According to recent industry research, one area where companies are struggling to maximize the value of their workforce management strategy is when they fail to realize that it should be integrated with their recruiting or talent management strategy.

A recent paper from the Workforce Institute found that many organizations implement a workforce management solution for time and attendance, scheduling and absence management.

These companies are also seeking to control labor costs and improve productivity, yet fail to recognize how these solutions can empower employees to ultimately lead to improvements in attracting and retaining their workforce.

The paper’s author, Tim Lett, noted that the key issues that affect the job satisfaction of hourly workers are family leave, vacation, flexible hours and shift swapping. The way in which an organization accommodates these issues can determine whether their best employees stay and are also factors that potential new employees scrutinize when considering a job offer.

 

"Despite the critical importance of these issues to employees, we still see many organizations managing these processes manually," said Lett, founder and managing partner of workforce management consultancy Axsium Group, in a statement.

 

"This is bad for employers because they don't have accurate insight into whether these benefits are being exercised appropriately. It's also bad for employees because cumbersome processes for things like requesting time off and shift changes create aggravation in their every day work life," he explained.

Lett pointed out that a workforce management solution that automates these processes empowers employees by giving them control over their schedules and other aspects of their daily life. As a result, these employees are more likely to experience higher satisfaction and deeper engagement.