The latest in HR tech trend on the human resource front is that time and attendance management systems are becoming more people-focused rather than being process oriented.

With HR-focused technology apps, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and data analytics proliferating markets, many HR professionals are left wondering which tools are a fleeting fad and which have the power to transform the profession?

Organisations across various industry verticals and of any size, are now focusing their HR efforts into more people-focused time and attendance management system, rather than being process-oriented.

A people-focused time and attendance system can encourage open communication and active engagement with confidential communication, automatic benefit accrual, mobile access, and personal information management. These attributes help employees experience how much an organization values their time, engagement and satisfaction.

According to a recently released white paper by Attendance on Demand, titled “HR Tech Trend: People-Focused Time and Attendance”, it states that a time and attendance system in an organisation is uniquely qualified to promote both transparency and engagement.

“Transparency and engagement are two key trends which switch the focus from processes to people,” said Beth Baerman, Director of Communications at Attendance on Demand.

Unlike other systems which focus on a user group – like customer relationship databases for sales – nearly every employee in an organization uses a time and attendance system. With this powerful tool sitting at the heart of an organization, it is important to shift focus from processes to people.

See: Absenteeism Management: How to Reduce its Impact on Costs?

Steve Parker, head of business transformation at Achievers identified two major upcoming trends in HR tech that demonstrate the important shift from processes to people:

1. Technology will increase transparency: This tech trend is believed to foster an “open culture” wherein employees are free to communicate their feedback both (negative and positive), and organizations are open to receiving it.
2. Technology will increase employee engagement: With organisations investing heavily into HR technology, they are more focused into increasing employee engagement by providing people with tools to connect across functions and stay aligned to what’s more important.

What both of these trends have in common is the idea that employees’ opinions matter. So much so that the technology that allows employees to express those opinions is a growing priority for HR departments.

A people-focused time and attendance system goes above and beyond basic timekeeping to encourage open communication and active engagement. More and more employees value mobility and flexibility, whether they’re sitting at their desk, in the field, or travelling on business.

A time and attendance system with mobile access (such as a mobile app that’s user-friendly, maintenance-free and tied directly to the parent system) shows the organization also values this level of engagement by employees.

A time and attendance system that offers employees a way to manage their personal information confidentially gives employees a sense of privacy—and the feeling that their employer values this privacy. The system followed should also be labour law compliant to ensure transparency and goodwill between parties in a contract.

Also read: Gamification in HR: The Next Trendsetter