Is Using an Employee Monitoring Software a Good Idea?

Monitoring your employees is one of the best ways to uphold productivity, keep track of working hours and create accountability. However, it’s only helpful when done appropriately.

For you to carry out this essential task more efficiently, you need software to monitor employees.

But, what is monitoring software?

It is a software that observes and tracks the activities and operations of users, applications, and network services on an enterprise system or a computer. This type of software gives you a way to supervise the general processes performed on a computing system. It also provides clear reports of employee and team performance to company leaders.

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Now you know what monitoring software is, the question is: Is it a good idea for your company?

The short answer is yes.

But there are different types of employee monitoring software — and you need to make sure you are choosing the right one for your needs.

User Activity Monitoring Software

This is a company monitoring tool used to monitor employee computer activity to identify and stop insider threats, monitor productivity, review employee performance, and for employee training.

The final goal of user activity monitoring software is to trim down or eradicate insider threats and boost productivity. Hence, it helps reduce companies’ expenses that arise due to employees’ time mismanagement.

User activity monitoring software tracks all user activity for apps, websites, emails, networks, and the like while at work. In short, it provides a complete picture of what employees get up to during work hours.

Screen Monitoring Software

With a remote team, you can’t simply visit each of your employees’ desks and check out what they are working on. Screen Monitoring for PC or Mac can lend a hand here, enabling you to see what employees are working on in real-time.

For instance, this software enables you to see the websites and applications each staff uses throughout the day. It can also pinpoint compliance threats from use of unpermitted websites and apps.

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The best screen monitoring software will allow you to customize frequency, protect private information and be set to automatic or manual.

Enterprise IT Monitoring Software

Enterprise monitoring platforms are tools that are built to scale, capable of monitoring employee activity across thousands of devices in real-time.

While there are many monitoring solutions to choose from, very few are built for the needs of enterprise teams.

At their core, enterprise monitoring software has many of the same features as standard monitoring tools. However, there are some key differences.

For enterprises, it’s important to look for a monitoring software that is built to scale, has enterprise-grade security and has mass installation options. A good enterprise monitoring tool should also allow on-premise installation for full data control.

By putting a smart enterprise monitoring system in place, you can better control the complexity of multiple interrelated systems. Plus, detect and remediate bottlenecks and inefficiencies that can compound at scale.

Employee Performance Monitoring Software

In our increasingly remote world, it’s never been more challenging to track and manage what employees are working on during their work hours.

Employee performance monitoring software, sometimes also called productivity software, is a tool used to measure and quantify employee productivity. It provides you with clear metrics that help you understand how employees use their time.

It also helps you keep track of the exact tasks the employees work on during work hours to gauge how productive they are. That way, you can keep up to date with what your employees are up to and provide any extra support they may need.

Monitoring or Tracking?

Monitoring and tracking seem to have a very thin line between them.

So, let’s explain the difference between monitoring and tracking.

Monitoring is the procedure of frequently collecting data points via software that contribute to an overall picture of performance. Generally speaking, monitoring shows what employees are working on, the tools they are using and when they are active.

On the other hand, tracking typically captures a wider array of data points, which can be used to capture time, attendance, productivity and more.

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While there is a distinction between monitoring and tracking, when it comes to using software to support your team, it’s best to opt for a solution that provides both. That’s because tracking and monitoring are complementary to each other, and together form the most complete picture of how your team works.

Good Idea or Not?

Using software to monitor your employees who are either remotely working or in the office is an excellent idea. Every company should consider it.

It minimizes or eradicates wastage while your employees’ productivity increases, and thus your company’s profits go up.

The good news is the best monitoring software options bundle multiple functionalities into a single tool. For instance, some tools offer user activity monitoring, screenshots, performance management and more all in one.

While some employees may initially reject the idea due to the fear of surveillance or the unknowns about how the information is used, these concerns can easily be overcome.

By explaining exactly how the software will be used within the company and making clear the company policies about acceptable and unacceptable behavior online and during work hours.

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Transparency goes a long way with employees and the use of such software within your team bolsters transparency within the company. Through showing employees how the data is used to improve their efficiency but also the productivity of the company as a whole, they can come to understand the benefits. It’s recommended to give employees access to their own data so they can see feedback and adjust their work behaviours on their own. This practice also helps to put their minds at ease.

Final thoughts

What is the conclusion of the matter? The shift to remote and hybrid teams is happening at warp speed, and companies are making work from home a permanent option for their employees.

In order to ensure that your employees are doing the work they’re paid to do, consider using an employee monitoring system which is designed to tell you exactly how your employees are using their work hours.

For a monitoring software to be properly implemented, it’s important to properly communicate the benefits to your employees.

It’s also important to outline your specific expectations and have employees set goals with respect to their productivity. Transparency goes a long way, and when implemented correctly these types of systems can bolster a healthy and productive work-from-home culture.