Mastering Workforce Management Reports: A Complete Guide

There’s perhaps no greater way to monitor the health of an organization than to examine the behavior of the employees within it — and there’s no better way to do that than with workforce management reports.

Sure, you can always look at the bottom line or the stock price, but these metrics are often lagging indicators of internal culture, systems, and productivity. For this reason, many organizations know that hiring the right talent ahead of time is crucial for establishing long-term success. 

However, in the complex and fast-shifting world of business strategy, healthy workforce management (WFM) requires taking things a step further. In fact, the health of your workforce should be approached in a similar fashion to managing your personal health. Just like you need regular checkups to ensure everything is running smoothly, your workforce does, too! 

Consider this guide med school for workforce management. We’ll explore how organizations can establish a diagnostic approach to analyzing employee data, unlocking insights, and using them to inform future decisions and strategies. 

Introduction to workforce management reports

The best way to measure the health of your workforce is with workforce management reports. A workforce management report is an analytical tool that offers insights into an organization’s workforce practices.

Typically, workforce management reports will measure activities such as scheduling, attendance, labor costs, and compliance. This helps to better inform decision-making and short and long-term strategies. Think of it like how a doctor measures your heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in order to help you determine your diet and exercise regime. 

The significance of workforce management

Workforce management is about aligning your organization’s goals with its workforce to:

• Find the right employees
• Help them develop the right skills
• Ensure they’re in the right place, at the right time, for the right cost

And to revisit or analogy from earlier, just like you should take your health seriously, you should also take your workforce management seriously. Getting the 5 R’s of WFM right will enhance your productivity as well as increase employee satisfaction and retention.  

Understanding workforce management reports

Let’s dive deeper into workforce management reports and the role they have in business. 

What are WFM reports?

Workforce management reports are not just collections of data; they’re insights into the heartbeat of an organization. They provide data analytics on a range of metrics, like:

• Attendance
• Scheduling efficiency
• Labor costs
• Compliance with labor laws
• Employee satisfaction
• Productivity

When constructed properly, workforce management reports transform raw data into actionable insights, enabling managers to make informed decisions that enhance operational efficiency and employee engagement. It’s also about diagnosing the strengths and weaknesses and understanding what to treat, what to monitor, and what to proactively prevent. 

The role of workforce management in business

People are the lifeblood of your organization. If their talents are not flowing in the right way to the right places, then things can start to go awry very quickly. On the contrary, if everything is running smoothly, businesses are able to achieve optimal productivity and efficiency. This is the role of workforce management in business: to create a strategic approach to developing a healthy and productive workforce. 

Effective workforce management is crucial for businesses as it directly impacts operational efficiency, cost management, service delivery, and customer satisfaction. Workforce management reports then serve as a tool to analyze this important business function, providing data analytics to measure performance, identify areas for improvement, and align workforce planning strategies with your overall business objectives.

Types of workforce management reports

There are a few ways you can use workforce management reports to analyze your organization. Let’s dive into the different types of workforce management reports and how you can use them to diagnose your own business. 

Attendance and time reports

These detailed reports provide insights into employee attendance patterns. They can help an organization identify trends like late arrivals or absenteeism (both of which can negatively affect your company’s productivity). Monitoring these patterns will help you take proactive measures towards addressing issues, improving attendance, and ensuring proper staffing levels. 

Scheduling efficiency reports

Scheduling isn’t all about filling hours. There’s always going to be discrepancies in the total number of planned and actual work hours. Optimizing scheduling processes with effective reporting methods will help you reduce overtime costs and also improve work-life balance for your employees. 

Labor cost and productivity reports

These reports offer key insights into the efficiency of your workforce by providing a comprehensive view of labor costs in relation to output. They can also help businesses track cost per employee, revenue per employee, and other critical metrics to ensure that cost of labor is aligned with productivity levels and business goals.

Compliance and audit reports

In every industry, there are labor laws & regulations that organizations must follow. Compliance reports help you avoid legal issues while also maintaining a positive reputation by establishing an audit-trail of your adherence to these laws. 

Employee satisfaction and turnover reports

Employee retention and satisfaction are often the canary in the coal mine. Proactively tracking morale, engagement levels, and turnover rates could prevent you from discovering these problems on your next earnings report. 

Training and development reports

Investing in employee development is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. These reports evaluate the effectiveness of your training programs, measuring improvements in the skills and performance of employees who participate. They also ensure your workforce remains adaptable and capable in the face of evolving business challenges.

Hubstaff’s time tracking and productivity tools are a great resource for organizations looking to develop their reporting across the dimensions above. 

Some other things to consider in your reports are insights from customers that may align with key data, a detailed report name, and how everything from the first page to the appendix will matter in relation to the business objectives outlined in your WFM strategy.

Next, let’s dive into some examples of each type of WFM reporting.

Workforce management reports example

By now, you understand what WFM reports are and the different types of reports businesses use, now it’s time to get our hands dirty with an example of how a company might deploy WFM reports in their own workforce management strategy.

For this example, let’s imagine a fictional company called Zenith Global Logistics, a leading logistics and supply chain management company.

Zenith has recognized a need to optimize its workforce management in order to stay competitive in the fast-paced industry of global logistics. By using WFM reports, they’ll also be able to identify areas for improvement, enhance productivity, and ensure compliance with labor laws.

To develop clear and actionable report data, Zenith began by implementing Hubstaff’s productivity and time-tracking software to generate insight-rich reports across the necessary dimensions. Let’s take a look:

Attendance and time report

First, Zenith used time and attendance reports to discover a pattern of frequent late arrivals in the warehouse department, particularly on Monday mornings. They were able to leverage this insight to not only increase punctuality but employee satisfaction as well by introducing flexible working hours for warehouse employees.

Scheduling efficiency report

Next, when analyzing their scheduling efficiency reports, Zenith realized there was a mismatch between employee schedules and actual business demands. They were understaffed during the busy holiday season and overstaffed during the slow summer months! The scheduling manager was able to use this information to align shift patterns with customer demand, resulting in enhanced service levels and reduced labor costs. 

Labor cost and productivity report

Next, Zenith conducted a detailed analysis of how labor costs relate to output across departments. They discovered the customer service department had a higher cost per employee but below-average productivity. Thanks to their robust data, they were able to pinpoint the cause, identifying outdated customer service software and underutilized employee skills as the key issues. 

By upgrading their software and investing in employee training, they were able to increase productivity across the department. The average speed in their contact center increased by 20%!

Compliance and audit report

Zenith’s compliance and audit report revealed several areas of non-compliance related to overtime payments and break times. By adjusting scheduling practices and implementing an automated alert system for break times, they ensured full compliance with labor laws. 

Employee satisfaction and turnover report

Next, Zenith discovered that turnover rates correlate with factors such as workload, management practices, and career development opportunities. They immediately invested in a comprehensive career development program, which then led to a 30% improvement in employee retention and satisfaction within a year.

Training and development report

Finally, Zenith evaluated the impact of its new customer service training program through a training and development report. The report showed improvements in employee skills and performance metrics, with a notable increase in customer satisfaction scores. Encouraged by these results, Zenith implemented the training program across the company in order to repeat the results.

In the end, Zenith was able to use workforce management reports to make informed decisions impacting operational efficiency, employee satisfaction, and compliance with labor laws. This is a great example of how in-depth reporting can help you assess, diagnose, and impact the health of your organization’s most important asset: its people.

Creating effective workforce management reports

Now that we’ve defined WFM reports and explored some examples, we’re ready to create our own. And thankfully, unlike creating health reports, you won’t even need your medical license!

Leveraging templates and examples

Good reporting needs to be standardized. Workforce Management report templates provide a structured approach to data presentation, ensuring that all relevant information is captured systematically and consistently across different reporting periods. They become a blueprint to follow each time you go through the process. 

Here are a few things a good template will achieve:

• Standardization. A templated approach to the format and content will help managers understand and compare data over time.
  
• Efficiency. Providing a predefined structure reduces the ready time and effort required to compile reports.
  
• Accuracy. A standardized template minimizes the risk of omitting crucial data.

Creating a custom workforce management reports template

Your own template should encompass the key reporting methods we’ve covered.

• Attendance and Time. Track employee presence, punctuality, and patterns of absence.
  
• Scheduling Efficiency. Analyze the alignment of employee schedules with operational demands.
  
• Labor Cost and Productivity. Provide a breakdown of labor expenses against productivity metrics.
  
• Compliance and Audit. Monitor adherence to labor laws and regulations.
  
• Employee Satisfaction and Turnover. Incorporate data from satisfaction surveys and turnover rates to analyze employee morale and retention.
  
• Training and Development. Track your investment in employee training and its impact on performance and skill enhancement.

Best practices for report generation

The effective creation of WFM reports is about more than compiling data. Organizations should take a strategic approach to data analysis and presentation so they can identify actionable insights and inform strategic decisions. Here are some best practices to consider:

1. Define clear objectives
2. Ensure data accuracy and consistency
3. Utilize the right tools and software
4. Segment data for deeper insights
5. Incorporate visual data presentation
6. Regularly review and update reports
7. Communicate findings effectively
8. Act on the insights
9. Incorporate feedback loops

Implementing WFM strategies through reports

You have the data; now, it’s time to leverage this knowledge to affect positive change across your workforce. This process is similar to when your doctor finds out your cholesterol is high and suggests you eat more salad. 

What is a WFM strategy?

A workforce management strategy encompasses the approach and methodologies a business employs to optimize the efficiency and productivity of its workforce. The purpose is to align the capabilities of the workforce with the company’s strategic objectives through effective training and hiring of employees.  

Utilizing reports for strategic decision-making

Workforce management reports are invaluable for informing and refining your WFM strategies. But knowing how to use them is a challenge of its own. Here are some of the ways businesses can leverage their WFM reports to enhance their WFM strategies: 

• Identify operational inefficiencies. Organizations can leverage WFM reports to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. This includes areas where processes can be optimized, resources can be better allocated, and productivity can be enhanced.
  
• Forecast workforce needs. WFM reports can help managers anticipate future staffing requirements based on business growth, seasonal trends, and historical data.
  
• Improve employee engagement and satisfaction. Managers who develop effective WFM reporting methods will better understand the factors that drive employee satisfaction. This will allow them to implement strategies to boost morale, reduce turnover, and foster a positive work environment.
  
• Ensure compliance. Adherence audits will help ensure your WFM strategies are in line with labor laws and regulations, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties.
  
• Optimize training and development. Organizations with effective WFM reporting will be able to leverage insights to develop training programs that address skill gaps, enhance employee capabilities, and support career advancement.

In essence, the insights provided by WFM reports help businesses make informed decisions about the people inside their organization. This allows them to address immediate challenges and position themselves for long-term success.

Leveraging technology for WFM reports

Just like a doctor uses technology to measure the vital systems of your body, there are plenty of tools and technologies organizations can use to report on the health of their workforce.

Tools and software for WFM reporting

In a remote work world, workforce management reports have greatly benefited from new technologies like Hubstaff’s workforce management software. They’ve become more accessible, insightful, and actionable thanks to tools that help with things like:

• Automated data collection
• Real-time Insights
• Predictive scheduling and analytics
• Customizable dashboards
• Seamless integrations

Conclusion

We’ll leave you with this: Effective workforce management strategies are crucial for the long-term success of your organization. They ensure all your people are rowing in the right direction towards your company’s long-term objectives.

However, without some regular checkups, things might be going wrong without you noticing. Being proactive and utilizing comprehensive WFM reporting methods will help you avoid discovering those ailments on your bottom line. It’s kind of like that apple-a-day thing.