Local Agency Proudly Launches Timesheet That Knows When You’re Lying
AUCKLAND, Tuesday. Independent agency Hardly & Co has unveiled a bold new internal initiative, a timesheet that politely questions your choices. Dubbed TrueTime, the system prompts staff to explain entries like “thinking” and “emails” with a follow up dropdown asking, “about what, exactly.”
The move comes after a three month internal review, triggered when one senior creative logged 11 hours under “deck polish” for a presentation that contained three slides and a typo. Management says TrueTime is not about surveillance, it is about storytelling. “If we’re selling clarity to clients, we should be able to explain our own Tuesdays,” said the managing partner, standing in front of a flipchart no one asked for.
TrueTime also includes pre loaded categories requested by staff, such as “waiting for feedback,” “meeting about another meeting,” and “quick call that became my personality for the afternoon.” Any entry under six minutes is automatically rounded up to 30, reflecting how time actually works in agencies. Lunch remains uncaptured, unless it involved a client, in which case it is counted as strategy.
Hardly & Co confirmed the rollout will be supported by a compulsory 45 minute workshop on how to use the tool, followed by a survey about the workshop, followed by a town hall to discuss the survey. Results will be shared in a deck. Time spent reading the deck should be logged under “alignment.”
The move comes after a three month internal review, triggered when one senior creative logged 11 hours under “deck polish” for a presentation that contained three slides and a typo. Management says TrueTime is not about surveillance, it is about storytelling. “If we’re selling clarity to clients, we should be able to explain our own Tuesdays,” said the managing partner, standing in front of a flipchart no one asked for.
TrueTime also includes pre loaded categories requested by staff, such as “waiting for feedback,” “meeting about another meeting,” and “quick call that became my personality for the afternoon.” Any entry under six minutes is automatically rounded up to 30, reflecting how time actually works in agencies. Lunch remains uncaptured, unless it involved a client, in which case it is counted as strategy.
Hardly & Co confirmed the rollout will be supported by a compulsory 45 minute workshop on how to use the tool, followed by a survey about the workshop, followed by a town hall to discuss the survey. Results will be shared in a deck. Time spent reading the deck should be logged under “alignment.”