfill the objectives; we don’t want that to happen.

    Stick to the Reference Profiles

    A reference profile is a set of traits in an individual that creates an imaginary category, which the manager might fall into. There are several reference profiles for managers to be distributed into, but for an HR manager, the following shall suffice.

    Persuader HR Manager

    The confident individual who is empathetic towards others while making a decision. They are the official ‘type’ for an HR manager if there is any. These individuals are innovative while strategy implementation and natural leaders motivate the workforce.

    Maverick HR Manager

    If you wish for your company to fulfill objectives as soon as possible, you need to prioritize this type while searching for the right HR manager. Not only will these individuals fulfill the goals and visions for your company, but they shall identify growth opportunities for the human resource as well.

    Captain HR Manager

     These people are the influencers, motivators, who can supervise and lead the workforce into performing efficiently. Any challenge you name, the Captain shall be able to provide solutions to with the help of his workforce. The leadership qualities for this profile are the main focus.

    Search Right Places

    Networking and communication are HR manager’s strong points. Hence, they might not adapt to the job postings on the company’s website. Instead, you shall probably receive recommendations regarding individuals who would fit the role of an HR manager in the company through other top executives. This portrays the networking ability of the individual, which is necessary for an HR manager.

    Make it Purposeful!

    Following a monotonous routine might not be your HR manager’s thing, nor do you want it to be. After you have hired an individual, it’s essential to make their tasks purposeful for them to enjoy and perform effectively. With that, you’ll end up with the right HR manager for your business.

    Bottom Line

    HR managers are communicative individuals that everybody likes, making it easier for them to lead and motivate the workforce to fulfill the company’s objectives. Since the task assigned to Holiday scheduling is important, finding the right individual for the job is as well. Let our article’s tips lead you to the perfect match!