The task of filling a quarterly appraisal form comes with an opportunity to introspect. “Oh, did I take that much time in completing just one task? I could have done better.” The thought might have crossed your mind while filling up the form. Well, that is why timesheets play an important role in the modern work culture. While Nexies are all set to shift to the new timesheet module NtweaX, it is interesting to understand how timesheets are helping us become a better version of ourselves.
First and foremost, filling a timesheet on a day to day basis instil discipline in us. We become more conscious of how we utilize our time during office hours. This is particularly important when most of us are working from home for months in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. Trust and integrity are the two main pillars of the work from home culture. Managers have to place trust in their team members. In turn, team members have to respond by delivering assigned tasks on time. Timesheet plays an important role here by bringing transparency to the entire process.
Knowingly or unknowingly, much of our time is spent on non-productive activities. This can be identified and eliminated with the help of a timesheet. It helps team leaders and managers to understand and accurately forecast how much time will be spent on a particular activity. On the other hand, it gives employees a deadline for completing their tasks in a given timeline which further enhances their efficiency. While filling a timesheet at the end of the day, we have a precise idea about whether we utilized our time productively or not. This leads us towards better planning and execution of work. It becomes a great tool for managers to understand whether their resources are optimally utilized or not. In the long run, this small day to day exercise contributes to increased productivity of the organization.
Timesheets make the review and appraisal process totally unbiased by providing in-depth documentation of the employee’s activities. It plays a vital role in keeping managers and team members on the same page, ensuring that both of them have a broad idea of how the member has performed over the period of time, eliminating possibilities of recency bias.
Following this broader vision, we have introduced a new timesheet module NtweaX. It is developed in-house with a view to enabling employees and their managers to plan, execute and monitor their activities meticulously. The new module has a dual layer of approval/rejection of the timesheets submitted. At the first level, the concerned team leader will approve the timesheet, judging the comprehensiveness of the delivery. After that, it will go to the Project Manager for approval. It will give the PM a fair idea of how much hours are utilized in a particular project and whether the team is capable of completing the task within allotted hours or not.
For most of us, filling a timesheet might have become just a routine task but in a small but powerful way, it is strengthening our organization by helping us make informed decisions and keeping all of us on the same page.
