15 employee productivity tracker tools: Measure your employees productivity

Regardless of the industry your business is in, employee productivity is of the utmost importance. After all, it’s what keeps your business moving like a well-oiled machine. A productive workforce is focused, efficient, and organized and ensures customers are satisfied with your company. Unproductive employees, on the other hand, will eat away at your profits, impacting your bottom line. So, how can you stay on top of employee productivity throughout their workdays?

Employee productivity tracking is a great way for business owners to monitor and assess staff performance. Tracking tools can help you limit costly distractions, gain valuable insight into your team’s productivity, and save money. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about monitoring worker productivity, or use the links below to jump from section to section.

• How do employers track employee productivity?
• What is an employee productivity tracker?
• The benefits of tracking employee productivity
• How to measure employee productivity
• Tips for tracking and improving employee productivity
• Final notes: Enhancing productivity at your company

15 Employee tracker tools and apps

There are several employee tracker tools and apps available to you. However, not all of them are created equal. For that reason, we’ve listed a few of the best tools and apps for employee tracking below. Now you compare each one and find the right service for your business.

QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time is a robust time tracking software that makes it easy to monitor staff productivity. With QuickBooks Time, employees can start tracking time on any compatible device, regardless of where they are. Plus, with in-depth time card reports, managers can predict future expenses and plan accordingly. QuickBooks Time is the best time tracking software for companies in the construction and landscaping industry, small businesses, and large enterprises.

QuickBooks Time key features:

• Automate timesheets to streamline payroll
• Powerful integrations with apps like ADP, Gusto, and Asana
• GPS and geofencing capabilities
• Automatic notifications for managers
• Easy mileage tracking

QuickBooks Time starts at $10 a month for the premium plan. For $20 a month, you can take advantage of the elite plan.

Hours

Hours Tracker is a basic time tracking application. With this app, you can track hours worked, total wages, breaks, payment periods, and even business expenses. The app is meant for a single person to use, making it ideal for contractors and freelancers.

Hours Tracker key features:

• Automates breaks for your staff
• Interface is easy to navigate
• Allows you to add comments and notes to time entries
• Ability to color-code project entries for easy tracking
• Is compatible with smartwatches

Hours is free to use, but you’ll have to pay $8 a month per user to take advantage of all of the application’s functions.

Timecamp

Timecamp is a time tracking software system designed with both teams and freelancers in mind. At the end of the workday, employees and freelancers can fill their timesheets using Timecamp. The system will then automatically make invoices, so all you have to do is send them to your customers. It’s an ideal choice for B2B companies with a medium to large workforce.

Timecamp key features:

• Integrations for project management, sales, accounting, and dev tools
• Doubles as a payroll system
• Tracks employee attendance as well as holidays and vacation hours
• Offers advanced reporting
• Keeps track of attendance

Timecamp’s basic monthly plan is priced at $7 per month for every user, while the pro plan is $10 per user.

Time Doctor

Time Doctor can track time, monitor employees, and help you manage projects all in one place. The system will automatically record the web pages and apps employees use, which reduces the possibility of them slacking off on the clock. Time Doctor is suitable for both small and large companies with about 20 to 500 employees.

Time Doctor key features:

• Automatically provides screenshots
• Chat monitoring
• Allows clients to view your company’s Time Doctor account
• Can create payrolls and pay staff all in one app

Time Doctor is priced at $9.99 per month for every user.

DeskTime

DeskTime makes it easy to consistently monitor employees and their productivity by tracking time work activity. From URL tracking to application monitoring, DeskTime allows managers to see what their team is working on in real-time. DeskTime may be the right choice for companies and teams that are interested in understanding the productivity of their workforce better.

DeskTime key features:

• Provides detailed productivity timelines and reports to help managers have a more detailed look into an employee’s day
• Automatically screenshots screens to ensure your staff is focused
• Includes a Pomodoro timer
• Integrations with apps like Google Calendar, Asana, and Basecamp

DeskTime Prices range from $95 per month to $190 per month.

ProofHub

ProofHub provides managers with the resources necessary to stay on top of employee productivity and manage projects. This includes project planning, organizing, and tracking. With time and productivity tracking at your disposal, you can deliver projects quickly and efficiently. ProofHub may be appropriate for managers looking to help their team become more productive.

ProofHub key features:

• Can track project progress
• Activity logs help managers stay on top of their team’s workday activities
• Can integrate with third-party applications, like Google Calendar, Dropbox, and Outlook
• Easy-to-use collaboration tools

ProofHub prices range from $45 to $89, depending on the plan.

Toggl

Toggl uses a timer to keep track of projects and productivity. Once employees are done with a task, it’s easy to create an invoice and send it directly to the client. If you have team members that are very forgetful, the system will automatically remind them to keep track of their time. Toggle may be a good solution for startups, small businesses, and freelancers.

Toggl key features:

• Can integrate with over 100 applications
• Project planning capabilities
• Easy filtering options
• Candidate screening and onboarding functionality
• Can round time entries automatically

Toggl is free for teams with less than five users but it can cost $20 for the premium plan.

Hubstaff

With the Hubstaff time tracking app, you can track employee hours, create schedules, and monitor employees with GPS-tracking features. The app works online and offline, making it easy for employees to track their time no matter the circumstances. Hubstaff is ideal for small-to-midsize e-commerce companies, construction businesses, and startups.

Hubstaff key features:

• Easily keeps track of time-off and holiday requests
• Can set pay rates for individual team members or projects
• Integrations with over 30 apps, such as Slack, Asana, and Redmine
• Application and URL tracking

Hubstaff is free for one user. If your team is larger, prices range from $7 to $20.

Tick

Tick is a project-based time tracking system that will track time against estimated projects and budgets. This allows employees to see whether or not they’ll exceed their budget or estimated time. Tick can be a good solution for freelancers, startups, and small businesses that routinely work on similar tasks back-to-back.

Tick key features:

• Easy-to-use timecard
• Can track time from anywhere
• Receive instant project feedback
• Compatible with smartwatches

Tick’s pricing can range from $19 a month to $149 a month, depending on the number of projects you have.

RescueTime

RescueTime is a simple-to-use application that tracks both working hours and monitors your employees’ activity, including time spent on websites and programs. This allows you to verify an employee’s productivity and ensure they’re staying focused throughout the day. RescueTime can be a great app for employees and freelancers that want to stay on top of their productivity and manage their time better.

RescueTime key features:

• Easily set targets for goalkeeping and KPIs
• Increase efficiency by blocking distracting websites and apps
• Provides personalized reports, giving you insight into an employees workday
• Receive weekly emails summarizing productivity

RescueTime Lite is free. To upgrade to premium, users can expect to pay $9 per user every month.

Harvest

Harvest tracks and monitors your time and expenses, allowing managers to see how much time is spent on individual projects. The system then creates comprehensive reports to help you make more informed business decisions. Startups and freelancers looking to track time and monitor expenses intelligently can benefit from this solution.

Harvest key features:

• Receive visual reports based on tracked time
• Automatically create invoices for clients
• Add comments to tasks and projects
• Invoice payment reminders that are sent automatically to customers

Harvest can cost up to $12 a month per user.

Qbserve

Qbserve is both a time and productivity tracking app. The app will keep track of time based on websites that contain specific keywords and terms. As a result, websites that contain blocked keywords won’t be counted toward your billable hours. Keep in mind that this app is only available for Mac users.

Qbserve key features:

• Accurate time monitoring
• Receive detailed productivity reports
• Generate invoices
• Real-time feedback

Qbserve is free to download and costs a one-time payment of $29.

Clockify

Clockify is a time tracking software that allows employees to track billable hours using a timer. The system will also send automatic reminders to workers that forget to start their timer. Because Clockify is affordable and easy to use, it’s ideal for freelancers and teams that need a simple tracker.

Clockify key features:

• Timesheet locking to prevent users from making changes
• Automatically round time on reports
• Options for manual time entries
• Automatic notifications for project progress and reviews

Clockify has a free version that’s perfect for those on a budget. However, pricing begins at $3.99 per month up and can reach $11.99 per month.

Workpuls

Workpuls is an easy-to-use employee monitoring software that can verify staff attendance, track computer activity, and take screenshots. With Workpuls, you can ensure your team isn’t slacking off. Workpuls can also track time, making it a suitable option for small to large businesses where productivity is a priority.

Workpuls key features:

• Generate timesheets automatically based on an employee’s tracked activity
• Receive automatic screenshots of computer activities
• Project budgeting tools
• Automatic time mapping

Workpuls pricing depends on the size of your team. For example, if you need a plan for 16 users, you’re looking to pay about $95 to $190 a month.

Beebole

The Beebole time tracking app is efficient and simple, so all types of businesses can implement it with ease.

Managers can automate or manually approve timesheets and track time daily, weekly, or monthly. You can also customize it to fit your business needs. If you’re looking for a solution that can track time and productivity, then Beebole may be right for you.

Beebole key features:

• User-friendly interface
• Allows for automated or manual timesheet approvals
• Customizable app makes it easy to mold to your business
• Search functions can help find employee, customer, and project times faster

Beebole costs about $7.00 a month for every user.

What is an employee productivity tracker?

Employee productivity trackers are tools you can implement at your business to monitor, track, and manage the performance of your workforce. Ultimately, this grants you the data needed to evaluate your team’s productivity levels, whether they’re remote workers or freelancers. These trackers come in different forms, such as digital time trackers that record employee attendance or monitoring software that captures employee activity online. The most common ways to monitor employee performance are:

• Website and application tracking
• Email monitoring
• Keylogging
• Time tracking
• GPS tracking
• Video surveillance

By implementing the employee monitoring methods mentioned, managers across various industries can ensure their team performs at the highest level and produces quality content.

Want to learn more about the types of employee monitoring? Check out our guide on employee tracking and monitoring employees in the workplace.

Benefits of tracking employee productivity

Tracking employee productivity can benefit your business and team immensely, from helping you create a more engaged workforce to increasing profits. If you’re on the fence about whether to implement productivity tracking tools, here are a few benefits to consider:

Cost savings

You may not realize how much unproductive employees cut into your profits. The truth is, companies around the world lose about $7 trillion annually due to disengaged workers. Unproductive employees can cost your business more in the long run since the quality of their work may be lower. This leads to a rise in inefficiencies at your business and unhappy customers. Their lack of engagement can also affect the rest of your team, effectively decreasing morale.

Monitoring productivity can keep your team engaged, ensuring their work meets company standards. Productivity trackers can also prevent costly overtime by notifying you when in-office and remote employees clock out late. This way, you can approve overtime instead of letting it sneak up on you when it’s time to process payroll.

Limit distractions

With smartphone users more likely to be distracted by their mobile devices , tracking productivity is essential. From social media to credit card purchases, the online sphere is full of distractions that hinder employee performance. This means that you’re essentially paying employees for slacking off during work time. Productivity tracking can curb misuse of company time, enabling better time management among your team. Use monitoring tools to ensure employees stay focused during the workday.

Clear insight into employee performance

Productivity tracking can provide insight into the work habits of your employees. For instance, you can learn when they’re most and least productive. By knowing their work habits like the palm of your hand, you can easily implement procedures to improve their satisfaction at work. This includes policies that allow remote work or flexible shifts.

On top of that, managers can also easily identify employees who are struggling with their workload and locate the root of the problem. You may find that they’re at capacity with their work, need extra training, or can’t work efficiently due to bottlenecks. Productivity tracking can help you avoid having to terminate employees and use resources to hire and train new workers.

How to measure employee productivity

Measuring and increasing employee productivity may seem intimidating, but it’s something all businesses can learn to do. However, it must be implemented correctly at your business to prevent hurting the backbone of your business—your employees.

Your business needs

Productivity tracking isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. From different departments to the industry your business operates in, it’s vital that you carefully consider the needs of your business. For example, small businesses may opt to use a free timesheet template to keep track of billable work hours. However, larger corporations may implement surveillance tools to ensure remote teams are productive while also preventing trade secrets from being leaked to the public.

Daily, weekly, and monthly productivity measurements

Tracking your productivity daily, weekly, and monthly means measuring whether employees meet their goals and targets during this specified time frame. Setting realistic metrics will help you and your team measure productivity based on what they produce and the quality of work.

Analyze profit to determine company productivity

Analyzing profit is a straightforward way to determine the productivity of your workforce. This is because employers don’t have to track the profit of every employee. Instead, they can see the revenue of the company as a whole to determine if departments met their objectives.

Take advantage of project tracking software

Project tracking and employee monitoring software can enhance your team’s productivity by allowing you to see and manage all projects from one centralized location. With greater visibility, there’s more accountability and an increase in productivity. This also makes it easier for team members to prioritize their work and prevent bottlenecks that hinder project completion.

Tips for tracking and improving employee productivity

Tracking productivity is an essential step in improving the overall performance of your workforce and improving company culture. Here are a few key tips to help you boost your company’s productivity:

Set expectations verbally and in writing

To improve employee productivity, communicating with your team is essential. Make sure employees understand what’s expected of them in terms of work output. Communication is key to preventing morale from plummeting due to using productivity monitoring software, so be as transparent as possible. Emphasize these expectations during the onboarding process and include them in the employee handbook. That way, your team can reference it whenever.

Use employee tracking tools

Your business may be growing exponentially, making it more challenging for managers to oversee their team. That’s where employee tracking tools come in. These tools allow managers to keep a close eye on productivity without having to hover over employees 24/7. By establishing employee monitoring practices, leaders can spot when employees don’t meet the expectations outlined in their handbook. They can then take the proper disciplinary measures right away.

Keep in mind that employees are often wary about monitoring techniques. As you implement tracking tools, such as keylogging or website surveillance to screenshot and report idle time, reiterate the importance of using these tools. Ease their worries by explaining that these systems are safe to use and won’t store personal information like home addresses or Social Security numbers.

Use time tracking software

Leverage the power of technology by using time tracking software to measure the productivity of your team. Time tracking tools allow you to see when employees start and end their shifts. You may find that employees are still working even after their shifts are over. This could mean that they’re not being productive during the workday or have too much on their plate.

Check in regularly on progress

Regularly check in with employees to discuss their performance and productivity, ensuring it’s up to par with company expectations. This provides you with an opportunity to praise employees, recommend further training, or take disciplinary action.

Keep these tips in mind as you search for the best way to track employee productivity at your business.

Final notes: Enhancing productivity at your company

To enhance productivity at your company, implementing a productivity tracker is vital. Not only will it boost productivity among your workforce, but it’ll also help managers manage their team better and identify underperforming employees. This way, you can retain the best of the best at your company.

Make streamlining productivity monitoring and project management workflows a breeze with a robust time tracking system like QuickBooks Time. Track employee time and attendance, create schedules, and stay on top of projects all in one central hub. Plus, if you have employees that have to travel, you can enable real-time mileage and GPS tracking to ensure accurate timesheets.