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 identify ineffective workflows and to increase workforce productivity.

Employee monitoring software 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.

There are several types of employee monitoring software that collect a wide range of digital activity data. This includes email usage, internet and application activity, time, attendance and location information. For most solutions, this information is collected in real time and accessible through a digital dashboard.

ActivTrak’s software tracks:

• When employees are online or offline, including start and end times

• Which apps and websites employees are using

• Productive time across focus, collaboration and multitasking categories

• Over- and under-utilized employees to identify and redistribute workload and prevent potential burnout

Employee monitoring software has a number of benefits for businesses, especially when it comes to improving productivity and performance, ensuring compliance and reducing security risks. It can be used to monitor employee email and internet usage habits, and assess employee engagement and performance. This means leadership gets greater visibility into how employees spend their time and employees can more easily find areas to improve. 

ActivTrak analyzes daily work activity data for insights into time and technology usage, resource gaps and productivity trends — while ensuring data privacy and compliance. This allows you to improve productivity without compromising employee privacy.

Employee monitoring software allows companies to see the root cause of costly distractions, rebalance workloads, identify opportunities for improvement, and identify security risks before they can become larger issues.

According to businessnewsdaily.com, American businesses lose $650 billion per year from distracted employees. Distractions come from frequent context switching, unproductive processes, unnecessary intrusions or a lack of focus. Successful, data-driven companies use the insights and analytics that employee monitoring software gives them to increase productivity and efficiency, boost sales and revenue, and strengthen employee satisfaction and retention.

While employee monitoring can benefit any company looking to improve productivity and ensure compliance, there are some specific teams that may find it particularly useful:

Customer service teams

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

Sales teams

Sales teams are often under pressure to meet quotas and close deals quickly. 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. Monitoring software helps managers track progress, identify potential roadblocks and ensure team members are meeting their deadlines.

IT teams

IT teams maintain the security and functionality of a company’s technology infrastructure. IT managers use monitoring software to identify potential security threats and ensure that employees are following best practices for data security.

Overall, employee monitoring software is a powerful tool for any team looking to 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 their employees’ activities, regardless of location.

The legality of employee monitoring depends on the jurisdiction you operate in and the specific activities being monitored. In general, monitoring employee computers 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 why 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 prior to any monitoring and to inform them of the nature and extent of such monitoring. You can do this by having a clear policy document that employees have to sign when they onboard or when you start the monitoring solution. 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 their business interests and respecting their employees’ privacy rights. By implementing clear policies and obtaining employees’ consent, you can ensure that monitoring activities are legal and ethical, while also maintaining a positive and productive work environment.

Yes, employee monitoring software is highly effective in providing visibility into remote and hybrid employees’ work habits. Many monitoring tools are designed to function regardless of whether an employee is working in the office or from a remote location. This allows managers to maintain oversight of employees’ activities, ensuring they stay productive and on task while working from home or any other remote location.

Remote work is increasingly common and has become the norm for many businesses. However, managing remote teams has its challenges, as it can be difficult to ensure employees are working efficiently and effectively. 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 much time they spend on non-work-related activities. 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 giving visibility to managers for remote teams. By providing managers with detailed insights into their employees’ work habits and productivity, it can help ensure that remote employees stay on task and productive, while also 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 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 grows with your business, offering the ability to 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 the settings and reporting 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 responsive and helpful customer support to assist with any questions or issues that arise.

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 gives visibility into employee performance and where there are areas of 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 employees 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 to provide them with guidance on how to improve their performance.

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

Employee monitoring software can track employee attendance and ensure employees follow company policies — ensuring employees take the necessary steps to stay productive and efficient. You can also keep an eye on employee communication, which helps to ensure employees aren’t engaging in inappropriate or unprofessional behavior.

Employee monitoring software can help businesses save money by reducing the need for costly manual processes. For example, employee monitoring software can be used to record and analyze employee email and internet usage. Using this information, you can identify and address issues that are affecting employee productivity, and improve communication and collaboration between employees, which will cut down on costs overall.

At the same time, employee monitoring software can help you reduce spending associated with employee training and development. By tracking employee performance, you can figure out 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 to employees, while also helping improve employee performance and productivity.

How does employee monitoring software reduce the risk of security breaches?

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 that 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, it 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.

How does employee monitoring software help you comply with regulatory requirements?

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.