Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software

Why are some employers still struggling to find workers?

Government-issued pandemic cheques and unemployment benefits for workers are pretty much non-existent, yet some companies are still struggling to find talent. But why is it so hard to find workers even, after some companies are offering hiring incentives and, have increased the starting wages?

One of the reasons cited in some surveys is, that some companies are still clinging to the way they hired and treated employees prior to the pandemic. And, if that’s the case, some workers are likely to shop around until they find a company that aligns with the way they want to work post pandemic.

If your company is struggling to find workers, here are 5 tips that might help you navigate the competing talent landscape

Pre-Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Divide
Despite a record number of job openings and shortage of workers, employers are still operating the same way they did prior to the pandemic. Some companies continue to seek out candidates with several years of experience and those who are available to work odd hours and willing to work on-site.

Workers, on the other hand, are seeking higher salaries, more flexibility, hybrid and/or remote work options. This mismatch in priorities has created a post-pandemic hiring challenge, highlighting that some employers have not adapted.

Low salary/wage
One of the reasons businesses struggle to fill open jobs is that wages and are too low. And, while some companies have made a concerted effort to increase starting wages, many are unwilling to adjust their ways and expectations, refusing to raise wages to competitive levels and placing additional demands on employees.

A work culture that embraces equity, diversity and inclusion
Equity, diversion and inclusion (ED&I) are not buzz words. They are real and many of today’s workers, grew up, in an environment that embodies ED&I and expects their workplace to reflect those values. Today’s workers want to work for organizations that value diversity and make it a priority in the workplace.

The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting
The Great Resignation, took off in 2020 and has not abated. And now, quiet quitting a form of rebellion against oppressive workplace norms —fueled in part, by GenZ and thanks to their avid use of technology-will likely change the work-landscape.

There is no universal reason why someone may quiet-quit. Maybe they’re experiencing burnout — which hit a lot of people during the pandemic. Employers should remain engaged (and get buy-in) with their workforce on how best to achieve their team’s and their personal goals while, at the same time, allowing everyone space for their lives outside of work.

Retaining Top Performers
At a time when hiring has become so difficult, companies should focus a bit more on retaining their good employees. This requires a thorough examination of your company’s corporate culture, compensation packages, perks and company policies to determine if you are doing everything you can to retain talent.

Bottomline:
Adapting to the post-pandemic world of work and understanding what job candidates are seeking can help you win over the talent you need. What employees need and want in terms of incentives, and what you need to offer to drive employee retention, have changed. Updating your approach and investing in supporting systems can give you a key advantage in retaining and attracting key talent.

About ATS
ATS offers a broad portfolio of time and attendance solutions that streamlines the collection, calculation, and reporting of employee hours for workforce management and eliminates the manual tasks of payroll preparation, increasing efficiency and reducing errors in corporate payroll departments.

Thousands of organizations across North, Central and South America and Europe- including more than half of the Fortune 500 – use ATS TimeWork OnDemand, Workforce Planning, Employee Scheduling HR and payroll solutions to manage their workforce. ATS cloud services offer rapid deployment, support services, software updates, and enhancements; and consulting and training services.

ATSTimeWork OnDemand, Cloud Services, Employee Scheduling, HR, Pandemic, Payroll, Quiet quitting, Time and Attendance, Workforce Planning

5 ways HR leaders can stay on track during the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has brought remote work into focus, while forcing many companies to accelerate their digital transformation plans. And, once the worse is behind us, HR will remain firmly in the driver’s seat of their organizations as the one who ignited digital the transformation efforts.

Here are 5 ways HR managers can help their companies maintain digital adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Maintain communication with remote employees: Employees are going to have different viewpoints on the coronavirus. Some may think the virus is not worth paying attention to, and others will take it very seriously. Regardless of beliefs, organizations must maintain clear communication with its workers.

Utilize modern technologies to your advantage. This may require a pivot of strategy, and investments in new technology to ensure that employees can work efficiently without disruption to customer satisfaction.

2. Invest in a cloud computing solution to improve efficiency:

Companies are seizing on cloud computing technology as the key enabler to complete their digital transformation, and COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this mandate. Cloud computing solutions is becoming a top C-suite agenda item as businesses are transitioning from a piece-meal approach to a more holistic end-to-end digital transformation with cloud at its core.

Manually compiling spreadsheets and waiting days for different teams to get reports together is a flintstones era approach to business. Embrace access to real-time data and interactive user dashboards- thus, helping you make the right choices and engage with the appropriate partners to augment their own capabilities.

3. Change the way you hire and make easier for employees who commute: The pandemic has brought to the front what many experts have been saying for years. Companies need to be open-minded about hybrid work. For salaried and hourly employees’ location is one of the biggest — and often underestimated — drivers of effective recruiting. Many employees moved for family and Covid-related reasons in the last year and more are actively considering relocating, which implies that recruiting challenges can increase for employers whose approach to hiring have remained the same.

4. Continue to embrace innovation: Information technology, and particular, cloud computing solutions will remain central to the post-pandemic scenario, where innovations will drive the surge in use. The disruption caused by the pandemic is unprecedent. And, while, reducing costs during these challenging times should be a priority, businesses would be wise to search for areas, where they can find enhancements within their current product suite. That is far better than trying to identify an eliminator from your offering.

5. Be prepared to adapt to change: The ‘new normal’will include a hybridworkforce. A hybrid workforce is an operational model that combines remote and on-site employees. And, depending on the organization, it could look different, however, it typically includes the onsite presence of a skeletal staff (often deemed “essential”), while others can be fully remote employees or adhere to a fixed schedule of remote and in-person workdays.

HR leaders will be expected to drive several key initiatives to foster an environment of flexibility, equity, and trust where employees are valued and their wellbeing is prioritized. To succeed in this new and ever-changing role, HR leaders will need to remain focused on managing employee experience to attract, develop, and retain top talent.

To learn more call 866.294.2467. And, to register for one of our bi-monthly webinars, go to our website.

About ATS

ATS offers a broad portfolio of time and attendance solutions that streamlines the collection, calculation, and reporting of employee hours for workforce management and eliminates the manual tasks of payroll preparation, increasing efficiency and reducing errors in corporate payroll departments.

Cloud Computing, Coronavirus, Covid-19, HR, Hybrid Workforce, Information Technology, Pandemic, Remote Work, Well-Being

Working From Home? Here Are 5 Benefits Of Video Conferencing

While the pandemic restrictions have somewhat eased, business executives need to make decisions about how to achieve an optimal remote work strategy. And, unlike the reactive shift, that began in 2020, this new “back to normal” is one that should include some form of remote/hybrid return to work experience going forward.

Video conferencing, while nothing new, permeated every business, both small and large during the height of COVID-19 and continues to be the way the format many businesses, use today to connect with their employees and customers.

In a recent article, for HR Daily Advisor, titled “5 Benefits of Video Conferencing for HR” Luke Smith espouses the use of video conferencing:

“1. Personal Connection The HR department is composed of many different positions, and they can all benefit from video, even when your team is only discussing topics among themselves. From assistants who respond directly to employee questions to managers who handle all the tiny details, everyone on the team can use video to communicate clearly and efficiently at the touch of a button.

The greatest benefit of video conferencing software is the ability to communicate and meet in person even if we’re far apart. By connecting over video, you can share all necessary details with your coworkers without having to go back and forth in e-mails or direct messages. Plus, the human connection is essential when we’re all isolated and working from home.

2. Easier Interviews: Video conferencing allows you to interview candidates with considerably less effort than it used to take. In the past, in-person interviews severely limited the number of candidates a company could consider. Now, with widely accepted remote options, employees can interview and work from almost anywhere. This helps you find the perfect fit for any position! Furthermore, HR can send recorded videos of interviews to other decision-makers within the company for review.

3. Reduce Costs: While interviewing is easier with video conferencing, it’s also less expensive. Not only do employees not need to pay for travel, but there are also fewer expenses when there is no physical office (lighting, utilities, rent, etc.).

In the past, when interviewing for high-ranking positions, many companies would fly in candidates, put them up in hotels, provide rental cars, and then pay to send them home. That, too, is a thing of the past, and the savings can be exponential.

4. Mental Health Considerations: While the interviewing aspect is great, video conferencing can also help with the needs of your current employees, especially when your department is working to improve employees’ mental health. The ability to speak to HR or anyone at the office without having to be physically present creates more opportunities to allow employees to work from home and work flexible schedules.

With COVID-19 still a factor, many working parents are dealing with extra responsibilities, including caring for their kids and homeschooling. If HR can provide the chance for employees to start later in the day so they can take care of their kids and still be face-to-face for an important meeting via video conferencing, it will make a big difference in your employees’ lives, and they will truly appreciate the gesture.

5. Easier Presentations: On the topic of presentations, HR can also use video conferencing software to schedule high-quality webinars for management or staff. In addition to showing your face during the meeting, you can also utilize the benefits of screen-sharing.

Just about every video conferencing tool has a screen-sharing option, and it allows you to show the content on your screen to your audience in real time. Slideshow presentations are particularly powerful in this medium, and you can also record your screen during the show so your webinar can be watched again at a later time by any employees who missed it”.

Bottomline: The pandemic has forced employers to re-think their approach to work. Video-based apps and connected device services have proven how important ease of use is for technology adoption. And, while many of us slowly make our way to offices the popularity of video conferencing has not become a business staple for now and the foreseeable future.

To learn more about ATS, register for a bi-monthly webinar or download a demo from our website. And, to reach us by phone, call 866.294.2467.

HR, Mental Health, Pandemic, Software, Video Conference

Why are Some Employees Feeling Anxious About Returning to the Office?

Before COVID-19 the way we work have been defined by predictable patterns involving who is doing the work, where it occurs and when it happens. And, while technological advancements, have impacted some of these norms, the pandemic upended it altogether and, accelerated the arrival of new ways of working. Many employees who initially felt anxiety about working from home, have come to embrace it after 15 months of lockdown.

Today, as many employers start to unveil their post-pandemic plans for a return-to the office, they are getting pushback from some employees, who are keen to retain their work from home privileges. But is this indicative of a more widespread resistance among workers who do not want to revert to pre-pandemic patterns or is it something else? It is possible, that employees, after working remotely for so many months, feel they can be productive at home – and that the reasons their employers want them back in-office does not add up.

While there are several factors at play, as to why, some employees, are pushing back about returning to the office — below are 3 reasons for the possible hesitancy by some workers.

Lockdown fatigue is real- COVID-19 has been debilitating for all of us and we’re tired of lockdowns. The constant anxiety of living and working through a pandemic has left many of us feeling low in energy, and the thought of driving and working in an office alongside others-in and of itself, is exhausting.
Office work doesn’t allow for a healthy work-life-balance-Lockdown has been isolating and although we have craved the company of coworkers, we have also been able to separate work and leisure time. We have been able to exercise, read and spend time with our loved ones without feeling guilty because we were late getting home for dinner, after the commute from the office.
Going back to pre-pandemic work is the cause of our anxiety- In addition to wearing face masks, we would be following social distancing guidelines and staring at stickers telling us how to behave correctly and politely, while on the subway or standing in a crowded elevator. This is an added layer of anxiety to an already stressful time, that not everyone is looking forward to.

Bottomline: It’s still early to say what the post-pandemic work environment will look like, and not all employers are scheduling employees back to the office. In fact, some are doing it in stages, while others are delaying a return to the office for some staff. Many employers are still being lenient with policies as the virus lingers, vaccinations continue to roll out and childcare situations remain erratic.

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Covid-19, Fatigue, Mental Health, Pandemic, Telecommuting, Well-Being, Working-from-home

Canadian Grocers and Their Supply Chain Unlocks Business Value with ATSTimeWorkOnDemand

While the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt organizations worldwide, many are turning to digital technologies to help reinvent processes and go-to-market strategies. The grocery and their supply chain industry know, all too well that consumer expectations of the shopping experience, has to align with brand and inventory management strategies- to ultimately meet demand, while protecting margins.

Here are 5 ways the grocery industry and their supply chains can leverage the best of ATSTimeWorkOnDemand to fuel profits and increase productivity.

Real-Time Analytics Delivers Business Continuity: ATSTimeWorkOnDemand for grocery and supply chain ties every part of your organization together under one system, capturing every detail and maintaining a single version of your data. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand cloud analytics combines workforce planning, forecasting and demand, response and supply, demand-driven replenishment, and inventory planning. Leading grocery companies choose ATSTimeWorkOnDemand for its powerful supply chain analytics, what-if simulation and alerts to stay ahead of change and improve responsiveness.
Fast Deployment: ATSTimeWorkOnDemand for grocers and their supply chain has a plethora of pre-built visualizations and data elements designed for the grocery industry. The scalable platform of ATSTimeWorkOnDemand means that it is easy to grow-with and make changes in the future.
Ready To Use Information: HR, payroll and finance needs accurate data and ATSTimeWorkOnDemand intuitive dashboards viewable by functional areas of the business to ensure users across all departments, can focus on the data that is relevant to them. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand is also accessible to employees on their mobile devices or tablets; to check overtime, schedules and to request time-off through the employee self-service portal.
Manual Time Reporting is a Thing of the Past: Archaic spreadsheet-based reporting won’t help business move forward. With ATSTimeWorkOnDemand instant forecasting and budget analytics helps grocery and their supply chains establish a data-driven culture that will help decision makers can easily retrieve up-to-the-minute data without relying on IT or the next report run. That means getting actionable insights from across your grocery supply chain to understand impacts and execute adjustments in a timely way.
Managing profit when margin pressures are high: With ATS best-of-breed data collectors, grocery and their supply chains, will obtain real-time visibility and transactional updates. Sometimes, the truth about a company’s performance is often hidden deep within labour costs and operational data. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand for grocery and supply chain, does the heavy lifting, by sorting through the noise to isolate, calculate and track the business metrics that really matter.

To learn more about ATSTimeWorkOnDemand for Grocery and Supply Chains, go to our website. You can also register for one of our webinars, or download a demo of our software solution from our website. And, to reach account representative by phone, call: 866.294.2467.

Analytics, ATSTimeWorkOnDemand, Canadian, Cloud, Coronavirus, Grocery, HR, Labour Costs, Pandemic, Payroll, Supply Chain

What Kind Of Challenges Will HR Leaders Face In 2021?

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to adopt remote work arrangements, in workplaces and industries where this was feasible. It now appears, that this trend will continue well into 2021. And, while this was taking place HR leaders had to deal with job cuts, rehiring and managing employee morale. In short, no small task.

According to the recent article in HR Dive by Topia titled, 3 challenges HR leaders face in 2021 those challenges include:

‘Hidden’ remote work risk – The great thing about the remote work model is work can get done from anywhere. The challenging thing about the remote model is the same – work can be done from anywhere. With so many employees working from “home” your employees can be working in another city, state, or country without you knowing it. This opens up businesses and employees to tax and permanent establishment risk. While many jurisdictions have given a pass for this in 2020, it is likely that they will start enforcing it again in 2021.

Business travel compliance – One of the first forms of employee movement to come back in 2021 will be business travel. In the US this will mean getting on top of state-to-state payroll withholding. In Europe, there’s the more complex challenge of the A1 and Posted Workers Directive to tackle. With COVID-19 shutting down most cross-border business travel, complying with these rules was not a top priority for most companies. We can expect that in 2021, as the virus gets under control and organizations start deploying employees across borders, countries will be looking to enforce this rule and others to ensure they are getting the appropriate tax contributions.

Employee demands for new working models – There is a lot of discussion around how work will get done in a post-pandemic world. Some businesses have moved aggressively to embrace remote work. Some organizations have gotten rid of corporate campuses or made working remote the de-facto practice. We’re likely to see more nuanced approaches and policies moving forward. These include fully remote work, flexible work, extending vacation with remote work in their holiday location, etc. Organizations will need the right frameworks and tools to manage new and complex types of employees vs the traditional in-person/office and fully remote employee.

In conclusion, 2020 may have been one of the most challenging times for many companies on a global scale. And, while there have been opportunities too, HR leaders continue to be tasked with adapting to an ever-changing, regulatory labour and payroll compliance, as it relates to the Covid-19 pandemic.

To learn more about ATS and/or to download a demo of our cloud-computing HCM solution, go to our website. To reach us by phone, call: 866.294.2467.

Cloud Computing, Covid-19, HCM, HR, Pandemic, Payroll, Remote-Work

Some Tips On How To Avoid Going Bonkers While Working From Home

This current pandemic has forced many employees to work from home. And, for those employees who are not used to working from home, they could get easily get distracted, feel lonely and unproductive. Moreover, this might be especially true for employees who crave the social interaction of their colleagues and also feel exiled from the office environment.

If you happen to be one of these employees who, like many of us, are having a hard time juggling working from home and managing house-hold chores while helping your school-age kids with online learning, here are few tips from an article titled, Four Self-Care Practices You Can Do at Your Desk by Mandy Gilbert for Inc.com

Wind down with a five-minute meditation: I probably don’t have to remind you of all the studies that have been done that link daily meditation to improved mental and physical health. We all know meditation is good for us. However, finding the ability to pull away from your pressing tasks and give into a quick mindfulness session can seem downright selfish when dealing with all the urgent matters stacking up on your plate.

Turn off your digital devices and focus on the tangible: Screen fatigue is a huge problem and can become a very real hindrance on your mental health. As many of us transition to working from home, the problem is only becoming amplified. I know, personally, I cringe a little every time I hear the ping of my weekly screen report.

Practice workplace gratitude and celebrate your accomplishments: Tell me if this sounds familiar to you. You’re working away on a big project, caught up in the day-to-day hustle, when a colleague congratulates you on a recent achievement that you almost entirely forgot about.

Throw out the rules and text your family and friends: Our family and friends are our greatest support systems, so it can be hard keeping them at arm’s length throughout the day when you are going through a particularly difficult time.

That’s why it’s time to throw away the rule made up in the boardrooms of yesteryear that you shouldn’t be on your personal phone during work hours. Speaking from firsthand experience, it can be so rejuvenating to take a moment and check in with your loved ones once or twice a day. It lifts your spirits, satisfies your need for socialization, and can even make you more productive.

Bottomline: No one knows with absolute certainty, when many employees might return to offices. However, several tech companies including Salesforce, Twitter, IBM, Oracle and Google to name a few, has already said employees can work at home for the rest of the year, even after they have reopened their offices.

To learn more about ATS you can register for our next webinar Embracing The Future of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning. To download a demo of our time and attendance app or reach us by phone call; 866.294.2467.

Google, IBM, Oracle, Pandemic, Twitter

Working From Home? Here Are 5 Benefits Of Video Conferencing

Why are Some Employees Feeling Anxious About Returning to the Office?

Some Tips On How To Avoid Going Bonkers While Working From Home

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