With the rapidly evolving times, HR professionals and managers often face the challenge of balancing trust with responsibility.
To address this, they are turning to employee monitoring tools.
Employee monitoring tools have gradually become a practical way for companies to balance accountability with employee productivity. With remote and hybrid work becoming the need of the hour, monitoring tools have transformed beyond simple time tracking.
These tools give managers a closer look at how employees actually work. However, the challenge comes when it comes to choosing an employee monitoring tool, as there are countless options out there. This guide will cut through the noise so that you learn how to monitor employees effectively. So without further ado, let’s get started.
Employee monitoring tool: An overview
In the technical context, it is an employee monitoring software that is developed to track and evaluate employees’ workspace activities. It gathers data on productivity, performance, task execution, and workflow trends. It includes features such as automated time tracking, website usage logs, keystroke recording, and periodic screenshots.
Types of employee monitoring tools
EMS or employee monitoring software is most commonly used for employee monitoring. But other than that, there are also different tools considered. These tools are either traditional or physical in nature. It includes,
CCTV:
Cameras are used to observe general workplace activities, security, and to prevent theft or other misconduct.
GPS tracking:
GPS devices are used to monitor field staff. Their location, routes, movements during work hours, etc.
Wearables:
Wearables are also used to track activities. These devices can even capture health-related sensitive data, like signs of fatigue.
Mails:
This can include more traditional methods like reviewing physical mail, or in some cases, the use of hardware to monitor network traffic.
Card punching:
These are very old but still relevant methods. Modern versions often use biometrics or keycards to prevent “buddy punching.”
Benefits of employee monitoring tools
Let’s take a look at the benefits of an employee monitoring system and understand how it can help in making the job of HRs and managers easier.
Productivity gets enhanced:
Employee computer monitoring software gives managers insight into how work time is used, highlights productivity bottlenecks, and tracks project progress in real time.
Provides complete data security:
Apart from boosting remote workers’ productivity, these tools are extremely effective in protecting businesses from data breaches and leaks. Almost every tool immediately raises a flag when an unauthorised user tries to enter the system. So, whether the threat comes from outside or inside, the data and information are secured.
Best for remote employees and hybrid management:
Post-pandemic, there has been a massive shift in the traditional way of on-site working. With the introduction of hybrid and remote working models, remote employee monitoring has become essential as it assists managers to manage projects, remote teams, task management, employee attendance, etc., easily.
Performance gets optimized:
The USP of these tools is that they deliver real-time data and insights about employees’ performances. This becomes a great help to HRs and managers as they can identify the employees who are extremely productive and pay attention to those who are lagging and work with them accordingly.
Managing time and resources:
Employee pc monitoring software is extremely helpful in managing the valuation of projects. These tools can effectively provide automated reports, help in preparing resource allocation structures, monitor remote employees’ interaction, etc.
Provide real-time data:
They say data is the currency of today. For organisations that struggle to have insights into the holistic performances of their employees, these tools are a blessing. As soon as you start using employee monitoring tools, you get all the employees’ information and real-time data of their overall performance in just a few clicks.
Drawbacks of employee monitoring tools
While there is no denying that these tools are extremely effective, one should not forget that their effectiveness also has drawbacks.
Harms trust and employee privacy:
When employees work with the belief that their every movement is being monitored, their productivity gets severely harmed. So, chances are that they will avoid personal scenarios that require their immediate attention. Also, it creates a very invasive atmosphere. Team members began to feel like they are suspects.
Productivity gets impacted:
While it is true that employee monitoring tools are implemented to increase productivity, this might not always be the case. Being monitored all the time can hurt productivity. The result? Work quality suffers. To counter this, employees choose to focus their energy and time on “performative work.” Instead of actually being productive, they start pretending it.
The company’s image suffers:
Extensive employee activity monitoring sends a negative message to employees about how much the organization trusts them. It can also create an adversarial relationship between management and staff.
Legal & compliance risks:
Employee monitoring tools can also create substantial legal issues. Different laws and regulations are associated with workspace monitoring. There are also rules associated with hybrid and remote models. Failure to comply with them can have serious repercussions.
Since we have touched upon the matter of legality, let’s address a question here.
Employee monitoring in the workplace: Is it legal?
Yes. Employee monitoring in the workplace is legal. Each country has its own set of rules and regulations for this. Therefore, business owners and HRs must be mindful of them. They must prepare documented policies so that there is transparency. When it comes to employees, they should be informed about this. Also, managers must obtain consent wherever required to avoid privacy violations.
Tips to get the best employee tracking tools
As we discussed in the beginning, there are various options available in the market. Some offer free monitoring tools, while others can be extremely expensive. Which one to choose totally depends on your business requirements. These are some of the tips that will help you find the best employee monitoring software for your business.
What is your objective?
While it is understandable that businesses integrate these tools to monitor the performance of their employees, the reasons can’t always be the same. Define your business objective. Do you want to measure productivity? Get insights on team performance? Manage teams? Answering questions will filter out unnecessary requirements.
Evaluate the features and functionalities:
Just like any other business technology, these tools should offer complete features. Look out for features that match your business needs. Some of the basic ones include,
1. Real-Time Monitoring
2. Automatic Time Tracking
3. Digital Activity Monitoring
4. Screenshots & Live Screencast
5. Multi-Platform Support
6. Automated Timesheets
7. Productivity monitoring & Reporting Dashboard
8. Tight Integration with Other Business Tools
Ensure user-friendliness:
Any technology that is difficult to understand or operate will increase your resources behind providing training to employees. Therefore, choose a tool that is user-friendly in its nature and gives you what you need in just a few clicks.
Integrates seamlessly:
This is perhaps the most important thing. Let’s say you finally found the tool that matches your business needs. However, if it doesn’t integrate with your existing infrastructure, then there is no reason to adopt it. Always ensure the tool seamlessly integrates with your existing workflow system.
Scalability:
Another thing that you should consider is the scalability factor. Let’s say you’re a small or mid-sized business with a limited number of employees. It’s fair that your existing tool is giving you the result as per your needs. However, it won’t work in the long run once your business starts scaling and your workforce starts to expand. Therefore, consider the monitoring tool that scales with your business.
Security & data protection:
Choose an employee monitoring tool that protects your company’s sensitive information and employees’ personal data. Also, follows privacy compliance laws and standards.
Test before buying:
This is perhaps the most important tip. If your real-time employee tracking tool offers the benefit of free trials, don’t let it slip away. The benefit here is that you can explore the tool’s features, check its usability, match your requirements, and see how well it fits with your workflows.
Make your workplace super productive with Super Track
Employee tracking software can make a stark difference in your overall business operations. However, if it is integrated with no transparency or without informing employees, the results can be counterproductive. Therefore, it is essential to balance productivity tracking with fairness, along with clear communication with employees.
Now, what if you come to know that you don’t need separate tools for payroll, attendance, compliance, project, onboarding, or performance management? You can do this and more with just one. Super Track is your all-in-one software that is designed to simplify user activity monitoring, optimize productivity, payroll processing, ensure compliance, and much more. The best part is that it is tightly integrated with HRMS & payroll software. Thus, whether you manage a startup or an enterprise, Super Track by Superworks can help you grow. Try our free employee monitoring software for 15 days and check how it works in your favour.
