Employee monitoring software. For better visibility into digital work.

Employee monitoring software is technology businesses use to gather digital activity data about their employees to understand how they work and find areas for improvement. While monitoring is sometimes associated with employee surveillance, its true value is in helping managers increase workforce productivity while reducing the risk of burnout.

The best employee monitoring solutions enables managers to see which applications and websites are used, track working and productive time and identify potential security risks such as data breaches in real time. With a software-based tool, managers can gather activity data for in-office and remote employees — and then use insights to improve workflows and improve team performance.

U.S. businesses lose $650 billion each year from employee distractions. Constant pings, interruptions and unnecessary meetings can all add up to hours of lost focus. Successful, data-driven companies use the insights and analytics that employee monitoring software gives them to overcome these barriers. They increase productivity and efficiency, boost sales and revenue, and strengthen employee satisfaction and retention.

There are several types of employee monitoring software that collect a wide range of digital activity data. Employee monitoring software can be used to track:

• Email usage

• Internet and application activity

• Time and attendance

• Location information

• Productivity levels

• Workload levels and burnout signs

Employee monitoring solutions like ActivTrak collect this information in real time and deliver it in digital dashboards.

Employee monitoring software has a number of benefits for businesses, including:

• Increased productivity and performance: Understanding how employees work can help managers identify bottlenecks and improve workflows

• Higher employee engagement and retention: Activity data can reveal early signs of employee burnout, which allows managers to take preventative measures to improve employee well-being

• Enhanced security and compliance: See if any employees are accidentally or purposefully engaging in any behaviors that can create security risks

• Lower operational costs: Identify applications that aren’t being used and eliminate them to reduce expenses

• Improved remote and hybrid employee visibility: Maintain visibility into remote and hybrid employee activity to understand how working off-site effects performance and what you can do to provide support

Employee monitoring software gives businesses insights to help employees work more effectively, which translates into better processes and performance increases for the organization.

While employee monitoring can benefit any company looking to improve productivity and ensure compliance, certain teams may find the software particularly useful:

Customer service teams

Customer service teams often deal with a high volume of calls, emails and chats. Employee monitoring software helps managers identify areas where employees may need additional training or support, while tracking response times and customer satisfaction ratings.

Sales teams

Sales teams are often under pressure to meet quotas and close deals quickly. Employee monitoring software can help managers identify top-performing salespeople and provide coaching to those who may be struggling. It can also track customer interactions and provide insights into which sales strategies are most effective.

Project management teams

Project management teams oversee complex projects with multiple team members and deadlines. Employee monitoring software helps managers track progress, identify potential roadblocks and ensure people are meeting their deadlines.

IT teams

IT teams maintain the security and functionality of a company’s technology infrastructure. IT managers can use employee monitoring software to identify potential security threats and make sure people are following best practices for data security.

Regardless of your team, employee monitoring software can help improve productivity, ensure compliance and protect sensitive data. As more companies adopt remote and hybrid work, it’s increasingly important for managers to have visibility into employees’ activities, regardless of location.

The legality of employee monitoring software depends on the jurisdiction you operate in and the specific activities being monitored. In general, monitoring employee activity with software is legal as long as the employer has a legitimate business reason for doing so and follows any applicable laws and regulations.

There are several reasons an employer may choose to monitor employee computers. One of the most common reasons is to ensure employees are not engaging in any illegal or inappropriate activities during work hours. This may include monitoring employee emails, internet usage and social media activity. By doing so, employers can protect themselves from potential legal liabilities and ensure their employees are not engaging in any activities that could harm the company’s reputation.

However, your organization must get your employees’ consent first and inform them on the nature and extent of your monitoring. You can do this by creating a clear policy document that employees sign, either as they onboard or when you start monitoring. Additionally, you’ll have to make sure any monitoring activities don’t violate any privacy laws, which may include restrictions on monitoring personal communications, the use of GPS tracking or the use of monitoring software without employee consent.

You must also be aware of the potential negative effects that monitoring can have on employee morale and productivity. Employees may feel that their privacy is being invaded, which can lead to feelings of resentment and distrust towards their employer. This can ultimately lead to decreased productivity and increased turnover rates.

It’s important for employers to strike a balance between protecting business interests and respecting employees’ privacy rights. By implementing clear policies and obtaining employees’ consent, you can ensure that monitoring activities are legal and ethical — and will support a positive and productive work environment.

Yes, employee monitoring software is highly effective in providing visibility into remote and hybrid employees’ work habits. Many employee monitoring tools are designed to provide the same insights whether people are working in the office or from a remote location. This allows managers to see where, when and how often employees are able to stay productive and on task.

Remote work has become the norm for many businesses. However, managing remote teams has its challenges, and it can be difficult to know when people need support if you don’t see them every day. This is where employee monitoring software is particularly helpful.

Remote employee monitoring software gives managers detailed insights into their employees’ work habits. For example, managers see how much time employees spend on particular tasks, which websites and applications they use, and how often they’re interrupted by distractions. Managers can then use this information to identify areas where employees may need help and provide targeted support and guidance.

Employee monitoring solutions also help managers identify common issues that impact remote employees. For example, poor communication can be a struggle for remote teams, since it can be difficult to stay connected and aligned when working from different locations. With visibility into employee communication channels, such as email and instant messaging, managers can identify areas where breakdowns in communication occur and take steps to address these issues.

Coordinating work across different time zones and locations can create workflow bottlenecks — another challenge for remote teams. Employee monitoring software helps managers identify areas where workflows may be slowing down, and take steps to streamline processes and improve efficiency.

Overall, employee monitoring software is highly effective in increasing visibility for remote teams. By providing managers with detailed insights, it can help ensure remote employees stay productive while identifying areas where additional support or guidance may be needed.

The right employee monitoring software depends on your specific business needs, goals and requirements. Here are some factors to consider when evaluating different employee monitoring software solutions:

1. Functionality: Determine which features are most important to your business, such as time tracking, app usage monitoring or email monitoring. Look for a solution that offers these features and meets your specific requirements.
2. Scalability: Choose a solution that will grow with your business and let you add additional employees or departments as needed.
3. Integration: Make sure the employee monitoring software integrates with your existing systems, such as your human resources management system, project management tools or communication platforms.
4. Customization: Look for a solution where you can customize settings and reports to best suit the needs of your business.
5. Usability: Opt for software that’s user-friendly and easy to understand for both employees and managers.
6. Cost: Compare the pricing of different software solutions and consider the overall value they‘ll provide to your business.
7. Customer support: Choose a provider with a track record of responsive and helpful customer support.

By carefully considering these factors and researching the available options, you can find the best employee monitoring software to meet the needs of your business and improve overall productivity and security.

Businesses use employee monitoring software to see which employees are working within regular hours or spending overtime to get tasks done. You can also see where employees are spending the most time online and where they may be getting stuck, whether it’s with tools or complicated tasks. You can use this information to improve productivity and efficiency and to identify and address security risks.

Employee monitoring software also provides visibility into employee performance and areas for improvement. By monitoring employee activity, businesses can identify which employees are most productive and which need additional training or support. This can help businesses create a more efficient and productive workforce.

Employee monitoring software improves productivity and efficiency by helping businesses identify and address issues affecting employee performance. For example, if people spend a lot of time browsing the internet, you can use employee monitoring software to block websites that aren’t work-related. If employees don’t use company resources efficiently, you can use employee monitoring software to track their usage and provide them with guidance on how to improve their performance.

Additionally, employee monitoring software helps businesses discover areas where employees excel so you can reward them for their hard work. This helps create a positive work environment and motivates employees to continue to perform at a high level. Employee monitoring software can also help you identify areas where employees need additional training or support, allowing you to provide the necessary resources to help employees reach their full potential.

Employee monitoring software improves accountability by providing businesses with a record of employee activity. You can use this record to hold people accountable, and to identify and address issues affecting performance. For example, if an employee is not meeting their targets, a business can use employee monitoring software reports to see areas for improvement so you can provide guidance to turn things around.

Employee monitoring software can help businesses save money by reducing the need for unused (or underused) investments. For example, employee monitoring software can be used to see how often different business apps are used. Using this information, you can decide when it’s time to cancel costly contracts and subscriptions.

At the same time, employee monitoring software can help you reduce spending associated with employee training and development. By tracking employee performance, you can identify areas where employees need more training or support. You can also provide targeted training and development programs to help employees reach their full potential. This can help reduce the costs associated with providing training and development programs while improving employee performance and productivity.

Employee monitoring software can reduce the risk of security breaches by helping businesses identify and address potential risks. For example, if an employee is trying to access sensitive information they shouldn’t have access to, employee monitoring software can raise an alert so the business can take appropriate action. By reducing the risk of security breaches, employee monitoring software can help businesses protect their data and avoid potentially costly penalties.

In addition, employee monitoring software can also help businesses identify any malicious activity that may be taking place on their networks. By monitoring employee activity, you can detect any suspicious behavior and take the necessary steps to protect your data. This can help reduce the risk of data theft or other malicious activities and can help you maintain the security of your networks.

Employee monitoring software helps businesses comply with regulatory requirements. For example, if you’re required to monitor employee communications, employee monitoring software can record and analyze employee email and internet usage. This information can help ensure that employees aren’t sharing confidential information or engaging in activities that could breach data protection laws.

Employee monitoring software can also help track employee activity and ensure that employees are following company policies and procedures. This can reduce the risk of non-compliance with regulatory requirements, as well protecting the company from potential legal action. By monitoring employee activity, businesses can ensure that their employees are following the rules and regulations set out by the company and any government entities.

Employee monitoring software may be worth the investment if you’re looking to improve productivity and performance, prevent burnout and turnover and enhance security and compliance. The software is especially valuable for remote and hybrid employers that want to understand where and when people are most productive. You may even find employee monitoring software pays for itself and yields additional savings. By seeing which applications employees use, businesses may be able to cut expensive tools that aren’t being used.

In addition to information about ActivTrak’s software, we’ve also created several resources about employee monitoring to help make an informed decision when choosing a tool for your organization.

• What is Employee Monitoring?

• Pros & Cons of Employee Monitoring

• Types of Employee Monitoring

• Tracking Employee Performance to Elevate your Culture

• Ethical Considerations for Employee Monitoring

• Our Approach to Employee Computer Monitoring

• The Ultimate Employee Monitoring Tool Checklist