Agent ELF – Page 7 – Time and Attendance

Love is in the Air and on the Shop Floor

Love is all around, check out our Valentine’s Day blog on keeping an attentive eye on your workforce.

“Love is in the Air” as John Paul Young once sang – for those of you old enough to remember and for those not old enough – it was 1977 to be precise!

February 14th is once again with us and for all you cynical people out there, Valentine’s Day is not something that can be avoided, especially as there are romantic reminders everywhere you turn. Valentine’s Day, particularly within a company, is one of those places. It has become a prime opportunity for people to make their anonymous move on that one special person who has caught their eye.

Embarking on a romance within an enterprise can turn out to be the best thing ever, or the worst, depending on the outcome and the company’s view. So what is your position as a business with regards to the wooing process or “courting” as they used to say, amongst your employees?

Where do you stand with your staff gazing at each other across the office and meeting at the photocopier? Are you happy seeing flowers, chocolates and a cuddly toy sent by a lovesick Romeo in pursuit of their Juliet? And are you content with the endless company gossip about the latest lovebirds?

Or are you, like a lot of employers out there, concerned about the lack of focus, downturn in productivity and even worse having to deal with a potential harassment claim?

Every company wants to cut their employees a little “slack” at certain times during their working day. No employer wants to be known as a tyrant in the office, especially when team building and morale is an integral part of any company’s mission statement. Unfortunately, as companies usually find out, there is a fine line between boosting staff morale and seeing your productivity output decline. As some employers call it “a very unproductive day”.

When does team building, and joviality (romantic or not) within the workplace stop and non-productive, timewasting and un-focused employees begin?

You may be asking “What’s Love Got To Do With It”? What can you do if your current Time and Attendance processes are not up to the task of monitoring your very own “Part-Time Lovers”, especially at this most romantic time of year? And what if “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” surrounding your manual, outdated and unreliable data capture system.

Here at ELF Productivity Ltd, authors of Ceequel® Time and Attendance software, we can ensure that “You’ve Got That Loving Feeling”. A module that will become your very own “Dreamlover”.

ELF Productivity’s Shop Floor Data Capture capture module is your own corporate cupid. It entwines management processes and employee tracking together. It has key features within, including, Actuals v Standard-times, Productive v Non-Productive Hours, Wages to Gross, Machine Monitoring and Incentive Scheme Calculations.

Employee Tracking is another key element within Shop Floor Data Capture. This will not only calculate the total number of hours worked by a particular employee but it will also provide details on how many hours the employee has worked on either a particular task or within a certain sector/department of the company. With fast accurate monitoring 24 hours day, transparency and clarity ensures you stay fully informed.

Here at ELF Productivity Ltd we have been at the forefront of Time and Attendance since 1982, so we are well positioned to understand that people spend a considerable amount of time in the workplace. Relationships which begin on the shop floor are more likely to end in marriage than ones that began in a pub or club. This is why we are best placed to understand the true requirements of Human Resource Management and Payroll Departments. Because of this our modules are being constantly developed to make use of any new ideas and new ways of making Time and Attendance processes, simpler, faster and more automated.

Do you want a new “Vision of Love? Is ELF Productivity Ltd and Ceequel® Time and Attendance software “The One That You Want” this Valentine’s Day?

If so, we know that “Love Takes Time” so Contact ELF Productivity today for a free no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software.

If you would like to learn more about the unrivalled functionality of Ceequel® Software Suite, including our flagship Time and Attendance offering; a range of downloadable brochures can be found here.

Let’s Get Physical – Not Bent Out Of Shape

From a gentle jog to a flying leap, take a look at our latest blog and find out more about flexible and remote working.

One word………… EXERCISE. How does that word make you feel, does it fill you with excitement or dread? Let’s be honest, exercise is something you either love doing or avoid with a passion. Those that avoid it usually give the same reason ……… I would like to, I just don’t have the time.

The beginning of a New Year is traditionally the most popular period to embark on a new healthy regime. Gym memberships are signed up for, usually done on the back of a New Year’s Eve resolution and healthy eating begins – again! ALL junk food stops immediately, fat skimming devices are brought out of retirement (back of the kitchen cupboard) cobwebs and dust are blown off and you feel amazing. You head into work all enthusiastic but then what happens? The ultra slim, work colleague who can eat whatever he/she wants is eating the “colonel’s secret recipe” like it’s going to be put on ration…..right in front of you! You mutter to yourself “It’s like they are doing this on purpose, they KNOW I am trying to be healthier”.

The truth is nobody is purposely trying to do that, your colleagues have always been on first name terms with the staff at the “Golden Arches”. When you embark on a new solo healthy regime and all that goes with it, cutting all the bad stuff out straightaway is too much, for even the most iron-willed of people. Gym memberships are very good but let’s be honest, how many subscriptions have you taken out and then not actually attended? How often have you started something with really good intentions and then never finished it?

Work commitments inevitably come first for most people, along with families and other obligations, the endless commute to and from the workplace can also take its toll. The new healthy regimes started with such high hopes, end up taking a back seat and it’s normally around this time of year, as we head into February, that this starts to kick in. Christmas is a dim and distant memory, along with your resolutions. So what can you do to not only keep your staff motivated but yourself during these long winter months, especially as Spring is still some way off?

This is where you find that if managed properly, the workplace can actually turn out to be one of the best places to try and be a little healthier. Promoting nutritious eating, as well as endorsing walks during the day are very beneficial and are a great way to exercise both the body and mind, as well as getting to know other colleagues better. But what if your current Time and Attendance processes are unable to cope with several of your staff out on a brisk jaunt at once, what if your manual processes are unable to handle flexible or remote shift patterns?

Flexible working or being able to work remotely from home 1 or 2 days a week, is a great incentive to a lot of current and potential employees, especially for those with children or who care for relatives etc, who given the choice, would prefer not to work the standard Monday to Friday 9.00am-5.00pm shift. A healthy work-life balance is achievable for any company and if flexible or remote working is the way forward for your company as we head into 2018, then Elf Productivity Ltd’s Time and Attendance, with Employee Self Service and Ceequel® Mobile Apps, is for you.

Elf Productivity Ltd’s Employee Self Service and Ceequel® Mobile Apps, are applications created for Android, Apple and Windows devices. Whether you are looking to collect employees clockings or support your existing workforce with legislative changes to travel time, Ceequel® Mobile App will improve your Time and Attendance processes. It not only allows employees to clock in and clock out, but it will also provide you with an exact location of your remote workers.

Ceequel®‘s Employee Self Service module is a great partner to the Ceequel® Mobile App, as it comes along side and allows employees more freedom with regards to requesting absences. The module provides employees access to their personal data and it will also allow them to request absences, such as holidays, dentists, doctors and TOIL (time off in lieu) etc, as well as remotely viewing or requesting changes to their shift roster. It also takes away some of the timely administrative duties as it devolves more responsibility to the employee.

Companies are now fully aware that employees physical and mental health needs have to be taken into consideration within the workplace. Employees need to be supported and if that means allowing them more freedom and giving them newer, faster options and with more flexibility within their shift, without impairing their output, then Elf Productivity Ltd’s Time and Attendance system is for you.

You look after the things of value to you and your personnel are worth investing in. You devote so much precious time investing and attracting the best employees possible, so why not invest the same time into your automated processes and look to the market leaders in Time and Attendance – invest in the best, invest in ELF.

Contact ELF Productivity today for a free no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software.

A Horse Fell On Me – Timewasters Versus The Real Deal

Don’t let the joke be on you, take a look at our latest blog and find out more about recruiting and retaining the best staff for your workplace.

“I’m sorry I can’t attend the interview today, but a horse fell on me”

Believe it or not, this is a genuine excuse from a potential employee, as told to a leading HR magazine, under their heading …..… “I can neigh-make it”. Recruitment is no joke, so what would you do to attract not only the best of the job-seekers out there, but separate the time-wasters from the genuine article?

Every company wants to attract the best in their field. Flexible working, well-being and benefits are just a few of the usual enticements, but what else would you have to do, to not only attract the best talent but also retain them? Is it high salary that brings in the best? Not necessarily so. You will find that in most cases, it is your reputation or brand that usually attracts any potential employee, word of mouth, still holds some “clout” (as we say in the North), whether that be face to face or via social media.

If an employee is aware that they’re appreciated by their significant managers, this is quite simply “gold” to a company, as it usually signifies that the company is caring, stable and forward thinking. An employee’s confidence and self-esteem is lifted and they feel well looked after. Any company or manager that does or doesn’t grasp hold of this “nugget” will reap their own individual reward! To a significant number of individuals, going home at the end of the working day and knowing that they’ve not only contributed to but finished a great job still holds some weight. People still want to work for a good, well thought of company, a place where they don’t just clock in, clock out and take home a salary.

Lack of support and progression in the workplace, has been shown to be a major demoralising factor. A happy and enthusiastic workforce is the engine of any company, therefore senior management need to engage or touch base on a regular basis with all their employees to make sure that everyone is happy and enthusiastic. Once you have the key elements of Human Resource Management in place, attracting and retaining the right staff will not be an issue.

This is where we at Elf Productivity Ltd authors of Ceequel® Software Suite come in, as our Time and Attendance software and knowledge is unrivalled. Elf Productivity Ltd’s Human Resource Management and Shop Floor Data Capture modules have key elements that incorporate all of the above.

Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture includes an Incentive Scheme Calculation, which is particularly popular within industrial companies. This module converts individual operator performance with performance related pay. The benefits of this are increased accuracy and any bonus calculations identified, will export to the payroll immediately. No employee wants to have to constantly chase up their manager or payroll department, be that for a bonus or an increase in earnings! Elf Productivity Ltd’s Time and Attendance system puts an end to all of that, with its fast and accurate monitoring, 24 hours a day.

Elf Productivity’s Human Resource Management module is a fully centralised HR system. Key features within this module are Training, Flexible Benefits and Appraisals, elements that are productive to both employer and employee.

When a new employee starts work, the list of tasks that the Human Resource department have to work their way through can be draining. You probably feel like you have already run a marathon after just the recruitment and interview stages. Elf Productivity Ltd’s unmatched Time and Attendance software takes away all the hard work from this time consuming process, even more time consuming if you are still using manual and outdated methods.

Here at Elf Productivity Ltd we have had, like everyone else, our own recruitment experiences (I must admit, no horses though) which is why we are best placed to understand what Human Resource and Payroll Departments want. We are continually developing our modules with new ideas and new ways of making Time and Attendance software processes, simpler, faster and easier.

Keep the staff happy and you are halfway there, don’t have a factory shutdown or mutiny on your hands from disgruntled and underappreciated employees……….. naming no names Mr President!

You use valuable time attracting and recruiting the best, so why not put your time into your automated processes and invest in the best, invest in ELF.

Contact ELF Productivity today for a free no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software.

Disco 2000 – The Millennial Generation

From Disco 2000 to the year 2018, take a look at our latest blog and find out more about recruiting the Millennial Generation.

It’s January again and it’s traditionally the time to plan and to look forward to a new year ahead, unblotted, brand-new, ready and waiting. It’s also a time to reflect on things past and to ask yourself, could I do this better, is there something else out there, something different?

Let’s rewind to the year 1995……

Pretty much everyone knows the catchy song “Disco 2000” by the band Pulp right? For a certain few of us it’s hard to believe that that song is now over 20 years old! Does it only seem like yesterday that you were dancing and singing along to it – it’s interesting how time flies isn’t it?

It’s even more interesting, that Y2K babies as they become known who were born in the year 2000, the year that seemed a long way off in 1995, are now approaching adulthood. These Millennium babies are now looking to join the big world of commerce and industry, looking to make their own individual mark on the world.

2018 is the year when the last of what is known as the Millennial Generation enters the workplace. Everyone born in the year 2000 who have chosen not to pursue further full time education, will this year, enter into employment.

So the question we ask you is, are you ready?

• Are you ready to attract the Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Tech-Savvy Teenagers?
• How will your brand be attractive to an enthusiastic, prospective employee?
• How will your Human Resource and Payroll Departments deal with potential Apprenticeships?
• Can your current systems handle the various shift patterns and training that inevitably accompany these placements, whilst still meeting your current workforce’s needs and obligations?

Do you have the right Time and Attendance system in place, or are your current processes, like the song “Disco 2000”, stuck back in 1995?

Again we ask, are you ready?

Here at Elf Productivity Ltd, authors of Ceequel® Time and Attendance, we are ready!

We have been at the forefront of Time and Attendance since 1982, in fact, Elf Productivity Ltd was established not long after the start of the Millennial Generation (1980 -2000).

Elf Productivity Ltd is part of that same generation; we understand technology like they do, because we are the original trailblazers. We are continually developing new ideas and new ways of making Time and Attendance processes, simpler, faster and easier.

Human Resource Management, Employee Self Service, Apps for i-Clocker and Android, are just a few of the modules that Elf Productivity Ltd provides.

So, take the apprehension out of training and working alongside a technology confident teenager (Q to his friends) and have the latest Time and Attendance software in place, along with Elf Productivity’s bespoke user friendly training.

Take it from us, the first of the Millennial Generation, Elf Productivity Ltd’s Human Resource Management module is your Bond to their Q!

So don’t hesitate, contact ELF Productivity today for a free no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software and as Jarvis sings in the song…. “Let’s all meet up”.

Go forward into 2018, better prepared and with the latest and most up to date software in terms of automated systems in place, for ALL your workforce.

A Ceequel® Christmas Carol

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at ELF Productivity, the tree is up, advent calendars are well and truly underway; only one thing remains…A Christmassy infographic!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at ELF Productivity, the tree is up, advent calendars are well and truly underway; in fact, only one thing remains…

A Christmassy infographic showcasing the unrivalled functionality of our award-winning Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software Suite!

Please enjoy and feel free to share with your friends on social media.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Time and Attendance or any of our other Human Resource Management Software solutions, please contact ELF Productivity.

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The Top Five Things Employees REALLY Want at Work (apart from more money)

Check out our latest blog post as we reveal the top five things employees really want at work (apart from a pay rise).

Five-Things-Employees-Really-Want-at-Work-HR-Software

Last month we brought you our top eleven weirdest job interview questions which were presumably devised by employers to sift through the generically predictable interview patter in the hunt for the perfect candidate. However, another testing teaser which delves a little deeper into interviewees’ priorities has piqued our interest this time around…

Rank the following factors by order of importance to YOU: Financial Reward, Praise and Personal Achievement.

Of course, there are people who enjoy successful careers, are no strangers to lashings of adulation and even manage to earn copious sums of money for good measure! However, for those of us who aren’t Premier League footballers, it’s all about reaching a suitable compromise, taking a leaf out of The Rolling Stones’ book if you will… “you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find, you get what you need!”

Interestingly, a recent survey set out to discover what employees in the UK truly desire within the workplace aside from the somewhat obvious, increase in pay. Throughout this post, we’ll be revealing the top five most popular responses along with a number of examples outlining how Ceequel® Employee Management Software could potentially aid organisations in giving the people what they want.

Ladies and gentlemen, the top 5 things employees really want at work apart from more money…

To Feel Valued – Let’s face it, we spend a substantial amount of time at work and therefore like to feel that our efforts are both valued and appreciated. Although first and foremost, we showcase our skills to pay the bills, other powerful motivational drivers to put on our productive pants include: empowerment, career progression and opportunities to learn new skills. In some instances, a “thank you” or a good old “pat on the back” may even suffice!

Work / Life Balance – For most people, the “real world” exists outside of work and they tend to get itchy feet if they are kept away from it for too long. A job which enables employees to spend more time with their family and friends or greater opportunity to enjoy hobbies and holidays regularly prevails over a high salary, longer hours alternative!

Job Security – The age-old “grass is always greener” saying is pretty apt here. At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of preference and circumstance but there’s a lot to be said for job security. Yes, you may not be earning a fortune but you’re also likely to be spared the long hours, intense pressure to hit targets and the ever-looming axe over your head that comes with it!

Minimal Stress – According to the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), over twelve million working days were lost in 2016/17 as a result of work-related stress, depression or anxiety. Strive to create a workplace that is somewhere where your staff WANT to be; or at the very least, adopt a culture that lightens the tone.

Fairness – By the time you reach working age, you’ve probably deduced that life isn’t fair, if not, don’t worry, YOU WILL EVENTUALLY! Fairness in the workplace isn’t too much to ask, it’s simply a case of promotions and perks going to the employees who deserve them as a reward for their performance, attitude and work ethic. On the flip side, troublemakers, phonies, time thieves and mickey takers should duly receive their comeuppance.

Give the people what they want with Ceequel® Employee Management Software…

Rewarding Top Performers – An intelligent Training, Skills and Resource Matrix is available through Ceequel® Human Resources which enables organisations to identify employees possessing the required attributes to ascend the company hierarchy and coordinate any necessary training and development activities accordingly.

Promoting a Healthy Work / Life Balance – Statistically speaking, firms offering flexible working opportunities tend to enjoy considerable increases in workplace morale and productivity along with significant reductions in employee absenteeism and staff turnover. Whether your employees are looking for more family time or simply an escape from a soul-destroying rush hour commute, Ceequel® Time and Attendance possesses an unrivalled functionality to handle: multiple bespoke shift patterns, grace periods, flexi balances and holiday quotas.

Minimising Stress – Reduce the strain on HR and Payroll with a range of intelligent automated solutions specifically designed to enhance administrative efficiency and eradicate costly human error.

Fairness – Not only is all employee clocking data collated in real-time and processed to the highest degree of accuracy, a range of dynamic absence management solutions are available, enabling companies to eliminate time theft and counteract absenteeism. Furthermore, any productivity issues can be swiftly nipped in the bud with Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture.

If you would like to learn more about the dynamic Time and Attendance solutions available through Ceequel® Employee Management Software, please contact ELF Productivity.

Alternatively, for more information regarding Ceequel® Human Resource Management Software or any of our other innovative workforce management software modules, please click here for a range of downloadable brochures.

Top Films About Time Travel (Infographic)

Top Films About Time Travel – Here is a fun infographic that we have created that takes a look at some of the best movies to do with time travel.

Here is a fun infographic that we have created that takes a look at some of the best movies to do with time travel. For each film in the piece you can check out the UK release date, the mode of time travel and our take on whether there is a paradox.

We hope that you enjoy this time travel infographic and please feel free to publish it on your own website or blog.

Top Films About Time Travel

Wintertime Love in The Workplace?

According to a recent workplace relationship study, employees are TWICE as likely to hook up during the WINTER MONTHS! Read our latest blog post to find out more.

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In February we brought you the top five cities and industry sectors where workplace romance is most likely to blossom throughout the UK, now it’s time to reveal WHEN co-workers tend to get all cosy! Drum roll please…

According to a recent workplace relationship study, employees are TWICE as likely to hook up during the WINTER MONTHS with a sizeable 66% of respondents’ relationships beginning during the festive period! Maybe not so surprisingly, 31% of first kisses between staff members happen at the infamous Christmas party with merriment, mistletoe and one or two alcoholic beverages proving to be a somewhat potent combination!

Of the two thousand UK-based professionals surveyed, almost half had previously dated a colleague at some point during their career, although 38% of them would rather keep such exploits on the down-low for a variety of reasons. Firstly, employers generally aren’t keen on the idea with 26% admitting that they prefer their staff not to get involved with one another. There are some exceptions however, as 12% of workers confessed to dating the boss! Additional cases for keeping things under wraps included dangerous liaisons with married partners which accounted for 20% of all office flings while there was no ‘happy ever after’ for the 15% of employees who revealed that a workplace fling actually cost them their job at one time or another!

Your organisation and Ceequel® – The perfect workplace relationship…

Developed in-house by award-winning Time and Attendance Software authors ELF Productivity, Ceequel® delivers an industry-leading, fully integrated, infinitely configurable workforce management solution capable of enhancing the productivity and profitability of any organisation.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Time and Attendance or any of our other Human Resource Management Software modules, please contact ELF Productivity.

Alternatively, a range of downloadable brochures outlining the dynamic functionality of the Ceequel® Software Suite can be found here.

Are You Running a Little Shop of Horrors?

Is your shop floor a lean, mean, well-oiled machine or are you unknowingly running a little shop of horrors? Our spooky, Halloween-inspired infographic poses a series of questions to help you find out!

How well do you really know your shop floor? Is it a lean, mean, well-oiled machine or are you unknowingly running a little shop of horrors? Our spooky, Halloween-inspired infographic poses a series of questions to help you find out!

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Who you gonna call?

Part of ELF Productivity’s award-winning Time and Attendance software suite, Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture delivers unparalleled, real-time production analysis and intelligent activity-based costing calculations, enabling manufacturers to enhance operational efficiencies and improve strategic decision-making.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture software, please contact ELF Productivity.

The Top Eleven Weirdest Job Interview Questions Asked By UK Employers

Read our latest blog post as we reveal the top 11 weirdest questions asked by UK employers during job interviews. How would you handle them?

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The preparation has been done, you’re looking sharp and feeling confident, even the infamously awkward initial handshakes have been executed with consummate ease, you’re ready for anything and then…

“If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?”

I bet you didn’t see that one coming! While no one knows exactly what will crop up during an interview, most of us tend to arrive with a pre-prepared three-minute synopsis of our employment history and educational background, along with a list of our key strengths and maybe one or two well-rehearsed narratives of a time when we successfully negotiated a difficult situation. Some of us even have a clear idea of where we see ourselves in five years’ time!

Unfortunately, employers are moving away from the old tried and trusted interview techniques; they’re looking for the perfect fit for their organisation and if you want to stand out from the crowd, you’re going to have to think outside the box! A new breed of interview questions has also emerged, specifically designed to separate the candidates who can think on their feet from the one trick ponies. Be warned, these questions often range from the unusual to the downright bizarre!

Anyone up for a challenge? We’ve selected our top eleven weirdest questions actually asked by UK employers during an interview, how would you handle them?

1 – If you could only sing one song on The X Factor, what would it be and why?

2 – How lucky are you and why?

3 – Would you consider yourself a hunter or a gatherer?

4 – If you were a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?

5 – If you were about to be marooned on a deserted island and could only take three items, what would you take and why?

6 – If you were a crayon, what colour would you be and why?

7 – Do you believe in ghosts?

8 – If a film was made about your life, which actor would you choose to play you?

9 – What is the colour of money?

10 – If I was to look in your fridge, what would I find?

11 – How would your worst enemy describe you?

Are your recruitment processes in need of an upgrade?

Part of the industry-leading Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software Suite, Ceequel® Human Resources is a dynamic workforce management solution, providing HR departments with a range of innovative features to identify the ideal candidate for a new vacancy.

Our comprehensive Training, Skills and Resource Matrix delivers intelligent ‘skills to job matching’ functionality, ensuring structured succession planning along with a full training and development management solution.

To learn more about Ceequel® Human Resource Management Software, please contact award-winning Time and Attendance systems provider ELF Productivity.