Category: Company

  • How to Handle Difficult Employees (Without Burning Out)

    How to Handle Difficult Employees (Without Burning Out)

    In every group or company, at least one individual lacks morale, low productivity, bad performance, bad attitude & behavior, and refusal to go by the rules. It is inevitable for leaders to deal with complicated employees at some point. Therefore, you must know how to handle difficult employees effectively. The Day off App plays a significant role in tracking the employee’s performance, which is why most HR professionals utilize it to identify undisciplined employees. Below are some proven strategies for providing solutions for dealing with bad employees.   

    Criticize the employee’s behavior, not the person itself

    While dealing with problematic employees, it’s better to not judge them as a person but focus only on specific behavior. It would prevent you from having any unproductive conflict with the said employee, which would not resolve their behavior. Since people are not often aware of how their behavior impacts their work and environment, you should bring it to their attention in a non-confrontational way. Show them examples of how their negative behavior is impacting the team and help them understand the problem. The reason might be poor communication, time management, and many more that lead to poor performance. Therefore, you should invest in a leave tracker to address these issues. Most HR personnel use a PTO tracker to monitor employees’ performance in their role, and the employer knows timely to manage them.

    Identify the causes of your problem.

    It would be best if you found the reasons behind the employee’s behavior. You can only address the problem effectively if you can diagnose the issues by identifying the causes. It might be about their work, issues with other colleagues, or any personal reasons that prevent them from showing their full potential while performing tasks adequately. As the employer, you should take responsibility for finding the root cause of their bad behavior. You can have your HR manager look into the matter and report to you. It would help if you integrated your company network with PTO tracking software to monitor the uncomplicated employees. If some troubling employees are taking leaves unasked, a vacation tracker would be very helpful for them to identify them. You can inquire about these issues with the said employee to resolve them. 

    Give appropriate behavioral feedback

    The majority of managers can spend months only complaining about the poor performance of the employees. But more than complaining, the troubled employee might benefit by getting some genuine feedback on what they should do differently to avoid causing the problem in the team because of their actions. Although giving behavioral feedback can be uncomfortable for the manager, it would not be awkward for the team if it’s reasonably done. When confronting the employee, it can trigger their defensiveness, so that this reasonable approach would prove very helpful. Use the employee time off tracker to look at their performance record and give them specific insight and instruction to improve their performance. Also, the manager should be open to receiving feedback. The reason could be about the company’s management style or any problem with the organization. Incorporating an employee leave tracker app also helps the employees to give feedback on the organizational system so that the manager can be aware of the employee’s opinions on the management system. 

    Inform them about the expectations and consequences

    As a team manager, you need to mention the instructions to be followed effectively without any misunderstandings. Once you have confronted the difficult employee, document your expectations for their behavioral changes; work with your HR management to develop a plan that establishes your objectives and a timeframe for them to work on their behavioral change. The HR team can evaluate the regular progress, document it on the Day of app, and report it to you. There should be mentions of consequences if the employee fails to abide by the instructions. 

    Discuss with your HR management

    Evaluate their progress by getting feedback from other coworkers. Evaluate the quality of their work and conducting personal meetings to get more transparency on their behavioral change. All these actions can be done over free time off the tracker. Sudden negative feedbacks coming from the team manager can cause tension in the whole team and upset them. Thus, you should stay calm and avoid judgmental critics. Give importance to facts to maintain honesty, professionalism and show a respectful attitude, or the employee might get discouraged. If the evaluation is not a success, it’s wise to discuss the matter with HR management. The HR team would implement company policy to deal with such issues—HR managers are professional at advising how to handle a difficult conversation with your employee.

    Identify the demotivating factors

    While dealing with an unmotivated employee, start by giving them the benefit of the doubt. Identify what factors are demotivating them to change their attitude. Check through the time off the app to see if your employee has too much work and less work. See if the employee is already fed off with their regular work and requires a new challenge. Estimate the employee’s skills that are required for the new potential task. Discuss with the employee to know if they require adjustment with their job description, should you relieve them of a heavy workload, or do they need specific training to perform on a task? Lack of motivation can develop disruptive behavior in fellow employees and create a toxic work environment. Employees can feel burdensome approaching the manager or the HR team when they require to leave, giving out any feedback, or redefining something about their assigned tasks. Thus, it would be best to encourage your employees to utilize a free vacation tracker, which is integrated with many other services to effectively manage employees.

    No employer wants to increase the rate of their company’s employee turnover by terminating an employee. However, a bad employee with no intention of showing development can negatively affect your office environment as well as your company’s reputation. Thus, you must learn to let them go if you are unable to handle their bad behavior. Consult with your HR manager to get advice and information on your company policy to terminate the employee. 

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Handling Employees

    What is considered a “difficult employee”?

    A difficult employee is someone who consistently displays unproductive behavior, such as low morale, poor performance, a negative attitude, refusal to follow rules, or conflict with coworkers, that disrupts the team and affects company culture.

    How can I address an employee’s bad behavior without causing conflict?

    Focus on the behavior, not the person. Give specific examples of actions that are causing issues and explain their impact on the team. Keeping feedback professional, factual, and non-judgmental reduces defensiveness and makes the conversation more productive.

    Why is it important to identify the root cause of bad behavior?

    Employees may act out due to workload issues, conflicts with colleagues, unclear expectations, or personal struggles. Understanding the cause helps you design the right solution, whether it’s training, workload adjustments, better communication, or personal support.

    What role does HR play in managing difficult employees?

    HR provides structure and fairness in handling problematic behavior. They help track performance (using tools like PTO or leave trackers), document progress, establish improvement plans, and advise managers on disciplinary action if needed.

    How do I give feedback to a difficult employee effectively?

    Be clear, specific, and constructive. Instead of vague criticism, provide actionable steps for improvement, supported by data from performance or attendance trackers. Invite the employee to share their perspective, and make the conversation two-way.

    Should I set clear expectations and consequences for improvement?

    Yes. Employees need to know exactly what is expected of them and the timeframe for improvement. Document the plan and explain potential consequences if progress isn’t made. This creates accountability and avoids misunderstandings.

    How can managers keep the rest of the team motivated when one employee is disruptive?

    Maintain transparency without singling out the employee publicly. Reinforce team values, recognize positive behavior, and prevent negativity from spreading. If issues persist, involve HR to maintain fairness and protect team morale.

    What if the employee is simply unmotivated, not intentionally disruptive?

    Unmotivated employees often need fresh challenges, skill development, or better workload balance. Discuss their career goals, provide training opportunities, and consider reassigning tasks. Using feedback tools and leave trackers can also reveal patterns that help identify demotivating factors.

    When is termination the right decision?

    Termination should be the last option, after coaching, feedback, and improvement plans have failed. If the employee refuses to change and continues to harm team culture and productivity, letting them go protects the organization. Always consult HR and follow company PTO policies before making this decision.

    Conclusion

    Dealing with difficult employees is one of the toughest responsibilities for any manager, but it’s also one of the most important for protecting team morale and company culture. By focusing on behavior rather than personal traits, identifying root causes, giving constructive feedback, and setting clear expectations, leaders can often turn challenges into opportunities for growth. Tools like leave and performance trackers can support this process by providing objective insights, while HR plays a vital role in guiding fair and consistent action.

    Ultimately, not every situation will have a happy ending, but approaching problems with professionalism, empathy, and accountability ensures that your team, and your organization, remains stronger, healthier, and more productive in the long run.

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  • 8 Must-Read Books For HR Professionals

    8 Must-Read Books For HR Professionals

    Human resource management is the fulcrum of a company and its work structure. HR recruiting and management is a crucial process that creates an impact on all other processes of the company. Therefore, it is important to hire experienced and knowledgeable HR professionals for the team. If you are someone who wants to go ahead in the Human resource management sector, you not only depend on your college education but look towards expanding your knowledge base. If you want to expand the knowledge base, a good resource to start from is books. As a future or working HR manager, here are the must-read books you need to read for a secure future.

    The Best Books for HR Managers

    Work Rules!

    Written by Laszlo Bock, the book is a resource based on human behavioral patterns. The book helps HR managers in working with people based on the different behavior they show. The Work Rules! Book also discusses HR management around behavioral economics. The book has examples from different work environments and industries of the world. Therefore, you can use these real-life examples as inspiration to better your problem-solving approach. Moreover, the book provides insights into the work culture of Google to the reader. This helps in a better understanding of a balanced work environment. The book shows an approach to creating a balance between creativity and structure for employees in the workplace. Hence, there is a lot to learn from this book.

    Can I have it all?

    Written by Anuranjita Kumar, the book is a memoir of the Chief Human Resource Officer of Citi. Therefore, when you pick this book up for a read, you can be sure that you will get insights about HR management from the best HR management officer of a leading global company. As a woman leader in the HR management sector, Kumar brings a perspective that is seldom discussed in public. In fact, the book discusses how working women can handle every aspect of their lives and the go-ahead to be leaders too. If you want to bring gender equality to the workplace, definitely read this book.

    I am HR

    The book is a refreshing pick among the current bestsellers. If you are among the new-age HR managers who are trying to make their own mark in the sector, definitely read this book. The book is written by the founder of LFR Inc. Thus. You get to see HR management through the eyes of someone who belongs to the corporate world. The book addresses the different stereotypes attached to the profile of HR managers. When you read the book, you will be able to know why HR management is seen as a boring and thankless job. The book also talks about the revival of HR management to make it more fun and employee-friendly.

    Don’t Hire the Best

    The book is written by Abhijit Bhaduri, the chief learning officer of Wipro. The book talks about hiring fresh human resources and how HR managers can approach it judiciously. The nook talks about why the right fit for a job may not be the best of the lot always. Sometimes, HR managers have to choose the right person for the job unconventionally. The decision to hire someone depends on how the HR managers look at the process and the result. The book talks about small startup scenarios and global organizations from the hiring perspective. Thus, the reader gets a complete view of the corporate world and how to handle different work environments. The book helps in understanding the process of hiring from the perspective of the company culture, the people, and the role you want to hire for. As hiring is a major responsibility for HR managers, you might want to tap into this one.

    Quote me if you can

    The book is written by NS Ranjan, the Group CHRO of Tata Sons. This specific book is one that holds a compilation of quotes from the author. It emphasizes the need for a happy working place for employees. It helps HR managers in creating a balanced and productive workplace at their companies. As the author is a leader in HR management, you get to read his words and be mentored by them.

    Friend and Foe

    The bestselling book is written by Columbia and Wharton business school professors. The book presents an academic perspective with some research-backed facts. That book talks about healthy competition in the workplace and how competition and cooperation can be balanced in the workplace. The book talks discuss the mechanism of creating a friend out of a foe and how the workplace environment affects this process. You can learn a lot about trust and cooperation building from the book. Since the book is research-backed, you can be assured of what you learn from it.

    Good to Great

    The book widely talks about what makes a company successful and includes human resource management in it. Whether you are in an HR management position or a leadership role, this is a book you must read. The book is authored by James C.Collin. The book goes in-depth into hiring the right people, leadership, and work culture. Moreover, this book will help you understand the culture of freedom and culture of discipline in the workplace. The book discusses how HR managers can balance each aspect of the work culture to create a highly productive workplace.

    People Skills

    This book is an old one, originally published in 1979. This book focuses on the importance of communication and interaction skills and how to use them. As communication and people management skills are of foremost importance for HR managers, this is a very useful book to read. Therefore, this book will help an HR manager in slipping into leadership and management roles. It helps you build speaking and listening skills in the workplace. It also helps you in the peaceful resolution of conflicts at work. The book discusses verbal as well as nonverbal communication skills in the workplace. This book is like the all-in-one guide to effective communication and HR management in your workspace.

    These eight books are the bestselling, useful books that every HR manager should read at least once. Moreover, these books will help you in upskilling and upgrading your skillset in the role. 

    FAQs

    Why should HR managers read books in addition to gaining professional experience?

    Experience shows you what happened; great books explain why, and how to repeat (or avoid) it. They distill decades of experiments, failures, and wins into playbooks you can adapt. Use them to pressure-test your assumptions, borrow proven frameworks, and spot second-order effects you might miss in day-to-day work.

    Are these books suitable for beginners, or only for experienced professionals?

    Both. Beginners get structured foundations (how to design roles, interview, and onboard). Experienced pros get nuance, e.g., when to hire for potential vs. pedigree, how to tune incentives, or how to reshape culture without breaking trust. Read with a “translate to my context” lens and capture 2–3 experiments you’ll run per book.

    Do these recommendations apply to startups and small businesses, or just large corporations?

    They travel well. In startups, you’ll use scrappier versions (lightweight competency maps, one-page policies, short feedback cycles). In enterprises, you’ll scale the same ideas with governance and analytics. Think “same principles, different altitude”: clarity of purpose, selection for fit, fast feedback, and visible leadership.

    How can I apply lessons from these books in real life?

    Turn insights into small, testable changes:

    • Pilot a structured interview (2 competencies × 2 questions each) and track scorecard-to-performance correlation after 90 days.

    • Replace generic onboarding with a 30/60/90 plan tied to outcomes, not activities.

    • Run monthly stay interviews to surface “friction logs” and fix the top 3 issues.

    • Convert values into behaviors (e.g., “bias for action” → “ships v1 in 2 weeks with a rollback plan”).

    What other resources should HR managers explore beyond books?

    • Certs & courses: SHRM/HRCI, Coursera/edX micro-certs in people analytics or employment law.

    • Communities: local HR chapters, People Ops Slack groups, niche forums for comp/benefits or ER.

    • Signals: industry benchmarks (pay, time-to-fill), labor law alerts, and vendor research for tech shifts (ATS, L&D, AI tools).

    How often should I update my HR knowledge?

    Continuously, with rhythm. Adopt a quarterly learning sprint: one book, one talk/podcast series, and one experiment you’ll run. Measure lift with simple KPIs: time-to-fill, quality of hire (90-day success), eNPS, regrettable attrition, and manager effectiveness scores.

    Do these books cover trends like AI in HR or remote/hybrid work?

    Some principles, behavioral science, culture design, hiring rigor, map cleanly to AI and hybrid contexts. Pair the books with a modern toolkit: structured prompts for JD drafting, bias checks in screening, async rituals (written updates, decision logs), and remote-friendly performance frameworks (OKRs + quarterly calibration).

    How do these books help build leadership qualities?

    They sharpen three muscles:

    • Clarity: turning strategy into human systems (roles, incentives, norms).

    • Courage: making talent calls and culture trade-offs with fairness and transparency.

    • Compassion: designing for dignity, feedback that helps, policies that include, careers that grow.
      Blend them with practice: monthly skip-levels, regular “decision post-mortems,” and a visible talent thesis you revisit each half-year.

    Conclusion

    Great HR isn’t paperwork, it’s culture, performance, and growth. Start with one book, translate a single idea into a small pilot, and track what changes, time-to-fill, quality of hire, engagement, retention. Share the wins (and lessons) openly, then iterate. With each cycle, you’ll sharpen judgment, strengthen trust, and build a workplace where people thrive and the business compounds.

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  • Employees Performance: How to Manage it?

    Employees Performance: How to Manage it?

    Imagine this? You are the founder of this amazing start up or company. Fast forward five years, and you are still where you started first. With average profits and zero growth of your brand. What happened? Where did you go wrong? There can be endless reasons if you do a deep analysis of the entire process you had been following. One of the contributing factors to this situation can be the employees. And no, there is nothing wrong with them, but employees performance is being checked and managed. Employees are the main building blocks of any business setup. Along with them, the time duration calculator team acts as a supportive pillar to it all. An efficient and talented workforce of employees and an amazing HR team management can make your brand soar the skies and reach the top of it all. 

    Performance management is a very contributing factor to the overall growth of any company. It will help the employer set the company goals clearly, but it will also help the workers keep track of their improvements and mistakes and grow along with the company. The role of the HR managers is crucial when it comes to the performance management of the employees and the company as a whole.

    The purpose of performance management

    When it comes to performance management, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Evaluations of your assigned work for the entire previous year or a period of 6 months by the HR management team are usually done to keep track of your improvements and highlight areas where you need to focus more, and so on. Well, you are right in a way. But, there is so much more to performance management than you can imagine. 

    In simple terms, performance management refers to the interactions of the subordinates and the HR managers with the employees individually and, at times, a department as a whole. They carefully define the goals of the company or an undertaken project and look into how you carried out your action work as an employee. The main purpose of performance management is to evaluate and improve the employee’s performance and keep the progress in check.

    The advantages and disadvantages of performance management

    Let brush up with some of the advantages and disadvantages of having a good performance management strategy.

    Advantages

    • The positive performance appraisals give the employee something to be happy about. These are like those Parents teachers meeting remarks you get from your teacher that fill you with surprise and happiness.
    • With the employee time off, you can customize it to have a reasons column to mention what they do in their time off. Doing so will allow the officials to have an in depth analysis of the personality of the employee. The managers can use this information when giving performance appraisals to fix the loopholes of the targeted staff.
    • While shortlisting the staff list, the employee performance surveys’ data can prove to be very beneficial. There is always someone better than the other. Comprehensive performance management can help sort the best ones out.
    • It helps the employee know the strengths and weaknesses and woke on improving them for the betterment of all.

    Disadvantages

    • If the employee strength is already one, conducting employee performance management drives can be tedious and time consuming. Although using an Employee leave tracker app or related such apps can help get the process done faster.
    • The performance appraisals are usually very motivating for most employees. Henceforth, the appraisals can prove to do the opposite and be discouraging to fix certain employee defects.
    • Sometimes, the managers tend to be biassed and favor certain employees who take less to no day off. Although one can look into it using a day off app, the managers dealing with this can act unprofessionally.

    Some effective employee performance management tactics for HR managers

    As the name suggests, human resource professionals are present to take care of its human assets, that is, its employees. It is the role of the HR managers to boost the deal with all staff-related matters and ensure the growth and performance maintenance of the employees. 

    Listed below are some creative ways to do so-

    • The HR professional can organize a general meeting to share the remodeled aims, goals, and company objectives to the entire staff population. It is when they know in which direction the company is seeking growth and development. That is when the employee’s performance will automatically align.
    • One can use the 360-degree review and ask certain employees to give peer reviews. It is the employees that will help in providing an honest remark on the performance of their colleagues.
    • You can go digital with your efforts and use a free time off tracker to overview when and how frequently the employees use their free time. It will help you in formulating a general free time activity or plan.
    • With everyone slowly overcoming the pandemic that had the entire world upon its feet, businesses are slowly commencing. Some skill enhancement programs and teamwork building competitions can be organized to get things back to normal. The scores can be added to the employee performance charts. Leave tracker apps can be put into the picture to show that the company cares about its employees.
    • You can frequently write feedback emails and messages based on the annual performance to give the staff options and time to improve.

    No one is perfect, and it is not important to be a perfectionist either. Knowing your faults and weaknesses and working on them is almost as close to being perfect. And sometimes, it so happens that despite doing everything right, there are times when things go wrong. A great employee is open to advice and looks forward to constructive criticism. All you need to create history with your brand is some good HR strategies to maintain employee performance. To an organization, its employees are everything. Likewise, to the employees, the workplace should be everything. Passion and dedication can never go to waste. These should be included in the personality development of the employees. Nothing can stop you from moving mountains and making fabulous brand statements if things are managed correctly. 

  • Leave Policy: How to Create it to Boost Productivity?

    Leave Policy: How to Create it to Boost Productivity?

    As all the HR managers and CEOs are striving to keep the team productive and motivated at the workplace, different types of employee engagement activities may come in their mind. Well, while some fancy organizational retreats may work, you may not find them a cost effective way to increase the morale of your employees. So, this is where a perfect leave policy comes to play. Out of all the HR policies, the experts think the leave policy always gets the maximum attention. An ideal leave or vacation policy creates a perfect work life balance for the employees. This way, you can make sure that when they come to work again, they are motivated and refreshed. 

    Even though developing a good leave policy for the employee is a crucial part of better employee engagement, HR management sometimes ignores this. As your employees go on leave frequently, the leave policy of the company is put to the test every day. So, how to create an ideal one? Can you do that using a Vacation tracker like the Day off app? Keep reading to explore more.

    What do you mean by a leave policy?

    In general, a leave policy is an important document that can lay down the regulations and various rules related to different types of leaves that the employees can take. Your company’s leave policy can set out multiple types of leaves for various situations, for example, grief, sickness, vacation, and more.

    Besides, it also states rules related to leaving encashment, availing leaves through a PTO leave tracker, granting of leave, and more. Furthermore, your organization’s leave policy will reflect the professionalism and culture of the company through the policy’s tone, friendly quotient, and language. 

    Why does every company need a good leave policy?

    Leave is a statutory obligation of the HR managers and a right of the employees. Your leave policy will help you to define the total number of leaves the employees can take, the types of leaves they are eligible for, and the process for applying for leave using a Leave tracker like Day off.  When you have a leave policy, you can assure that your company will offer them the required time off to deal with their personal issue or other things. Now, let’s discuss how to make a leave policy that can boost productivity.

    Creating a perfect leave policy

    To create a leave policy, you will have to consider the below-mentioned points:

     

      • Your weekend policy

      • Different types of leaves offered to your employees

      • Public holidays

      • Rules governing the types of leaves

    Every company offers paid leaves to the employees even though there are public holidays based on the local labor law.

    Purpose for leave

    First, you need to remind your employees that they can’t take a leave every single day. So, you need to identify different leave conditions and then move with that in the leave policy creation process. Well, some common types of leaves that you can add to your leave policy are; sick leaves, maternity leaves, casual leaves, public holidays, first response leaves, religious holidays, paternity leaves, bereavement leaves, compensatory leaves, and more. Well, to make the process a little easier for you, you can always use an employee leave tracker app.

    Understand that laws related to leaves

    There are different types of leave policies the employers or HR management should follow to remain compliant with the law. For every company, it is crucial to follow the local leave, federal, and state leave laws and then check with a professional attorney to make sure they have the right policy. Due to the COVID-19, some states have expanded the paid leave or sick leave. So, carefully monitor the changes while creating an employee leave policy. A professional Employee time off tracker can inform you about these things.

    Add eligibility rules

    Well, not all the employees can take all types of leaves. For instance, while paternity leaves are only for men, only women can take maternity leaves. There can be different conditions for the employees to be eligible for a leave type:

     

      • A specific waiting period from the date of joining.

      • Preventing your employee from taking certain leaves combined with other leaves, for instance, taking sick leave with annual leave, may not be allowed.

      • Allow a leave if the leave balance of other types of leave is zero.

    You can set the rules as per your requirements. However, make sure that the leave eligibility rules are flexible. Besides, use a Free vacation tracker to circulate the rules among employees and get their feedback to know whether they are happy with that or not.

    Consider employee insurance

    Buying certain types of insurance can help the HR managers to cover the costs of employee leaves. For instance, every employer has to pay into the employee’s compensation. On the other hand, some other insurance, such as disability insurance, can offer benefits to the employees when they are suffering from any illness or are on leave due to childbirth or injury. For help, you can hire an experienced attorney who can guide you in choosing the right type of insurance.

    Set proper rules and regulations

    Formulate proper rules related to each leave, and then you should let the employees go through those rules before they can apply for a leave. Mention the rules properly and describe the process of applying for a leave. Besides, mention the condition for the leaves. Otherwise, these things can become a loophole, and later, it can be a major problem. Using Day off, you can easily send those rules to all at the same time. There is no need to hang the notice on the notice board.

    Creating the leave policy

    A leave policy is very important, and you should take it lightly as it can affect the cost as well as productivity. Considering all these things, you can now start creating a leave policy for your company that will be perfect for the company as well as for the employees. Once developed, let your lawyer go through this and then send the policy to all with the help of the Free time off tracker. 

  • 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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