Efficiency makes people successful, competitive. A great tool for researching how efficiently you use working time is a photograph of working time, in other words it is also called timekeeping. What this tool is, how to use it and what results it brings - read the article.
What is a working time photograph?
This is a research method in which a whole working day or a certain period of time is subjected to continuous measurement. Thanks to this observation, you can get information about what an employee, group of employees or team is doing during the working day. Observation is carried out by a specialist, also a similar study can be carried out independently. Fixations undergo totally all actions, both related to work, and distractions, smoke breaks, informal communication and so on.
Among employees who are keen on time management and realize the importance of rational use of time, this is a popular tool. Moreover, if you are interested in the question of how to optimize working time, a photograph of working time will be the first step. You can only control what is measured. Often, only observation, even without making changes to the working day, already leads to increased efficiency.
Goals
This method has a number of goals. One of the most important is the identification of time losses during the working day. The next is the determination of the causes of time losses and the development of a system of measures that will allow working more efficiently. A photograph of working time allows you to develop time standards for work processes, adopt organizational experience from the most successful employees and train other people to achieve high results.
Such studies become especially valuable when the question of expanding or reducing staff, redistributing responsibilities, is being decided.
If you want to discuss with your manager the increase in your salary or the search for an assistant, a self-made individual photograph of working time will be an excellent evidence base. You will have significant arguments, the leader will take your proposals more seriously if you prepare in this way.
Carrying a photograph of working time
Despite the fact that the name “photography” is present in the name of the procedure, nothing of the photographic technique is required. Enough paper and pens. To simplify the task, ready-made forms with filling samples have been developed. They can be found in legal systems such as “Consultant”. The form can be developed independently or bypassed with an ordinary table.
One day is not always enough, so observation can be conducted for several days.
The whole process can be divided into three stages: preparatory, observation process, processing of results. At the preparatory stage, forms are filled out and filled out, at the monitoring stage, a record is made, at the stage of processing the results, they calculate how much time this or that type of work takes, the effectiveness is analyzed, conclusions are drawn.
Counting results
To make it more convenient to consider, operations of the same type are combined, assembled into groups. The most popular groups are:
- Work on preparation and completion (starting up equipment, preparing the necessary tools, turning off the equipment, cleaning the workplace).
- Organizational matters.
- Time used for the direct performance of duties.
- Breaks for rest and lunch.
Smaller groups can be distinguished if it is appropriate for a specific study. Then a coefficient is calculated showing the efficiency or inefficiency of the employee’s working day.
Timing Form
The form must necessarily have a “cap” where information on the full name and specialty of the employee, the enterprise where the study is conducted, the date and time of the analysis is entered.
Then there should be a table. The first column is a serial number, then a column for the name of the work being performed. The third column indicates the time interval from how long to how much work was performed. In the fourth column, the amount of time spent on work is calculated. You can add a column for notes.
The main types of research
One employee can observe, then it will be an individual photo. They can watch a group or team, then it will be a group or team photo.
If observation is carried out throughout the working day, then such a photograph is called classic. It is possible to subject fixation not all day, but only its individual moments.
Another division has already been mentioned above. A specialist can observe, or photographing a working day, you can do it yourself. When using an outside observer, you may encounter a negative reaction from employees. They may refuse to work under supervision or, conversely, start working faster and more than usual, which will lead to incorrect data on time costs.
Research can also be carried out using video equipment. On the one hand, this allows you to obtain objective information, on the other hand, not every action can be clearly distinguished by observing it only from the side, without comments from the person performing the work.
Psychological training
A study of how employees use working time is a photograph of working time, a simple technically, but psychologically difficult way. Employees perceive such studies as an attempt to monitor them, worsen working conditions, identify shortcomings and punish them.
Therefore, it is important to pay attention to preliminary explanations of the importance of such a study. The psychological climate in the team has a significant impact . If people work in an atmosphere of trust and goodwill, they will willingly go towards everything that will help to make the organization more efficient and competitive. If, on the contrary, distrust and constant punishments are typical of the collective, then it will be extremely difficult to obtain reliable information that will really give results.
It is important to build a motivation system in which it would be beneficial for employees to work most efficiently.
Parsing an example
It’s not possible for every employee to make an accurate working time. The most difficult thing to do is to hold it with employees in managerial positions; the photograph of the accountant’s working time is especially difficult. Easier with those specialists whose operations have clear boundaries and distinguishing features. As a rule, these are working specialties.
Let's look at an example. The employee holds the position of manager in the corporate department. Here is a photograph of working time (sample):
- The beginning of the working day is 9-00.
- Preparation of the workplace (computer boot, preparation of documents) - 9-10.
- Plancker - 9-15.
- Telephone conversation with a key customer - 9-30.
- Email verification - 9-42.
- Preparation of the contract for the client - 9-53.
- Smoke break - 10-37.
- Preparation of the presentation of a new product for the client - 10-57.
- Lunch - 14-05.
- Internship for a new employee - 14-58.
- Smoke break - 16-15.
- Calling customers - 16-30.
- End of the day (cleaning the desktop, turning off the computer) - 17-55.
- Going home - 18-00.
Now you need to calculate how much time each action took, to distribute the types of work in groups, to calculate the manager’s efficiency coefficient. This photograph of working hours (example) will help you make your own.
Who needs such information?
First of all, interested parties are the leaders and owners of the company, who want to understand how optimally loaded the staff is, and whether the company's labor resources are used efficiently.
Employees of the HR department, personnel services also need similar studies in order to compose feasible job descriptions, select exactly the number of employees that is necessary in the organization, and conduct research.
Responsible employees are themselves interested in ensuring that the working day is used efficiently, without downtime and rush-offs, and that situations with processing or work taken at home are not created.
Now you are familiar with the methodology, which allows you to evaluate whether working time is effectively used (photograph of working time). Try to apply the method in practice, you will find a large number of reserves, see how to work optimally. Thanks to this approach, you can turn into one of the most productive employees of the company, and this is sure to be seen and appreciated.