Cost savings represents a major driver for supporting remote work. Employee morale and productivity consistently run much higher when employers support this level of flexibility.
A majority of organizations support some type of remote or hybrid work. Statistics show that:
- 16% of companies are now completely remote
- 40% support hybrid office/remote working
- 44% don’t allow employees to work remotely at all
Although there are advantages to this new work environment, it also presents its fair share of challenges. Employers worry about the cybersecurity threats that come with remote work. Managers often find it more difficult to monitor and ensure that employees perform their duties as expected.
The rise of employee monitoring tools inevitably links to the rise in remote and hybrid work. However, these tools get mixed reviews from both employees and employers alike.
What Is Employee Monitoring Software?
Software designed for employee monitoring keeps a digital record of employee actions. Monitored actions range from simple clock-in and clock-out tracking to taking periodic screenshots of the employee’s computer screen.
Applications such as Hubstaff and BambooHR track a variety of computer activities. Data from these apps typically gets compiled into a daily or weekly report then sent to the employer.
Activities that these tools could track are:
- Time clock
- Keyboard activity
- Keystrokes
- Mouse activity
- Websites visited
- Screenshots of the desktop
- Apps used and how long in use
The most invasive employee monitoring tools can track and record the sounds and video of the employee. This level of invasive surveillance may or may not show up to the employee depending on the software and ethical practices of the employer.
Such tracking can be advantageous for organizations concerned about productivity loss. However it also creates a sense of mistrust and demoralizes valuable employees. We examined the advantages and disadvantages of this type of monitoring system, allowing you to weigh the pros and cons before implementing it.
Pros of Activity Monitoring Tools
Helps Managers Understand How Employees Spend Their Day
Monitoring employee time spent on specific projects represents one common capability of tracking software. This enables managers to discern where their employees are focusing their efforts. By being able to determine the amount of time employees allocate to each project, managers can make more accurate projections for return on investment.
Reduces Non-Work Activities During Working Hours
One major concern employers report with remote workers is that they may be unproductive and waste time during working hours. This results in reduced output and financial losses. Managers don’t want to pay an employee for their time only to find out that they have spent a significant portion of it browsing social media websites.
Research has found that almost half of the employees monitored during work hours dedicate over three hours a day to non-work-related activities. Research shows the same for in office employees. However, employees tend to avoid slacking off when they are aware that their employer is monitoring their application usage. This can lead to an increase in productivity.
Offers An Easy Way to Track Time for Remote Workers
For small businesses operating with entirely remote teams, tracking tools can be highly beneficial. These tools allow employees and freelancers to log their working hours easily, with just the click of a button. Employers can set a cap on the number of hours per week and automatically manage payments through the application, making the process more efficient.
Cons of Activity Monitoring Tools
Hurts Employees’ Morale & Productivity
The introduction of monitoring tools in the workplace can make employees feel trapped, leading to a decline in morale that can also impact productivity.
Rather than focusing solely on their work, employees’ thoughts may be consumed by concerns such as, “Will the monitoring system penalize me for thinking too long about a problem?” or “If I’m on the phone with a client and not using my mouse, will the system assume I’m not working?” These concerns can contribute to a negative work environment, and in turn, a decrease in productivity.
Some of the feelings that employees can have when monitored are:
- Betrayed
- No longer trusted
- Loss of company loyalty
- Hurt
- Treated like a number instead of a person
“Activity Monitoring” Doesn’t Mean Productivity
Many tracking tools generate “activity reports” that analyze keyboard and mouse movements during a specified period for both employees and employers to review. However, this approach can be flawed, as it fails to consider scenarios in which an employee may be using their intellect rather than their mouse or keyboard.
For example, an employee tasked with resolving a workflow issue may need to focus on their thought processes rather than their mouse movements. Similarly, a salesperson may spend a significant amount of time on the phone with a customer, without using their keyboard. This can present a problem when analyzing data for Zoom calls, which are a common feature of remote work.
Activity reports generated by such tools often only consider mouse and keyboard activity and may give a lower score to an employee who is genuinely working hard but is not actively using their keyboard or mouse at that moment.
Costs Organizations Good Employees
According to a survey, nearly half (47%) of tech employees would quit if their employer implemented monitoring tools. This can lead to a sense of alienation, a feeling of mistrust, and a lack of appreciation for good employees.
When employees feel that their value is reduced to a series of keyboard strokes, it can stifle their creativity. Employees tend to remain loyal to companies where they feel valued, appreciated, and have opportunities to grow. Once those conditions are compromised, employees may become disenchanted and leave the organization.
In addition, does an employer pay for minutes spent or for tasks accomplished? Many of the concerns vanish when the employee shifts to goal based work.
Finding a Balance
When finding the right balance between tracking too much or too little, think about:
- What do you really need to track?
- Should you treat all employees the same?
- What do your employees think about monitoring?
- Are you trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist?
- What features are unnecessary that you can turn off?
- Is the tool giving you accurate data related to productivity?
Why Is This Published By A Business Phone Company?
Here at NoContractVoIP, we believe that your success is our success. And, since we specialize in business communication, we also want to help you communicate better while staying safe. We create the cutting edge communication systems that modern companies need.
One of our specialties is creating integrated phone systems that facilitate hybrid and remote work with no confusion.
To talk to a business phone system specialist, call 866-550-0005 or contact us today.
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