What is Personnel Tracking?
Personnel tracking, also called employee tracking or personnel management, is any system used to keep track of time card and office location information of employees. These systems may help managers to locate employees and keep track of working hours.
Scheduling information and time off requests are often considered part of personnel tracking, as this information lets managers know when employees are expected to actually be in the office or other work areas.
Why Use Personnel Tracking?
Personnel tracking can help managers keep track of operations, which can be beneficial in spotting and correcting productivity issues. Personnel tracking helps management run a tighter ship by keeping tabs on where employees are at any given time. When managers know where employees are, it is easier to determine what work is being accomplished and also make changes to daily routines when needed to increase productivity.
Personnel Tracking and Core HR
Core HR encompasses the basic functions of human resources within an organization. Recruitment, benefits, compensation, establishment of policies, and employee data storage are all core HR functions.
Personnel tracking must coexist with core HR. Functions such as recruitment and onboarding are vital to personnel tracking, while tracking employee attendance and time off requests are vital to core HR. By understanding where each employee is, organization-wide communication is made much simpler. This can improve the efficiency with which core HR data is compiled, ensuring compliance with regulations and saving HR professionals’ time.
Benefits of Personnel Tracking Software
Personnel tracking software automates systems so that employees and their information can be located with the click of a button. This simplifies the process of hunting through employee files to establish training next steps, create schedules, assign projects, and many other core HR and management needs.
The following employee information can be easily tracked and managed using personnel tracking software:
- Employment history
- EEOC information
- W4s and I9s
- Military experience
- Emergency contact information
- Education and licenses
- COBRA administration
- Compensation and salary information
- Benefits information
GPS Options
Depending on the type of industry the personnel tracking software will be used for, software may include GPS employee tracking options to actually keep track of employees’ locations during all working hours. GPS employee tracking not only helps managers to be sure that employees are undertaking productive endeavors at any given time; it also ensures that employees are safe and helps to locate employees that have been missing for a length of time. GPS tracking is often linked to employees’ identification badges for personnel tracking purposes.
Industries that may find it helpful to add GPS options to personnel tracking software include:
- Cruise lines
- Casinos
- Senior care services
- Bus and train lines
- Taxi services
- Mining companies
Personnel Tracking and Customer Service
When personnel tracking is implemented in an organization, the first noticeable gains are often customer satisfaction improvements. Since employees are being held directly accountable for their actions and location, employees are less likely to “slack off” and are more likely to get out front and center to take care of customers (depending on the industry and the employee’s position.) When employees know that their actions are being monitored, they often show rapid advancements in many areas.
