5 things to look for when considering a workforce management solution

We all know our time is precious. Yet, when it comes to your work are you making the best use of your time? If you’re like most providers, chances are you’re always busy and can’t seem to find enough hours in the day. Whether it be managing schedules or keeping track of employee attendance, we know you have a lot on your plate. So, making good use of your time and leveraging technology to help you be as efficient as possible is critical. That’s why many operators turn to a workforce management solution to not only help their organization be as productive as possible but to strengthen communication and enable their staff to work together as a team.

A workforce management solution can be a great tool to help enhance productivity while lowering costs. However, not all solutions are created equal. So, it’s important to know what to look for when in the market for a quality solution. Read below to find out our top recommendations and considerations.

The top five things to look for when considering a workforce management solution is:

1. One multifunctional platform

An important aspect of any solution is that it must be dynamic and multifunctional. This means it should be capable of managing time, attendance, and scheduling in one platform. This is critical because many solutions on the market might offer these capabilities independently which require separate log-ins and creates disconnected data. Stopping and switching from one system to the next is not only inefficient but it can be time-consuming, too. By bringing together time and labor management, you can simplify workflows and enable staff to focus their efforts on what really matters – their resident care.

2. Can easily integrate with payroll

Nobody enjoys duplicate data entry. That’s why we recommend you look for a solution that can easily transfer labor hours to your payroll software. With seamless integration, you can rest assured that your employees are getting paid on time. Which is important to keep employee satisfaction up and help decrease the likeliness of turnover. One of the benefits of having an integrated solution is that at the end of a pay period, you can pull up the information you need, wherever you need it. Solutions like TimeTracker are compatible with any phone, tablet, or laptop, so you can connect schedules, labor hours, and instantly push that information into your payroll solution. With easy access to the information you need, you and your team can help enhance productivity and decrease costs.

3. Encourages employee engagement

Keeping employees engaged and empowered has never been more important, especially during COVID. This should be an important consideration as you search for the perfect workforce management solution for your organization. Find one that allows staff to provide their input and availability. Even better, look for one that gives staff the ability to drop, pick-up, and trade shifts. By doing so, this enables employees to have a better work/life balance, gives them more autonomy, and helps them feel as though they’re part of the process. As a result, you’ll likely notice an increase in morale which will help in employee retention. Plus, if employees are working shifts they actually want to work, they are likely to pay better attention to details which can help to increase accuracy. Some other benefits to a solution that enables employee engagement include:

• Increasing communication and organization accuracy
• Building a sense of community amongst the team
• Supporting flexible schedules for employees
• Broadening scheduling visibility
• Making it easy to manage any gaps due to employees being out sick (due to COVID)

4. Is easily accessible for all users

Technology should make your life easier, not further complicate it. So, it’s critical that whichever system you select it’s easy-to-use and accessible no matter where you are. With more and more managers and employees working remotely in the field, it’s important that they can log-in using any smart device such as a phone, tablet, or laptop. It should also be intuitive and not require a lot of training to use. That way, staff can navigate it with little to zero complications or errors. Thereby, allowing them to quickly enter or retrieve the information they need to do their jobs as efficiently as possible.

Some systems, like TimeTracker, leverage technology to help providers save even more time. These systems go the extra mile by including dashboard metrics, 60+ out-of-the-box reports, and notifications that enable you to proactively manage employees who are projected to go into overtime. Not only does this save time but it also helps to minimize costs, since overtime in labor is one of the biggest expenses that a facility may face. Looking for a certain report you don’t quite have yet?  The TimeTracker team can help you customize reports to best meet your needs.

5. Can keep you ahead of compliance

Lastly, regulations for the industry are constantly changing. Make sure your solution stays up to date with the latest compliance laws and regulations for your area. Be sure to find a partner that not only keeps tabs on national regulations, but also those on a state-by-state level. However, it’s one thing to just monitor regulations but some systems take compliance up a notch by baking the latest regulations into the solution. Also, if you’re able to configure the requirements to meet your customer or facility needs you can rest assured there will be no loose ends when it comes to audits or fines.

To conclude

To summarize, a workforce management tool is a great solution for facilities looking to make better use of their time and increase overall organizational efficiency. However, there are many considerations to look for when shopping around for the right fit for you. TimeTracker by MatrixCare is one option that checks all the boxes to help facilities ensure success. Whichever option you choose, the added help will allow you to spend more time focusing on your senior care, and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.

Disclaimer

The content in this presentation or materials is for informational purposes only and is provided “as-is.” Information and views expressed herein may change without notice. We encourage you to seek, as appropriate, regulatory, and legal advice on any of the matters covered in this presentation or materials.