How To Know If Employee Monitoring Software Is Right For Your Business

Employee tracking software has become synonymous with many companies that employ remote workers. It is also common for freelancers to use monitoring software to keep track of hours worked and tasks completed in order to accurately invoice their clients for projects.

While it makes sense for companies to track remote workers as a way to ensure that deadlines are met and to more effectively manage projects undertaken by teams spread around different locations across the world, many companies with onsite workers are also debating whether or not to invest in employee monitor software for their in-house activities.

Some believe that because workers are onsite, monitoring software is unnecessary as a management tool, as managers can interact with employees directly to ensure productivity. Others, however, deem monitoring software necessary to streamline workflow. Here’s some considerations for whether or not to implement employee monitoring software onsite.

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

Type Of Business

Companies that follow fully remote or hybrid practices would benefit greatly from monitoring software, as the technology can promote transparent and productive working practices.

This is because such software allows managers to track screen time, keystrokes and mouse clicks, and app usage. The software also allows managers to more effectively administer workflow, set reasonable deadlines, and distribute resources regardless of where employees are situated in the world.

When workers know that their activities are being monitored, they tend to be more effective in their time management and less prone to wasting company resources. This reality is true regardless of if workers are remote or in-office.

For companies that run purely in-office, but whose operations are still predominantly computer-based, tracking software can prove particularly helpful for workflow management and to flag any time-stealing activities.

That is, by implementing onsite tracking software, it can become easier to see if employees are abusing business resources for personal use; spending much time away from their workstations and, instead, chatting with co-workers; or if certain set tasks are causing employees to spend unnecessary time on aspects that could be automated, such as basic administration tasks or sitting in meetings when an email would be sufficient.

By tracking in-office time, resource use, and workflow, monitoring software can ensure more streamlined onsite activities.

Managerial Activities

Irrespective of type, businesses can improve managerial capacity by investing in employee tracking software. That is, many HR tasks like analysing and confirming employee hourly rates and salaries, approving employee leave, and scheduling team activities and training can be automated or complemented through the adoption of monitoring software.

This opens up managers’ time to spend on other important tasks like team building, income-generation, staff development, project management, and client relations, since administration tasks are completed more accurately and quickly as a result of using tracking software’s different features.

Businesses with limited staff may find tracking software helpful in areas like accurate client invoicing and employee salary determinations, while larger companies can benefit from monitoring software’s project and large-team management solutions.

By introducing monitoring software into the onsite environment, managers can spend less time ‘babysitting’ workers and more time on completing their own tasks and ensuring the office environment offers workers a safe and happy place to conduct their work.

Efficiency

Organisations that operate at high-turnaround rates for project deadlines, run multiple projects simultaneously, or form part of a bigger supply chain network can use employee tracking software to improve efficiency.

Such software can also help companies remain competitive, as better time management results in improved resource use and allocation as well as less general wastage, which makes it easier to offer clients cost-effective products and services.

In an increasingly connected world, companies of all types can benefit from streamlining operations and cutting down on unnecessary expenditure, and employee monitoring software offers one tool to do just that.

Conclusion

Most modern businesses, whether following fully remote, hybrid, or onsite practices can benefit from investing in employee tracking software. Only very small onsite businesses, or those whose operations rarely include activities conducted in the digital space may find employee monitoring software an unnecessary expense.

For any other type of business – whether employing remote or onsite employees – monitoring software can prove a useful tool for promoting worker productivity and more streamlined project management.