Table of Contents
A business relies on its employees; their productivity directly affects the success of the business. Therefore, it is only natural that a business would want to implement some tactics that they can use to monitor their employees. The question is, does employee monitoring work, and more than that, is it appropriate? Your employees have rights, but as long as these rights are not affected, you are well within your remit to monitor your staff. Read on to learn more.
A Background on Employee Monitoring
Employee monitoring is not a new thing. Traditionally, employees have been monitored using metrics like measuring their output, implementing deadlines and holding annual reviews. However, in the modern era, employee monitoring can be a little trickier, especially if they work remotely. Monitoring aims to track productivity and identify unacceptable behaviours to take the necessary disciplinary measures.
What it Achieves?
Arguably the biggest benefit of employee monitoring processes is a reduction in wasted time; however, this does not necessarily equal an uptick in productivity. Employees can be easily distracted whether they are working at home or in the office. Knowing they are being monitored makes them more likely to avoid or ignore these distractions. But that being said, some evidence suggests that regular breaks can actually aid in productivity, so you might want to take this into account.
Depending on the industry and the business too, it might also make sense to install monitoring software on work devices. These can provide you with data that can help inform business practices in the future and play an important role in evaluating their performance during their assessments too. When employees know they are being monitored, they are much more likely to perform.
Lastly, monitoring software can save time because it means that managers no longer need to hover over their employees, which frees them up to focus on other things. In addition, when employees are given more freedom and independence, they feel trusted, which can help improve morale and encourage better employee retention.
Tools to Consider
A lot of businesses choose to monitor their employees in a few different ways. Of course, the methods you choose need to make sense for the business. Employee monitoring software can be installed on work devices and works wherever they work, which makes it ideal for hybrid or remote workers.
Businesses with a mobile element should install vehicle trackers and tachographs like the ones available from FleetGO. You can keep track of your employees while they are out on call and working in the community. Finally, if your employees work in an office or with goods that need to be monitored, it makes sense to install CCTV. This helps to monitor their activities as well as make sure none of the inventory is misappropriated.
Final Thoughts
Employee monitoring has always existed in one form or another. However, it can feel more invasive, thanks to digital advancements. It is important that you consider your employees’ feelings and rights. It is worth implementing some monitoring tools, but you should be open and honest about it; remember – transparency matters.