Tanda Blog: Industry Insights

Rosie Ramirez

10 April 2019    |   

It’s a good start for Australia’s manufacturing sector. According to Australian Industry Group’s (Ai Group’s) Chief Executive Innes Willox, Australia’s manufacturing sector strengthened in February 2019. It faltered at the end of 2018 but indicators for production, sales, exports, and employment all improved this year. Currently, the industry accounts for 6% of Australia’s economy. While manufacturing’s share of the economy has gone down in recent years, its prospects are very optimistic. Technology is changing the game for Australia’s manufacturers, and here’s how you can take advantage of the trend. Automating labour management Labour costs can account for up to 50% of total business costs. For manufacturers, labour costs should remain closer to 30% to remain profitable. But wages are growing at a faster pace than selling prices. Last year, wage growth hit the highest level in 3 years when the minimum wage increased by 3.5%. Even so, businesses should prepare for more labour cost increases. Calls to change the minimum wage into a “living wage” will be a defining issue in the upcoming elections. Profit margins will remain tight as higher costs will be difficult to pass on to customers. That’s where tech in labour management comes in. Read more: Achieving Workforce Success: Becoming a Data-driven Workforce Using tech to manage your rosters and wage costs can result in significant cost savings for your company. Old methods of rostering, whether on paper or Excel, will not yield the insights that modern software can. With workforce software, you can control your wage spend by setting targets for labour costs. You can also use existing roster templates to predict your staffing requirements. Throughout the week, you can even see wage costs in real-time and adjust staffing levels to drive profitability. Managers can have access to all this data on one seamless platform. Transitioning to a workforce management platform can be intimidating. But there is no better way for manufacturing companies to take advantage of growth than investing in the right software. In fact, it would be hard to succeed without it. Across all industries the automation of administrative tasks, especially in labour management, is best practice. It gives you unprecedented oversight no matter where you are. It also frees up your time for more important tasks like training staff and being on top of wage costs. And all this at a fraction of the time you used to spend in the back office. Read more: Crafting Workforce Success at Windsor Alehouse Investing in the next generation According to the Ai Group, “[Manufacturing] businesses in all states remain very concerned about growing skill shortages for experienced, technical and specialist tasks.” Millennials and Gen Zs aren’t necessarily lining up for jobs in manufacturing. In fact, many younger employees want to work for industries like technology and healthcare. And with the manufacturing industry’s aeging worker population, there could be a real shortfall in employees in the near future. Businesses should attract the next generation by hiring apprentices or trainees. Encouraging the youth to join manufacturing through apprenticeships or traineeships can ensure that there is no shortage of skilled employees. But businesses need to do more to attract them to the industry. One clear way of doing this is by incorporating tech into everyday operations. Younger employees expect that tech is integrated into work. They want to see accessibility, paperless communication, and instant feedback. Explore automated rostering, employee apps with GPS clock-in, and work chat apps to cater to the next generation. Read more: GPS Clock-in: Changing the way you track your mobile workforce Seizing today’s tech opportunities The manufacturing industry is undergoing many changes. It has gotten back on track after a dip in productivity and great opportunities lie ahead. However, rising wage costs and a skills shortage can threaten the gains and possibly the survival of the industry itself. It is now up to business owners to strategize for the future. Controlling labour costs is a major hurdle but easy to get right by using tech to set limits and adjust staffing levels. In the same way, tech can be used to attract the next generation to pursue a career in the field. Investing in tech today can increase the chances of a successful place in the manufacturing industry.

Monic Del Rosario

4 April 2019    |   

Whenever business owners come to the point of growing their company, they naturally begin to think about managing people during shifts they can’t be physically present. One of the first puzzles managers solve is tracking employees’ time and attendance. From the get-go, this is the most basic yet the trickiest administrative task to keep up with. Probably because every business operates differently (various employee types, industry rules, pay rates, etc.) but mostly because a lot of the existing ‘solutions’ available do not always work as expected. One of the most common ways businesses track time and attendance is through a fingerprint scanner. It has some nifty benefits for employers: it’s a fool-proof way to prevent time theft, it ensures that you’re paying the right staff, and that you’re paying them exactly for the hours that they declared they worked. But just the same, there are also some disadvantages in using biometrics to log staff attendance at work, specifically regarding privacy. Read more: Why fingerprint scanners don’t work for time and attendance Last year, a scuffle over biometric attendance tracking was reported by the Fair Work Commission, where a sawmill worker in Queensland refused to use their employer’s fingerprint scanner to log their shifts at work. Superior Woods of Imbil, Sunshine Coast opted to require employees to clock in and out with a biometric device in order to avoid time theft. However, as personal data collected from these devices are being allegedly stored in servers off-site, Lee refused to comply to the company’s policy, stating that, “I am unwilling to consent to have my fingerprints scanned because I regard my biometric data as personal and private.” A little while afterwards, Lee was sacked from his job, despite never missing a shift in more than three years of working at Superior Woods. He then filed an unfair dismissal claim to the Fair Work Commission. “My biometric data is inherently mine and inseparable from me,” Lee said. “My employer can’t demand it or sack me for refusing to give it. It’s not about this particular employer. Ownership to me means that I can refuse consent without being sacked.” The Fair Work Commission’s ruling stated that it is a legal ground to dismiss employees who refuse to hand over biometric information. They also stated that this was a breach on privacy grounds. They found that the company had a site-attendance policy that was not automatically rendered as unlawful, regardless of whether or not Superior Woods was breaching privacy laws through their biometric fingerprint scanners. Read more: Facial Recognition vs. Fingerprint Scanners for Time and Attendance Fingerprints and other biometric signatures might seem like an easy way to solve this time theft, but in reality, there have been claims that hackers are still able to access such type of data or their representation in a system where they’re stored. With the case of Jeremy Lee, important legal rights are already a hot topic of debate that has since been unresolved. Even after the rejection of Lee’s unfair dismissal claim, the commision has mentioned that upon review, the legality of firing a worker for not providing biometric data hasn’t really been thoroughly examined within the Australian legal landscape just yet. “The policy itself is not unlawful, simply the manner in which the employer went about trying to obtain consent may have constituted a breach of the Privacy Act,” they said. In this day and age where businesses are heading towards becoming fully digital in their operations, many are still struggling to even get administrative tasks out of the way, with time and attendance being one of them. Tablets and smartphones are practically the norm, which makes it easier for any employee to use. Compared to fingerprint scanners, smart devices are now being utilised for admin work in operations that have multiple shifts, different types of staff, and 24/7 operations. Some software like Tanda’s Time Clock App make use of these devices to avoid time theft in the workplace, verifying the employee’s identity with a unique passcode and a selfie-verified clock-in/out system. Read more: How to Eliminate Time Theft Business environments are moving towards automation and digitalisation at a startling rate. Software and apps are indispensable to everyday life, the workplace included. To remain competitive, businesses need to invest in software that will help them remain compliant without sacrificing the trust they build with their staff, especially ones that bring about legal discussions. Doing so will allow managers to not be bogged down by unnecessary tasks such as having to negotiate with workers for attendance policies, and instead focus on successfully navigating daily operations of their business.

Joel Jensen

21 February 2019    |   

The last 10 years have been an exciting time for businesses. The growth and adoption of cloud technology have presented huge opportunities for business optimisation and increased profits. One of the most popular categories has been the adoption of Workforce Software. This type of software has been used to manage shifts, monitor staff, and ensure timely, accurate pay. This makes sense when we think about it. Employees are your most valuable business assets, but are also one of, if not your largest, cost centres. Naturally, businesses have attempted to optimise this cost by adding oversight and controls to their wage spending. But there are still lots of businesses who use paper to handle their rostering, timesheets and award interpretation. This was always to be expected as many businesses are hesitant to change what they know. Perhaps more surprising, however, is the persistence of old technology. They predate cloud technology and bearing many downsides that continue to hurt businesses. About a year and a half ago we wrote an article about why fingerprint scanners don’t work for time and attendance, and we preferred to use employee timeclocks. It turned out to be one of our most popular articles, presumably due to the number of people still using old technology and experiencing the frustrations that come with it. This week we released our completely new, rebuilt Time Clock App. It has a bunch of cool new features like facial detection, facial recognition, multiple breaks, predictive shift status, and more. We thought it might be worth an update on the downsides of fingerprint scanners and how using modern technology solves these problems. Check out the three biggest problems with fingerprint scanners below. Tanda uses facial recognition technology to ensure accurate clock ins and outs They’re expensive The issue is that fingerprint scanners are expensive pieces of hardware. Just one reliable fingerprint sensor can set you back by several hundreds of dollars. Imagine what that means for those managing hundreds of staff across multiple locations. Installation is also costly and allows little flexibility. Because of these large upfront costs, and the fact that they do little else than record fingerprints, these scanners have become an impractical investment.  Conversely, Tanda’s Time Clock app can run on any tablet device. Most of our clients run the app on a tablet worth less than $200. They’re unreliable As anyone who has used one knows, even the best fingerprint scanners don’t work 100% of the time. To solve this problem, businesses usually keep a paper timesheet below the scanner. This is fine at face value, but what employers quickly realise is that if it doesn’t work 100% of the time, it doesn’t work at all. It becomes far too easy for an employee to be running 5 minutes late, use the paper timesheet, and say “sorry, the fingerprint scanner wasn’t working”. Using a time clock means 100% of clock ins are recorded, even if your internet is down and it goes offline. It will store all data and send it as soon as you get back online. Maintenance is difficult/costly Due to the nature of the hardware, it requires a trained technician whenever there is an issue. Often, it works out cheaper to replace than repair. This presents a new problem because the devices aren’t always readily available. Compare this to a timeclock which can be ‘repaired’ more easily, at no cost, and remotely, because you’re working with cloud software. When the hardware needs replacing, it’s cheap, easily accessible, and requires no downtime. There’s something wrong when you spend more time fixing, maintaining or administering the workforce software you bought instead of working on improving the business you bought it for. Using a modern solution like a timeclock solves the problems presented by legacy software. It’s less costly, more reliable, and far more efficient. It lets your managers spend less time on admin, and more time on the frontline, training staff and engaging customers. Empower your workforce and increase your chances of business success by shifting to cloud-based workforce software today.

Tom Dowling

8 February 2019    |   

“Instead of just learning something at school and getting thrown off the deep end sort of thing, you get that chance to really be immersed in your field and learn everything from the bottom to the top.” – Colin Wilson, Certificate III in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery) Apprenticeships and traineeships in Australia are employment arrangements which combine training and working in a real occupation for real income. Anyone who is older than 14 years and 9 months of age can undertake it. This can lead to a nationally recognised qualification held in high regard in Australia and in many countries overseas. Employers who hire apprentices can benefit from incentive payments under the Australian Apprentices Incentives Program. Apprentice vs. Trainee: What’s the difference? “I just turned 17 and starting next year I’ll be fully qualified vet nurse, which has been an awesome achievement for myself, the TAFE school, and everyone involved.” – Jessica Pendlebury, Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing “Apprentices” and “trainees” are industry-specific terms. On one hand, apprentices train in skilled work industries. They can belong to a wide range of occupations and trades. This can include plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, bricklaying, and so on. In order to become a qualified tradesperson, one must first complete an apprenticeship. An apprenticeship takes approximately 3-4 years to complete. On the other hand, “trainee” refers to individuals who complete their certification in a vocational field. They work toward certificate level qualifications in industries such as hospitality, retail, or administration. These take approximately 1-2 years to complete. Apprentices and trainees retain many of the rights of a regular employee. This includes right to leave types like annual leave, sick leave, holiday pay. They can also receive wage increases and join a union. More information on apprentice entitlements can be found here. Read more: The Step-by-Step Guide to Hiring an Apprentice or Trainee in Australia Bringing in the next generation “Doing apprenticeship is rewarding, or beyond rewarding, for anyone thinking about doing it, if they’re ready to commit. The rewards at the end are overwhelming.” – Ross Ingham, Certificate III in Plumbing Apprenticeships and traineeships can bring significant benefits to any business. These programs can help develop multi-skilled employees, and allow them to work across the organisation. They offer professional and career development opportunities to attract the next generation. And they also empower new staff to deliver quality services. The role of the next generation in ensuring the sustainability of businesses cannot be understated. Apprentices and trainees contribute practical skills learned throughout their training. They also bring in new perspectives that can enhance systems, processes, and relationships in the workplace. Honing talent and training future industry leaders starts with hiring the right apprentices and trainees.

Liam Hukins

17 January 2019    |   

There has been a lot of speculation on why we are losing retailers so fast. An interesting research piece from the US presented an alternative hypothesis that generalises the issue down to rostering for profit rather than rostering to control costs. For context – If you were given the choice of increasing revenue by 5% or reducing costs by 5% in order to create the most profitable outcome, what would choose? A “back of the hand” calculation would show that reducing costs increases profit more than the equivalent uptick in revenue. Accordingly, most retailers choose option two. This makes sense if you assume the two scenarios are independent of each other, but what if the cost was your employees? This is where the problems arise. For industries like retail, where staff have a direct impact on sales, it’s not as simple of a question as cutting costs to increase profit. In a study led by Professor Marshall Fisher from Wharton, he and his research team constructed a conceptual model from historical data to identify stores within a US-based retail chain that had the highest potential to benefit from increased labour spend. Importantly, the strategy was actually implemented at 168 retail sites over a 26-week period to validate the model, with the retailer electing to implement the strategy further. The result: A near $8.9 million increase in profit of the stores included. The labour cost challenge The challenge in allocating labour budgets lies in the tradeoff between the known immediate payroll cost and the less certain increase in sales that could be achieved with more staff on hand. The researchers point out that retail managers have a tendency to overweigh the decision to reduce the known payroll cost than the less certain increase in sales which could be achieved by allocating additional labour spend. The labour budget death spiral The study highlights the limitation of the most common retail strategy — setting labour budgets as a portion of sales. Fisher points out that this approach creates a circular problem by failing to take into account how store labour spend can positively impact sales, with the worst case leading to a spiraling effect of reduced sales forecasts reducing labour spend which reduces sales further and so on. Quantifying the impact of labour spend on revenue Creating labour budgets that are designed to maximise profit requires retailers to know on a store-by-store basis the correlation between labour-spend and sales. One way to do this is by looking at times when staffing levels deviate from the original schedule. If ten staff were scheduled on a particular day, but on that day only eight turned up, did sales also decrease by the same portion? If not, by how much? If the answer to the above is that sales didn’t decrease at all, the store is likely overstaffed. If there is a measurable impact, the inverse scenario is likely true and the store may be losing sales by being understaffed. This is the same approach used in the study, which found the relationship between random staffing deviations and impacts on sales was statistically significant. Results showed an increase in labour spend pointed to increased sales at varying degrees, depending on known store attributes. Implementing the strategy for profit The study identified stores in a US retail chain which had the highest market potential, making them good candidates for an increased labour spend. The market potential factored in attributes like average basket value and proximity to competitors, which would create scenarios that allow workers to have the highest impact on converting sales. In the study, 168 stores were selected this way, then allocated a 10% increased labour budget over a 26-week period, of which 75% of the increase was actually consumed in practice by the stores. The outcome was a 4.5% increase in revenue at the impacted stores and resulting in a near $8.9 million profit increase. Learning from the strategy The study shows empirically why the common practice of setting labour budgets as a fixed proportion of forecasted revenue is often self-defeating when applied in a retail setting. An opportunity exists to all retailers to leverage this same profit-centric model for defining labour budgets. The data required is available to all retailers however, it may just be a matter of leveraging that information with the right systems. An integrated forecasting strategy that integrates foot traffic, sales, and employee scheduling data is a practical opportunity afforded to retailers of any size to optimise their labour resource allocations. The interesting part is, Fisher’s research is readily available to all retailers who are looking to drift away from the traditional method of fixing labor budget rosters. The next step is to get this method of labour resource allocation battle tested in the Australian markets. Stay tuned. Up next: What is the Contingent Workforce and how can you leverage it in your business?

Monic Del Rosario

4 January 2019    |   

The ability to quickly identify and verify individuals has been a crucial skill in human society, since the start of civilisation. Where previously face-to-face recognition would have sufficed in tribes and small villages, thanks to today’s rapidly growing global population we require more tools to quickly identify who someone is. In the workplace, the need to identify individuals is particularly important, as it’s often tied to staff attendance, payroll, and workplace security. Throughout the years, various solutions have been used to verify staff attendance from paper time sheets, to the Bundy Clock, to fingerprint and biometric scanners. Despite the best efforts of some die-hard fans, the fingerprint scanner has reached its limit, being surpassed by the electronic time clock. With so many other solutions available at our fingertips, why are some people so desperately clinging to their fingerprint scanner? Surely we’ve all seen enough spy movies to know fingerprint scanners aren’t foolproof, let alone feasible in today’s day and age where most of the fun comes from trying to fool the system. And yet, it’s something that we still occasionally hear, “why don’t you have fingerprint scanners?” So to put the debate to rest once and for all, here are three reasons why fingerprint scanners don’t work. And before you start saying, ‘but what about this…” here are three great reasons why the electronic time clock has surpassed the fingerprint scanner. 3 reasons why fingerprint scanners don’t work to track staff attendance They’re expensive. No matter which way you look at it, fingerprint scanners are expensive equipment. Despite the fact that the technology has been around for years, the cost of the device still remains relatively high, potentially setting you back a few thousand dollars. In addition to the device, the cost of the integration between the scanner and the corresponding system can be expensive to build. The scanners are delicate and aren’t always built to handle the hundreds of fingerprints pressed onto them throughout their lifetime. Which brings me to my next point… They’re unreliable. Unlike your favourite FBI crime-show encryption-grade biometric scanners, workplace fingerprint scanners are notoriously unreliable. In order to correctly identify and record an individual, fingerprint scanners require a clear image or impression of your fingerprint. Fingers that are dirty, greasy, cold or wet for example, often don’t register on the scanner, making it hard to both clock out and verify the individual. Employers who prefer to use fingerprint scanners, do so because they think it’s easier than remembering a passcode. However should the fingerprint scanner fail to register the scan, some systems will request a passcode. Not only is this an additional hassle to staff who are trying simply to clock in or out, but it also opens the window to time theft through buddy clocking. Maintenance is a pain. As previously mentioned, fingerprint scanners are not cheap. They’re a costly purchase and are even more expensive to repair or replace when they wear out. Repairing a broken scanner requires a specialised technician and often costly parts. On the occasion that it is easier to replace than repair, users often run into more problems as they are not readily available at your local JB Hi-Fi or electronics outlet. On top of this, users often experience issues around the device’s durability, which lead to additional maintenance costs and ultimately a new device down the track. Introducing the 21st Century solution Electronic time clocks are the most robust, user-friendly, and affordable solution to record staff attendance. According to Statista, 38.59 million British people were expected to own a tablet device back in 2017. In 2018, an average of 80% of UK’s population already owns smart devices. Leveraging this statistic, a tablet-based time clock like Tanda can provide an effective and consistent solution to time theft, streamlining your entire payroll process. 3 reasons why electronic time clocks are the market leading solution: Affordability. Tablets in their various forms have started to become more commonplace in businesses of all sizes. This is thanks to more core business functions such as POS, inventory, and payment processing, becoming available on tablet devices. This technology is providing business owners with greater mobility to engage with customers, as well as streamlining core business activities in one device. Time Clock tablets are easily accessible, affordable and present a number of additional benefits to a business looking to improve their customer offering. Robust and reliable. Thanks to the prevalence of tablet usage, most people are familiar with how to use a tablet and how they should be treated. Tablets are touch-screen based and as such built to handle lots of little fingers pushing and tapping the screen. Tanda’s Time Clock verifies staff attendance through photos and PIN code verification. Which means that unlike a fingerprint scanner, it doesn’t matter if staff have dirty or wet fingers, they’ll still be able to clock out the first time around. The timestamp and photo verification also make it quick and easy for managers and business owners to quickly check that the right person has clocked in and out for the correct shift. Cloud-based for more options. Using a cloud-based Time Clock solution like Tanda provides users with more options, which enable rather than restrict the user. Software maintenance and upgrades are not required, as they’re done automatically in the system. Devices are easy to replace and interchangeable, and should the system connection be disrupted, all clock in data is stored locally and uploaded to the cloud later. In addition to this, as a backup, users can access the Time Clock app through a browser on a desktop. Using a cloud solution to track staff attendance provides unparalleled opportunities to streamline additional business administration tasks, as well as providing greater insight into labour costs, staff punctuality, and staff engagement. Workplaces are busy places, and managers have much better things to spend their time on than trying to get the fingerprint scanner to work. Using electronic Time Clocks to track employee attendance allows staff to clock in quickly and efficiently, so that they can get out of the backroom and working in your business. Because at the end of the day, you need a system that is affordable, reliable, and accessible, so that you can get on with paying staff and focusing on your business.   Curious to know more about a Cloud-based device that can help you track time and attendance better? Book your FREE demo with Tanda today.

Phil Johnson

2 January 2019    |   

In the pursuit of workforce success, business owners and head office level decision makers are the chief scientists, they are tasked with deciding what things can and can’t mix, and prescribing the optimal ratios for profit. The chemists of profit though sit on the front-line of the business, they’re the staff who mix the ingredients and decide if the ingredients fizzle, or create explosive profit. You can prescribe success for many things from the top down in business: “Here’s how you assemble a burger for best eating” “Here’s how you salt the fries for perfect coverage” “Here’s how you order the stock to reduce waste” The one that eludes most businesses is how to pass down the line “Here’s how you create a successful workforce” Here’s the science in practice. The best salesperson I ever worked with was the franchisee of a large electrical retail store. I’ve never heard someone talk with so much passion and authority about the merits of extending the warranty on a toaster. For him, good customer service and the subsequent numbers on the board had a different meaning to other staff. It was obvious for him that the scorecard of numbers on the board spelt life or death of the business. This reflected in his diligence and dedication to customer success. The challenge for him and all other business leaders is how to scale that urgency down to create action on a during shift basis at the front-line. Creating action through scarcity. If the result of selling an extended warranty, coffee or banana bread to each customer was the difference between being ahead of, or behind the curve of success at any given time throughout the day, these seemingly transactional tasks gain new importance. When you track progress during the shift, it becomes more real how scarce and difficult it is to materialise profit, cementing the importance of decisions made on shift. But scarcity besides being a reality of business is what motivates humanity – it’s why you’ve probably visited more landmarks on a short vacation than you’ve ever visited in your own town. The cumulative impact of these daily, during shift actions, is end of period profit. Prescribing Success. Bringing KPI’s into real-time scales the end goal of profit down to daily decision making, prescribing the formula for success. From a day of operations perspective, it’s about scarcity and urgency. Placing importance on the little things that add up to big profit by allowing teams to measure the outcomes of their decision in real time. In this scenario, getting the team out on time or ahead of time for example, no longer just incrementally affects an end of month report. It decides whether you finish your shift ahead of the prescribed success curve or behind – literally. The goal is to let anyone of any level of business knowledge understand how they’re going, and what they can do to improve it at any given time. The road to success is paved with action, and live KPI’s are the precursor to action.   For more details on the Tanda Live Wage Tracker™ visit Tanda.

Monic Del Rosario

28 December 2018    |   

Another year of business has come and gone. The ever-changing landscape is continuously breeding innovations. FW penalty rates are rolling out and turnovers are still unstable. Need help gauging your business plan for the coming year? Here’s a quick look at the major factors in the Australian economy: Awards, Penalty Rates, and Wages • Changes in penalty rates for the retail industry were announced last month. Changes will roll out over the coming years, mostly affecting casual employees and weekend shifts. Other industries’ awards continued to roll out this year, some of which were hospitality, pharmacy, and fast food. • The Fair Work Ombudsman apprehended and/or penalised businesses for improper payroll processing and/or treatment of staff, resulting in underpayment of employees. This year’s reports amounted to over $10 million for probing into multiple businesses nationwide. • When it came to labour issues, three industries had the most number of issues. The industries are: fast food, restaurant, hospitality, transportation, or manufacturing.  Read more: Australian Penalty Rates: Retail Industry Update (Nov. 2018) Wage Growth and Employment Rates • Slow wage growth has continuously been affecting businesses and staff alike in 2018. Managers need to change this in order to reduce low-wage, low-quality jobs, and joblessness. The OECD Employment Outlook reports that the overall worsening of the wages in Australia is associated with decreased earnings of staff, which resulted in the rise of involuntary part-time unemployment. • The OECD also reported that 67% of Australia’s workforce is between the ages of 15-74. They indicated that the employment rate is expected to rise in the coming year. This counters the country’s 5.5% unemployment rate of 2018. • The DJSB conducted a study that suggests businesses use a digital and data ecosystem for streamlined operations. This is from seeking staff, to onboarding, and down to paying them. Several sources stated that incorrectly paying staff is one of the most common reasons why employees seek jobs elsewhere. • In terms of employee turnover, AI Group reports that Hospitality is still the industry with the most people changing jobs. Around 16% of the industry’s workforce changed employers/business in a span of 12 months; while Retail and Manufacturing reported a 7% turnover rate, and Healthcare at 5%. • Australia’s labour market remains diverse, with another study by the DJSB stating that the 3 largest-employing industries are Healthcare (13.4%), Retail (10.3%), and Construction (9.4%). Read more: Wage theft is on a roll: Sushi as a symbol of unpaid wages Automating Businesses in the Digital Economy • The Treasury recently published a discussion paper about the digitalised economy of Australia. Their report estimated that the GDP per person in Australia is around $5,000 higher, thanks to the digital economy. • The same report also mentioned The G20/OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project. They focused on improving tax frameworks by digitalising solutions. They also aim to increase ‘the capacity of businesses to have a significant market presence without being liable to taxation.’ • In an effort to kick off the BEPS project and to lessen breaches in wage laws, the Australian Taxation Office implemented last July the Single Touch Payroll, where businesses were required to use software that can send tax and super information directly to the ATO. • ASBFEO suggests that businesses move to using software for better management, especially when it comes to data, finance, and human resource management. Companies that use digital services to operate ‘save an average of around 10 hours a week’. They ‘subsequently increase annual revenue by almost a third’. Read more: Introducing Live Insights: Using real-time staffing to secure your business Digitalisation is becoming a part of economic policies. We can definitely expect a lot more trends and solutions to come up in the coming years. Technology has started to become an indispensable part of running a business and working out the never-ending wage and staffing problem are already being solved with specialised software as we speak. What other innovations do you predict will come this 2019?   Curious to know more about a workforce management system that can help your business get better this 2019? Book your FREE demo today.

Rosie Ramirez

26 December 2018    |   

Employee onboarding is widely acknowledged by human resource experts to be an important part of building a great team. Hiring right is only the beginning, as integrating a new employee into the company is going to determine how successful they will be in their role, and how much they will be able to contribute to the company. The onboarding process includes completing documents, introducing the new hire to company culture, setting goals, and monitoring initial performance. Simply handing new hires the employee handbook is a bad practice, but one that many companies still employ. Ironically, this is costing companies millions. Hiring is expensive, and employees who have a poor initial experience with the organisation will be searching for another job within three months. Conversely, businesses that have great onboarding processes can expect to nearly double their corporate revenue growth and profit margins. So what does it take to successfully onboard a new employee? Check out our simple checklist! Before the first day Send a welcome email. Send a personalised welcome email to the new employee. More than just a warm welcome, include important information such as the company dress code, schedule, benefits package, clock in details (if applicable), the location of workstation, and their manager’s name and contact information. Starting a new job in a new environment can be stressful, and this will help them feel ready. This will also allow them to prepare whatever questions they may have when they clock in on their first day. Begin compliance with documentary requirements. Ideally, your welcome email should include a link to upload all the documentary requirements. Paperless onboarding is more appealing to new employees, especially to millennials and Gen Z. Younger employees will have high expectations for real-time feedback, instant access to information, and constant use of technology; they will consider physical paperwork to be more of a nuisance. Investing in onboarding technology will help your company appeal to the next generation of employees. Offer practical information. Beyond the standard information offered in the welcome email, other, more practical information can also help. Common queries such as where they can expect to take their lunch can be given here. Is there an office pantry? What kind of appliances can they expect to find there? You can also give them a list of must-try restaurants and cafes near the office, so they know where they to go with new co-workers when the shift is over. The first day Conduct a workspace orientation. Having a ready workstation makes a new hire feel welcome, but in a survey by ALEX Asks, nearly 20% didn’t have a desk on the first day, more than 30% had to wait to get a computer, and more than a third 36% didn’t have ready access to a phone or voicemail. Make sure all these things are fleshed out ahead of time, so you can conduct a workspace orientation after welcoming the new hires. Not only will they feel welcome, but they will also be able to get acquainted with the job much faster. Introduce the new employee to the team. Managers should welcome the new hires and introduce them to the rest of the team, but they shouldn’t do everything themselves. The entire team has a stake in getting the new hire integrated as fast as possible, so onboarding responsibilities can be spread out. Schedule a lunch with the new hire and other employees. They can use the time to discuss serious matters like KPIs, and less serious ones like where the best place to get coffee is. All this contributes to helping the new hire fit in. Review security and safety procedures. Before the new hires leave on the first day, remember to review security and safety procedures with them. This varies from workplace to workplace, but common reminders should include which devices are allowed to be brought in, where the emergency exits are, and who to contact in case of untoward incidents. In addition, data privacy is considered one of the most important aspects of workplaces today, and each employee needs to be briefed on everything from wifi hotspots to which sites should not be accessed. Read more: Below average staff performance? Time to look at your onboarding process The first week Invite questions. There are plenty of questions that can’t be answered in a video introduction or briefing packet. Invite your new employee to ask questions about specific breaks, telecommuting options (if applicable), frequency of performance evaluations, inclement weather procedures, and pay and leave policies. Often, there are small details that remain unclear, even if the handbook already discusses them. Listen to the employees’ feedback and edit the material accordingly. Complete documentary requirements. Most companies today have a paperless onboarding process that lets employees complete their requirements online. Tanda, for example, provides a customisable onboarding feature that lets a manager specify which requirements need to be uploaded, and tracks the progress of the new employee in completing them. This saves time through the legally compliant collection and lodgement of tax file numbers directly to the ATO. However, if there are still documents that require physical signatures, make sure that these are completed within the first week. Schedule a meeting between the employee and the supervisor. At the end of the week, it’s important for the supervisor to sit down with the new employee and discuss how the week went. First impressions, surprises, and challenges should be tackled, as well as preparations for the next week. This sets an expectation of transparency and constant communication between employees and supervisors. It also lets the new hires know that the company values their feedback. The first 60 days Develop personal performance expectations. A personal performance development plan consists of specific, measurable, and realistic goals that directly impact on job performance and are tied to the organisation’s mission. Assist the new hire in listing the goals down in order, and ensure that they are cohesive and aligned with their career trajectory. These expectations can be related to both quantity and quality — both numerical measurements and are means for achieving a goal. Conduct company culture training programs. Fostering company culture and integrating new hires into it can’t be done in a week. Take the time to spread out targeted training programs over the first month to avoid information overload. The content varies from one company to another, but common topics include anti-discrimination, anti-sexual harassment, equal employment opportunity, security and safety, ethics, and role-based information technology security. Schedule a meeting between the employee and the supervisor. The end of the first month is the perfect time to schedule a second meeting between the employee and supervisor. Personal performance expectations can be finalised at this time. New questions can also be answered, as the employee will no doubt have come across new challenges and situations in the past month. This can also be a bonding opportunity for the managers and the team, and a good way to increase overall employee engagement. Read more: Employee Engagement – A Matter of Care The first 100 days Outline employee progress. Over the next three months, it’s a good idea to keep track of the new hire’s progress. Conventional practice suggests 100 days of onboarding is ideal, but one month or less is more realistic for many of today’s companies. A 2017 CareerBuilder survey showed that 21% of companies have a month-long onboarding process, while 25% only take a day. Only 11% are closer to having a 100-day process. Nevertheless, the first 100 days are essential for setting baselines and expectations. Discuss challenges and areas for improvement. Just as progress is being tracked, initial challenges and areas for improvement should also be tackled. Is the new hire having difficulty with time and attendance, for instance? Looking at the timesheets will give you a good idea if there is cause for concern. Of course, employing time and attendance automation will make this go much faster, as managers can monitor clock ins in real time. Invite questions. As always, it’s good practice to promote transparency and accountability by inviting new hires to ask questions about the company, their role, and their progress. It’s also a good opportunity for them to forward suggestions during this crucial time because they are able to see the operations with fresh eyes. The first year Summarise accomplishments. At the end of the first year, the accomplishments of each new hire should be summarised, along with feedback from several individuals that he or she worked with. This includes not just supervisors, but teammates and support staff. This will give both the manager and the employee a concrete basis of discussions moving forward. A suitable format should be provided to each new hire by the relevant department, who should also be ready to answer their questions about the process. Discuss career growth plans. Now that accomplishments have been summarised, career growth plans can also be discussed. Throughout the course of the year, the new hire may have found new avenues to explore or new responsibilities they are willing to take on. It’s important to be open-minded about their suggestions and to allow them the space to grow as individuals within the company. Create new personal performance expectations. Moving forward into the next year, the last stage of the extended onboarding process is to create new personal performance expectations. It contains all the elements mentioned earlier, a format for which should be provided, but now the employee is armed with the knowledge and experience of the previous year. At this juncture, they should be empowered enough to suggest performance expectations and take on new responsibilities. Each onboarding checklist differs for each organisation but the checklist above is generally applicable to most, regardless of industry. Onboarding, when done well, makes a difference in the turnover rate and long-term company growth. It may seem like a tall order to create a stellar onboarding process, but it helps to invest in a workforce management system that handles some of the work for you. For one, Tanda’s custom onboarding takes some of the load off administrative staff, allowing them to truly focus on empowering the newest members of your workforce. Curious to know more about a workforce management system that provides custom onboarding? Book your free demo today.

Rosie Ramirez

10 December 2018    |   

Workplace automation, including the use of artificial intelligence and robotics, is expected to surge in the next three years, according to multinational insurance broker Willis Towers Watson. This development is unsurprising, as automating HR can lead to significant cost savings for your organisation, especially when implemented in managing attendance, eradicating benefit errors, and automating compliance. With the growing demand for advanced technology use, automating HR processes is not an eventuality, it’s a necessity. But streamlining processes and lowering administrative costs is only one side of the coin. Yes, owners, employers, and managers stand to gain a lot from ensuring that the business is ready for the future. But employees, too, are benefiting from workforce technology platforms that not only ensure wages are paid accurately and on time, but also introduce flexibility and increase transparency in the workplace. Employees love Tanda’s workforce success software because it empowers them in more ways than one. Read about how Tanda is making a difference in workplaces around the world. Error-free Timesheets and Pay Runs The first and most obvious benefit of workforce technology platforms is error-free timesheets and accurate pay runs. Companies that still use manual methods for timekeeping and pay calculation can cause employees to second guess if they’re really getting paid the right amount every time the payslip arrives. In fact, Australia recently had a spate of wage theft accusations, leaving in its wake damaged reputations and millions in back wages. Owners and managers commonly cite a lack of understanding of Australia’s complex award system as the reason it happens. Read more: Taking Back Time: Solving the enduring wage theft problem in Australia Switching to the Tanda employee time clock app ensures staff that their shifts are recorded accurately throughout the pay period. Timesheets are processed with Tanda’s award interpreter, to account for modern awards of Fair Work Australia as well as other enterprise award agreements. This is then exported in a format compatible with a host of payroll integrations, making pay runs quick and reliable. This increases the level of trust and transparency between employers and employees, which in turn increase productivity and engagement in the long run. Better Work-Life Balance When employees have a healthy work-life balance, they become more fulfilled with their work, and more invested in the future of the company. There are a number of ways flexibility can be introduced into a company without hurting the bottom line. For instance, Tanda’s unavailability calendar feature lets employees tell their managers whenever they might not be open for shifts. This helps the company create rosters around each person’s unavailability. Another feature, leave management, optimises the leave request process and lets staff file requests via the web browser or employee app. For some companies, more novel solutions like shift swapping are providing employees with more options to achieve better work-life balance. It allows shift workers to trade shifts with one another when the need arises. This lets shift workers strike a balance between their personal commitments and work responsibilities. Tanda’s shift swapping feature that integrates into its time and attendance web and mobile apps. It lets staff request to drop or cover a shift right from their mobile phone, making it easy for them to start the swapping process. Read more: Achieving Workforce Success: Shift Swapping for Managers Reliable Rostering and Communication Employees need to know their schedule well ahead of time so that they can plan their upcoming week. Tanda’s web-based rostering software cuts down the time companies spend making the weekly roster. Cognitive Rosters® can be connected to your existing roster templates for the predictive suggestion of staffing requirements. Once approved, Tanda sends the roster to staff via SMS, email, or employee app. Employees can then inform their manager of any leave requests or else apply for a swap, dramatically reducing the chances of unfilled shifts throughout the week. Proper rostering is extremely important because overstretched employees aren’t productive. Too few staff on a given shift affects how they engage customers and respond to demands. Tanda’s Predictive Workforce feature uses sales data from the business’ Point-of-Sale (POS) to give an accurate forecast on how many people are needed on any given shift. During the day, Live Insights can be used to make key decisions on whether to call more people in, ensuring that the high quality of operation is sustained and uninterrupted. Read more: Introducing Live Insights: Using real-time staffing to secure your business Transparent and Engaging Workplace According to a survey done by Interaction Associates, 86% of employees say that they are more productive if they trust their employers. A separate study by advocacy group Trust Across America found that trustworthy companies outperform companies in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index. Building that kind of game-changing trust starts with transparency within the organisation. Employees must know that their company is working in the interests of all and they are open about the information that matters to them. With a world-class workforce success software like Tanda, employees have access to a portal that lets them know their time and attendance records, time off allowances, and upcoming shift schedules. It also increases employee engagement in other ways, like clocking in by taking a selfie on the Tanda Time Clock. Starting the workday with a smile can change the employee’s whole perspective, which can lead to a better rapport with customers and fellow coworkers. And with Tanda doing most of the admin work, employees have more time to do the things that matter to them. Read more: Crafting Workforce Success at Windsor Alehouse Why Workforce Software Matters For the modern employee to do their best at work, they need to feel that the company is supporting them and is willing to adjust to their needs from time to time. They need to know that the company they’re working for pays them correctly, supports their life commitments, and effectively communicates with them at all times. Companies can make all this happen by moving on from outdated processes that bogs down human resource management. By using workforce management software, employees are more motivated to work, empowered by a platform that allows companies to drive trust, engagement, and the ultimate employee experience. Ready to find out what Tanda can do for your business? Book a demo today.