Time and Attendance

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!

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 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.

Productivity or the lack of it to be more precise, is once again a hot topic throughout the UK following rather damning reveals from both the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). According to the ONS, UK labour productivity is down for the second successive quarter while the OBR sees little scope for improvement in the next five years.

In this post we’ll be perusing the UK’s prolonged productivity problem, taking into account some interesting findings before touching upon the impact of inefficient processes and outdated technology on organisational productivity.

Two thousand UK-based office workers were recently surveyed to find out how productive they are during a standard eight-hour working day. Understandably, when respondents were asked if they are productive throughout an entire working day, eighty percent answered ‘no’. However, when prompted to estimate how many hours per day they do consider themselves to be productive (employers you may wish to look away now), the average response was approximately three hours! The survey also revealed the top three workplace productivity killers. In first place, ‘internet browsing’ which included: constantly checking social media, keeping up to date with all the latest sports news or celebrity gossip and rather worryingly, searching for a new job. In second place, time thieving, non-work-related activities such as chatting with colleagues and taking too many smoking or coffee breaks. The third highest ranking factor was a lack of ‘meaningful’ work with many respondents becoming disillusioned with menial tasks, particularly those perceived to be unnecessary or repetitive.

Interestingly, this lack of ‘meaningful work’ was echoed in another survey which set out to explore the various barriers to workplace productivity and what businesses can do to overcome them. This time, respondents were largely disgruntled with outdated office technology which had led to the creation of demoralising, redundant processes. When quizzed as to how their employers could improve the situation, respondents were keen to point towards the implementation of cloud-based systems capable of automating tasks that are historically time consuming, repetitive or error-plagued.

Is your organisation experiencing a prolonged productivity problem?

Deployable via the cloud or utilising your existing network infrastructure, Ceequel® is an award-winning, feature-rich modular workforce management solution comprising of: Time and Attendance, Access Control, Human Resources, Shop Floor Data Capture, E-Manager, Employee Self Service and Mobile Apps.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Employee Management Software, please contact ELF Productivity. A range of brochures can be found here.

Here at ELF Productivity, we understand the various challenges contemporary businesses face as they strive to manage their workforce effectively whilst maintaining organisational productivity and profitability. An outdated Time and Attendance system along with redundant, error plagued administrative processes can be extremely costly for organisations of all sizes.

When was the last time you reviewed your workforce management processes?

Has your Time and Attendance system kept up with the pace?

Developed by award-winning Time and Attendance specialists ELF Productivity, Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software is an industry-leading, infinitely configurable solution that has revolutionised countless organisations’ workforce management processes throughout the UK, enabling them to focus on what they do best, delivering great products and services to their customers!

We hope that you find our latest infographic of interest and please feel free to share with your friends on social media.

For more information regarding Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software, please contact ELF Productivity.

Here in the UK, we love a good climb up the world rankings and after Andy Murray lost his World Number 1 status in August, I think we’re all in need of some good news, so without further ado…

According to statistics recently published by manufacturers’ organisation EEF, the UK manufacturing sector is now the eighth largest in the world with an annual output totalling around £185 billion! Throughout this post we’ll be celebrating the UK manufacturing sector’s continued post-Brexit success, taking a closer look at the global manufacturing league table before discussing some key British manufacturing statistics. We’ll also introduce Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture software for good measure!

We know that Britain currently sits eighth after leapfrogging France who occupy our previous position of ninth, one place above Mexico, but what about the rest of the global manufacturing league table? China retains its status as the world number one manufacturer with the USA and Japan in second and third respectively. Germany is the European powerhouse in fourth place, South Korea is fifth just above India in sixth, while seventh placed Italy is the only other European country producing more than the UK.

Right, that’s quite enough about everyone else, let’s delve a little deeper into British manufacturing, the sector which currently generates approximately 44% of all UK exports. Whilst we’re on the topic of exports, the UK’s top 5 single export markets are: the USA, Germany, France, Ireland and the Netherlands respectively; furthermore, the EU accounted for 48% of manufactured exports in quarter 2 of 2017! In terms of employment, over 2.6 million people are currently working within the manufacturing sector while average earnings have risen to £32,047, some £3,748 above the national economy average. The North West is the UK’s largest manufacturing region producing output totals worth in excess of £24 billion.

World Class Shop Floor Data Capture Solutions for World Class Manufacturers!

Developed by industry-leading Time and Attendance systems provider ELF Productivity, Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture is an intelligent, feature-rich solution that has set countless manufacturing organisations throughout the UK on the road to continuous improvement. For more information, please contact ELF Productivity.

Alternatively, 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.

Nothing like a little Q and A session to kick off a blog post…

Does your industry sector experience seasonal demand fluctuations?

Do you often call on temporary or agency staff in order to satisfy demand in peak periods?

Are your employees regularly working overtime?

On the flip side, do quieter periods lead to stock surpluses, costly machine downtimes or employee workload deficits?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, Annualised Hours could be the ideal solution for your organisation!

Traditionally utilised within industries incorporating a profusion of shift work such as the manufacturing or healthcare sectors; Annualised Hours provides organisations with an invaluable flexibility to ensure that the right staff are on hand at the right time. Throughout this post we’ll be taking a closer at Annualised Hours, exploring how the process works before touching upon the key benefits for businesses.

Annualised Hours

When organisations adopt an Annualised Hours system, employees commit to working a designated number of hours over the course of one year. Typically, workers are allocated core shift patterns (AKA ‘Regular’ Hours) with the remaining ‘Reserve’ hours assigned on a ‘when required’ basis.

The Annualised Hours approach has fluctuated in and out of fashion over the years due largely to popular misconceptions over the perceived complexities and substantial administrative workloads involved along with a reluctance to change.

In order to reap the many rewards of Annualised Hours, organisations must take into account three core components. Firstly, a sufficient IT infrastructure should be in place to manage the process effectively. This combined with an abundance of planning and regular communication with employees should lead to following benefits:

Greater Control – First and foremost, Annualised Hours enables organisations to align working patterns with the demands of the industry sector within which they operate. A balanced flow of production is maintained throughout the year which ensures that the considerable workload of peak periods is catered for and stock surpluses are avoided when demand wanes. Furthermore, in the event of any unforeseen demand spikes, employers are able to dip into the pool of ‘Reserve’ hours and call in staff at relatively short notice.

Cost Effectiveness – For many companies, the increasing of manpower in order to cope with seasonal upsurges in demand can be particularly costly. Through the implementation of an Annualised Hours system, costs such as overtime premiums or the recruitment and training of temporary staff are eradicated.

Enhanced Organisational Productivity & Employee Morale – When the required level of output decreases, organisations can often find themselves in a situation where there is not enough work to go around. To simply fill their time at work, many workers perform menial, non-value adding tasks which are not only unproductive, they can also be demoralising for skilled employees. An Annualised Hours approach tends to boost staff morale considerably through increased basic salaries (compensating for the removal of overtime) and an improved work-life balance.

Is your organisation ready to harness the considerable powers of Annualised Hours?

Developed by ELF Productivity, Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software is an award-winning workforce management solution, possessing an unparalleled functionality to handle any company-specific working patterns, no matter how complex or unique.

For more information, please contact industry-leading Time and Attendance providers ELF Productivity.

Alternatively, click here for a range of downloadable brochures, detailing the outstanding features of Ceequel® Software Suite; including our feature-rich Shop Floor Data Capture module.

Our latest infographic focuses on employee absenteeism; a considerable threat to the productivity and profitability of any organisation which costs the UK economy billions of pounds every year! We also introduce some of the outstanding features of Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software, the ultimate weapon in the fight against absenteeism.

We hope that you enjoy our infographic and please feel free to share with your friends on social media.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Time and Attendance, please contact ELF Productivity.

When it comes to the most in demand workplace perks, 2017 is undoubtedly the year of flexible working. More and more employees are determined to strike a healthy work-life balance and as a result, policies such as Flexitime and Time off in Lieu (TOIL) are high on the agenda for many companies throughout the UK; despite reservations over a seemingly inevitable ‘can of worms’ anticipated in the aftermath!

Is flexible working the key to the retention of a highly motivated and productive workforce or is it ultimately, too much toil and trouble?

Throughout this post, we’ll be taking a closer look at Flexitime and Time Off in Lieu (TOIL), exploring the benefits for employees and employers alike. We will also touch upon some common fears with regard to managing flexible working policies before introducing the dynamic functionality of Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software.

Flexitime

An alternative to the traditional ‘9 to 5’ working day, Flexitime is a flexible working scheme designed to provide employees with more leeway to satisfy any ‘outside of work’ needs or responsibilities. Typically, start and finish times are adapted around a set of ‘core hours’ which employees spend at work, the outstanding contract hours must then be satisfied by the employee during pre-defined ‘Flexitime’ periods.

The Benefits of Flexitime – Whilst we’re all aware of the benefits for employees, avoiding the dreaded daily commute, greater freedom to carry out caring responsibilities or increased opportunity to enjoy hobbies etc; what’s in it for employers? Companies providing flexible working schemes often enjoy considerable improvements in workplace morale and productivity, along with reduced employee absenteeism and staff turnover rates. In addition, allowing employees to work from home, outside of normal ‘office hours’ could also lead to greater organisational cost-effectiveness and higher customer satisfaction.

Recruitment activities also receive a major boost with Flexitime proving to be an invaluable ‘USP’ when competing for top talent. According to a recent survey conducted by a leading UK recruitment site, not only is Flexitime the most desired workplace incentive; over 70% of respondents stated that a benefits package plays ‘a crucial role’ in their decision-making process to either accept or decline a job offer. However, despite the much publicised demand for Flexitime, an investigation carried out by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) revealed that only one in 10 job adverts actually mention flexible working opportunities!

Time Off in Lieu (TOIL)

Time off in Lieu (often aptly abbreviated to TOIL) is a work arrangement that sees employees receive paid holiday time rather than overtime pay in return for extra hours worked.

The Benefits of TOIL – Similar to Flexitime, the benefits of TOIL for employees is all about work-life balance. Those who are financially secure and therefore less concerned with receiving overtime pay, may like to enjoy a few long weekends throughout the year. For employers, TOIL presents a more economical alternative to paying overtime premiums, providing that adequate cover is available for staff.

Managing Flexitime and Time Off in Lieu

Unfortunately, the very mention of Flexitime and Time Off in Lieu can strike terror into the hearts of many an organisation, due largely to fears over: the sheer volume of administrative work involved, the complexities of collating data, susceptibility to human error and the threat posed by abusers of the system…

Are you having trouble with Flexitime or Time Off in Lieu?

Developed by award-winning Time and Attendance specialists ELF Productivity, Ceequel® is the ideal solution to manage flexible working schemes effectively. Not only is all employee attendance data collated in real-time and processed to the highest degree of accuracy; a multitude of clocking options are available for employees working off-site including: internet and email clocking, smart phone apps, dedicated landlines, USB clocking and GPS clocking. Ceequel® Time and Attendance also possesses the dynamic functionality to handle all employee holiday allocations, flexi-balances and any other company-specific rules or calculations.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software, please contact ELF Productivity. Alternatively, a range of Ceequel® Software Suite brochures are available to download from our website. Please click here to view our downloads section.

Imagine a world where you arrive at work and everything runs smoothly until it’s time to mosey on back home. Picture this, an entire workforce in perfect harmony…

Right, that’s enough of that, everybody back to reality! Despite your best efforts to ever so Britishly, keep calm and carry on; workplaces are often filled with numerous nuisances lurking around the corner, seemingly hell-bent on throwing you off your groove.

Fortunately, here at ELF Productivity, we don’t have any of these problems, every day is like a walk in the park; a very PRODUCTIVE, SUCCESSFUL and ultimately FULFILLING walk in the park I might add! However, for many organisations, this sadly isn’t the case. In fact, hundreds of UK companies were recently surveyed to uncover the most irritating things about work from an employee’s perspective.

I bet the suspense is killing you; well here they are, the top seven insufferable irritants of the workplace for UK employees:

The Commute – What better way to start than with our old friend the daily commute? You have to admit, it takes a special kind of irritant to put you in a bad mood both before you actually arrive at work and also during the much-anticipated journey home. Whether you’re at the mercy of traffic, train times or the weather, the daily commute has been the nemesis of many an employee throughout the ages.

Mickey Takers – In second place, those rascals constantly getting away with late starts and regularly pulling ‘sickies’. The quelling of employee absenteeism is a must for all organisations as profitability, productivity and workforce morale all bear the brunt of high absenteeism rates. After all, who’ll be expected to pick up the slack?

The ‘I’m So Busy’ Brigade – You know the ones; people who are so rushed off their feet that they literally only have time to tell you how busy they are! The real problem here is that they like to inform you around fifty times per day, EVERY DAY! There’s an old saying, don’t be busy, BE PRODUCTIVE!

Office Climate Change – It would appear that numerous workplaces throughout the UK are subjected to aggressive climate change, with temperatures fluctuating anywhere between the surface of the Sun and the Antarctic!

Too Few Holidays – A healthy work-life balance is key to developing and retaining a happy and motivated workforce. If employees are disillusioned with their holiday quota, they could soon seek pastures new!

Last Minute Phone Calls or Tasks – Just a few minutes to go until home time, you’re almost there. All of a sudden, the phone rings or someone walks in and says ‘before you go, could you just…’. NIGHTMARE!

The Theft of One’s Favourite Mug – Truly a cardinal sin, nothing more needs to be said here!

ELF Productivity is an award-winning provider of dynamic Time and Attendance Solutions specifically designed to enhance the profitability and productivity of any organisation, regardless of size or industry sector. Our industry-leading Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software delivers: streamlined clocking to payroll processes, robust absence management solutions, comprehensive labour planning and shift rostering features and an unparalleled functionality to manage Flexitime, Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) or any bespoke, company specific rules.

To learn more about Ceequel® Time and Attendance Software, please contact ELF Productivity. Alternatively, a range of Ceequel® Software Suite brochures can be found here.

As #ThursdayThoughts have become something of a tradition like eating turkey at Christmas or taking time out on a Wednesday to share a pearl of wisdom on social media; here’s an interesting one…

Do people perform or act differently when under observation?

Throughout this post we’ll be taking a look at the age-old ‘Hawthorne Effect’ phenomenon and its relevance to contemporary Human Resource Management (HR).

Derived from research undertaken in the 1920’s and early 1930’s at the Hawthorne Works, Illinois; the ‘Hawthorne Effect’ refers to the way in which the behaviour of individuals alters in response to an awareness of being under observation. The original study was introduced to determine the extent to which improvements in employees’ working conditions would enhance workplace productivity. Although the changes did initially lead to an increase in performance; there was a significant slump once the investigation concluded. In the 1950’s, Henry Landsberger deduced that workers were motivated by the interest being shown in them and this led to the upturn in productivity rather than the actual physical changes. Landsberger labelled this theory, the ‘Hawthorne Effect’.

The Hawthorne studies kicked off a series of research activities undertaken by a collection of theorists later dubbed ‘The Human Relations Movement’ whose work fundamentally led to the creation of what we now call Human Resource Management. As contemporary HR Departments are responsible for the overseeing of employee recruitment, training and development, remuneration, performance management and disciplinary procedures; the ‘Hawthorne Effect’ is still considered to be a particularly relevant concept and has been a topic of substantial debate among HR and psychology theorists for many years.

Regardless of where you stand on the Hawthorne studies, countless organisations throughout the UK have undoubtedly become more productive and profitable thanks to the CEEQUEL® EFFECT! Here’s how:

Optimal Clocking to Payroll Processes – Ceequel® Time and Attendance delivers an unparalleled employee attendance management solution. Choose from a vast array of clocking options including: biometric fingerprint and facial recognition, key fobs and proximity cards. All employee attendance data is collected and processed in real-time to the highest degree of accuracy; significantly enhancing payroll administrative efficiency whilst eradicating costly human error. Comprehensive shift rostering features are also available along with robust absence management solutions.

Enhanced Employee Engagement – The three E’s, that could catch on! Employee Engagement is all about creating ideal conditions for employees to excel within the workplace and is undoubtedly at the heart of an organisation’s HR strategy. Ceequel® Human Resource Management Software is the ultimate tool for HR. All employee information can be stored in one, user-friendly central database while intelligent automated solutions are available to facilitate key HR processes such as new employee inductions. In addition, a dynamic Training, Skills and Resource Matrix ensures that all staff possess the required skills and qualifications to carry out their duties effectively. Ceequel® also incorporates dynamic employee activity tracking software enabling organisations to swiftly identify any potential barriers to workplace productivity.

Streamlined Workforce Management – With Ceequel® E-Manager and Ceequel® Employee Self Service, workforce management has never been simpler. Through E-Manager, supervisors are able to: monitor staff attendance, configure shift rosters, accept or decline absence requests and generate reports with considerable ease. Employee Self Service reduces the strain on HR departments and is an effective aide in eliminating unnecessary paper trails. Using the Employee Self Service portal, employees can: submit absence requests, access relevant company documentation, update their personal records, view their clocking history and receive email notifications.

To learn more about Ceequel® Employee Management Software, please contact award-winning time and attendance systems providers ELF Productivity. A range of brochures are also available to download from our website, please click here for more information.