clockster & Aiplus: №1 in Education and Staff Management

The Aiplus chain of educational centers has established itself as a frontrunner in Kazakhstan, preparing students for admission to world-class educational institutions such as NIS, RFMS, BIL, and excelling in the Unified National Test (UNT). The Republican Preparatory Center “Aiplus” has been actively evolving and operating successfully in the education sector for nearly 8 years, producing thousands of students each year who achieve their educational goals.

The “Aiplus” chain has a presence in several major cities in Kazakhstan, including Almaty, Shymkent, and Astana, with 8 branches across these cities. In 2016, the first branch was opened in Almaty, followed by one in Astana in 2019. The cornerstone of “Aiplus’s” success is its team, comprising over 600 members in these three major cities, including administrative and managerial staff and teaching staff. The administrative and managerial staff encompass various departments, including the educational department, HR department, mentoring department, marketing department, sales department, office administrators, methodology and research department, finance department, quality control department, and IT department.

In November 2022, the “Aiplus” chain took a significant step towards enhancing its operations by registering with the clockster system. Currently, clockster is fully integrated and actively utilized by “Aiplus’s” administrative and managerial staff in all of its branches throughout Kazakhstan. This pivotal move in the digital transformation of educational processes promises to bring new opportunities and improvements to the “Aiplus” chain.

Staff Management and Attendance Tracking before clockster

Systematizing and controlling staff working hours are essential aspects of effective management in educational centers. In an interview with Violetta Kim, HR manager for the city of Astana, we learned how staff management and attendance tracking were conducted within the Aiplus chain of educational centers before implementing the clockster system.

Violetta Kim shared that initially, staff management in the “Aiplus” chain was relatively straightforward. The administrative and managerial staff used a Telegram group to notify their check-ins and check-outs from work. These messages followed a simple text format where employees would state “Arrived” or “Left.” However, this method did not always provide a comprehensive and reliable record of working hours, leading to occasional disputes.

Difficulties arose as text-based entries were not always accurate, and employees sometimes incorrectly or dishonestly reported their presence at the workplace. To resolve such disputes, they had to resort to video surveillance and review camera recordings. All of this changed with the implementation of the clockster system, which significantly simplified and enhanced the process of attendance tracking and staff management within the “Aiplus” chain.

A Culture of Discipline and the Foundation of Education in “Aiplus”

Discipline among staff is an integral part of the corporate culture in the “Aiplus” chain of educational centers. In an interview with Violetta Kim, the HR manager for the city of Astana, she emphasizes the importance of strict discipline, which applies to all center employees. She notes, “Discipline is vital for every employee in the ‘Aiplus’ educational center.”

For “Aiplus,” discipline is not just a word but one of the most crucial aspects of the educational environment. Given that the center focuses on educating children, every employee must set an example of discipline. Violetta Kim explains this by saying, “We are an educational center, which means that children come for lessons, and, accordingly, all employees should be here by that time, especially teachers, mentors, and administrators.”

“For teacher attendance, for example, department heads monitor it, but we need department heads not to be late themselves.”

Mentor employees also play a significant role in ensuring discipline. They arrive at work early to greet the children. “Mentors come at 8:15, administrators at 8:00, and children arrive at 8:40. This means they must be at work before the students,” says Violetta Kim.

This commitment to discipline and organization stems from the value that “The Student is the Foundation of Everything We Do.” In “Aiplus,” every student is valued, and the center strives to create ideal conditions for their learning and development, starting from the early morning hours. Discipline is an integral part of this process, ensuring the effectiveness of the center’s educational activities.

Attendance Tracking System and Adaptation to clockster

The Aiplus chain of educational centers follows a lenient policy towards its employees, which is reflected in the absence of penalties for lateness. Instead, the center relies on the clockster system to effectively track employee attendance. Violetta Kim, HR manager, explains, “Our accountants use the clockster to track employee attendance, determining which days they were present and calculating their salary accordingly.”

Recently, Aiplus started using the Statistics feature of clockster to analyze employee attendance and punctuality in more detail. This allows them to identify employees who are consistently late and those who are consistently punctual.

Violetta Kim emphasizes that the integration of the clockster was a relatively swift process: “Regarding the adaptation in Astana, we implemented it in just a few days. In Astana, we have around 60 administrative and managerial staff. As I mentioned, we have 206 employees across three cities, with around 60 in Astana”. According to Violetta Kim, the majority of the administrative and managerial staff in Astana are young, between the ages of 23 and 25, which allows them to quickly adapt to new applications. She notes, “clockster is really intuitive. No one had to explain it to me. They just said, ‘Now we have the clockster.’ We quickly registered, entered our names, sent a request for the work schedule, and that was it. It’s very user-friendly and straightforward.”

We also spoke with Stakhan Abzal, HR manager in Almaty, to learn more about how clockster helped address staff management issues and achieve goals in the Aiplus chain of educational centers. Abzal describes the phased implementation of clockster: “We started by adding all departments and positions to the system, then provided access to department heads to add their staff. This method ensured a smooth and systematic implementation of the solution.”

This adaptation to clockster underscores the flexibility and accessibility of the system, making it an effective tool for attendance tracking and staff management in the Aiplus educational centers.

“After the implementation of the clockster in Aiplus, significant changes occurred. Employee discipline improved significantly, and lateness decreased by 15%. Accurate payroll calculation became a reality, and the HR manager saved time that was previously spent on data monitoring and analysis.” – Stakhan Abzal, HR manager in Almaty.

Building Corporate Culture and Discipline with clockster

In the Aiplus chain of educational centers, the clockster system has become more than just a attendance-tracking tool—it has become a powerful means of shaping corporate culture and discipline. Violetta Kim, HR manager, emphasizes that Aiplus has no intention of penalizing employees for lateness. Instead, the center aims to create an atmosphere of awareness and an understanding of the importance of discipline.

Competitive Instinct and Data Transparency

Regular attendance reports, compiled and shared by HR managers, play a significant role in fostering a competitive spirit among departments. In the chat where these reports are published, department heads can see the performance of all departments. Violetta Kim says, “In this chat, all department heads can see the performance of all departments. I think this fosters a competitive instinct among them.”

Violetta shares a practical case where one department had a high rate of lateness. After providing the department head with a report, that department reduced its lateness by half. This case illustrates how the clockster system helped Aiplus employees become more responsible and conscientious.

Cultivating Culture

The center places great emphasis on cultivating a corporate culture based on the values of discipline and punctuality. “If we become a company with a culture of ‘never being late,’ then all employees will be punctual not because they fear punishment but because it’s part of the culture,” emphasizes Violetta.

Modern Generation and Coaching

The center recognizes that it is working with a generation of young employees and adapts its approach accordingly. Instead of applying pressure and punishments, employees are given opportunities for growth and self-improvement. Violetta Kim explains, “These are young people, aged 20-23. They are a different breed, and you can’t push them. You always need to communicate the importance and value to them.”

In conclusion, clockster not only ensures precise attendance tracking but also serves as a potent tool for fostering discipline and corporate culture in the Aiplus educational chain.

Communication and Leaves Management in clockster

In clockster, employee communication is organized efficiently and intuitively, which is crucial for the Aiplus chain of educational centers.

Requests for “Partial day leave” in clockster serve as a convenient tool for both employees and center managers. When an employee needs to be absent due to personal circumstances, they can submit a request for “Partial day leave” through the system. This request is then sent to their manager, who can approve it. This process allows for the proper tracking of employee leaves and helps prevent lateness.

clockster also supports the ability to submit requests for sick leave and additional days off. If an employee has worked on their scheduled day off, they can submit a request for an additional day off instead. In the case of illness, employees can request sick leave through the system. The manager receives notifications and can make decisions regarding the requested absence.

clockster simplifies the process of managing employee partial day leaves, ensuring transparency and efficient interaction between employees and managers. This contributes to greater adaptability to changing circumstances and takes into account the personal needs of employees.

Linking Discipline with Effectiveness and Education

In the Aiplus chain of educational centers, discipline becomes a fundamental element not only for the effectiveness of employees but also for the educational process. Violetta Kim, HR manager, emphasizes the importance of discipline and its impact on effectiveness and education:

“Employees often ask, ‘Why can’t I be late if I stay later?’ However, I explain that discipline stems from the culture and principles of the company. Being late for work may seem insignificant, but it has a cascading effect. If you are five minutes late today, your coworker might be five minutes late tomorrow, and the next day, someone else might be ten or fifteen minutes late. Can you imagine what we would end up with? You must always check-in on time, and the time of your check-out is a matter of your planning and efficiency at work.”

In Aiplus, students have mentors. Violetta shares, “When a child arrives, the mentor should already be there, welcoming them with a smile. They shouldn’t be rushing to work, out of breath, five minutes before the student arrives.”

Link to Education and Productivity

Discipline directly influences the educational process at Aiplus. The center prepares students for admission to leading educational institutions such as Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS), Republican Physics and Mathematics School (RFMS), and BIL, as well as for the Unified National Test (UNT). Violetta Kim emphasizes, “We are all focused on results, and those can only be achieved when there is discipline.”

Aiplus also places significant importance on teaching discipline to its students. They teach children to be punctual and responsible during their lessons.

“If we are late ourselves, what example can we set for the children? Our work is closely connected to discipline.”

In the end, in Aiplus, discipline is not merely a requirement but a crucial component that contributes to efficiency and fosters a culture aimed at achieving outstanding results in education.

Advantages of Recommending clockster for Other Organizations

“If I were to recommend the clockster solution to another chain of organizations, I would highlight several key advantages that I consider essential.”

Ease of Use

“First and perhaps one of the most significant advantages of the clockster is its user-friendliness. This system is highly intuitive and easy to learn. For modern users accustomed to mobile devices, it provides a convenient and easily understandable solution.”

Statistical Data Export Capability

“clockster offers the ability to quickly and easily export statistical data. You can choose the necessary parameters, select the fields of interest, and create your custom reports. This allows for quick and convenient analysis of attendance and staff performance. Previously, to obtain such information, we had to maintain manual records, which was a time-consuming and not always accurate process.”

Discipline and Corporate Culture Formation

“Another key advantage of clockster is its ability to foster discipline and corporate culture within the organization. The clockster helps instill punctuality and responsibility practices among employees. This is especially important when the organization has employees who demonstrate good discipline and value seeing that they are equally diligent compared to others. Through clockster, we create a culture where every employee understands that their discipline is under control and that it is an integral part of the overall corporate culture.”

Motivation and Equality

“The clockster system contributes to employee motivation and the creation of equal conditions for all. It allows all employees to see and evaluate their results and regulate their discipline. Thus, it promotes the creation of equal conditions and fosters a culture where responsibility to the company and colleagues becomes the norm.”

The Aiplus chain of educational centers in Kazakhstan, a leader in student admissions to top schools and successful student preparation, has integrated the clockster system for staff management and discipline control. As a result of this innovation, Aiplus has achieved significant advantages.

The article discusses how clockster has become an integral part of the corporate culture at Aiplus, where discipline and punctuality have become key elements of success. User-friendliness, statistical data export capability, and the promotion of equality within the organization are among the key advantages of clockster.

clockster has also streamlined absence management, simplifying communication between employees and managers at Aiplus. This has allowed Aiplus to be more adaptable to changing circumstances and consider the personal needs of its staff.

clockster provides a simple, effective, and flexible solution for attendance tracking and staff management. It is suitable for various organizations, including educational centers, and can significantly enhance workflow organization and the formation of corporate culture.