As a recruiter, you know how critical it is to ensure your team functions at its highest level in order to maintain peak productivity. Tracking progress and gathering data can help improve performance and even inform future decisions regarding hiring, managing, or developing employees. But is employee monitoring really the solution to driving business success?
In this blog post, we will discuss your employee productivity tracking options, along with their pros and cons. We'll explain how the software will impact your business efficiency and your company's employee experience so you can make the right decision on how to move the needle.
What is Employee Productivity and Monitoring Software?
There are a variety of different types of productivity tracking and monitoring tools in use, such as time clocks, GPS tracking, email monitoring, phone call monitoring and/or recording, video surveillance, security keycards, and computer monitoring such as screen-recorders or keyloggers.
For example, time clocks can be used to track the amount of time that employees spend on each task, while GPS tracking can be used to track the location of remote employees. Email monitoring can be used to track the number of emails that employees send and receive, while phone call monitoring can be used to track the length of phone calls. Security cameras and security keycards can be used to track the movement of employees, and computer monitoring can be used to track the websites that employees visit.
Ultimately, the type of employee monitoring software tool that you choose will depend on your specific needs.
Benefits of Employee Monitoring Software
There are many benefits to using productivity tracking software. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is that it can help your team become more productive. By tracking progress on different tasks, you can get a better idea of how much time each employee is spending on each task and where they may be able to improve. This can help your team to be more efficient and to get more done in less time.
Another benefit of productivity tracking software is that it can help your company stay organized. By creating a list of tasks and breaking them down into smaller goals, you can ensure that each task is properly planned and has a specific purpose. This can help to prevent your employees from becoming overwhelmed and stressed out, which can lead to decreased productivity.
Finally, productivity tracking software can help you to track your progress over time. This can be helpful in measuring your own progress as well as seeing how different strategies impact your productivity. It can also help to motivate your team to continue working hard and achieve even more in the future.
Drawbacks of Employee Tracking Software
While this productivity tracking software can have a number of benefits, such as increasing transparency and accountability among employees, it also has a number of potential drawbacks.
The first potential drawback is that employees may feel like their privacy has been devalued. By tracking employee productivity, employers are collecting a great deal of data on what employees are working on and how they are spending their time.
This could lead to employees feeling like they are being constantly monitored and that their privacy is not being respected.
Another con of employee monitoring is that the use of this software can increase employee anxiety levels and decrease their effectiveness. When employees are constantly worried about whether they are meeting their quotas or not, it can be very distracting and lead to decreased productivity.
Additionally, the accuracy of estimations of productivity can be affected by the use of this software. When employees work offline, for example, their productivity may not be accurately reflected in the tracking software. This could lead to unfair judgment of employees or inaccurate estimation of company-wide productivity.
The use of productivity tracking software can also lead to erosion in company culture. When employees feel like they are under too much pressure to meet quotas or that they are being constantly monitored, it can lead to a decrease in morale and a less pleasant work environment. Additionally, some employees may start using gimmicks or tricks to make it look like they are more productive within the software than they really are, which could cause tension or jealousy among coworkers.
Finally, there are a number of potential legal issues that could arise from the increased use of productivity-tracking software. These issues include employee privacy concerns, data retention issues, and data security concerns.
All of these issues could have a negative impact on both the company and its employees if not handled properly.
Finding the Right Solution for Your Company
When it comes to tracking employee productivity, there are a number of different types of employee monitoring software programs and tools that employers can use, but the negative impacts that it has on employee experience may be counter-productive to your ultimate goal.
If your business promotes a culture of distrust, then your employees will feel undervalued and will ultimately become less motivated. In the same vein, if you hire top talent from the jump, your business won't have worries about employee productivity levels because you will be confident in the professionals working for your business.
Confidence in the productivity and efficiency of your employees lies in your recruiting and hiring process. Are you thorough in your vetting process? Do you have a strong onboarding program to ease the transition into the workplace? These are all important questions that must be asked before turning to employee tracking software, as this technology can do more harm than good.
In conclusion, employee productivity and monitoring software can be a powerful tool for improving team performance and making informed decisions about hiring, managing, and developing employees. However, it is important to consider the potential drawbacks of using this software, such as the devaluation of employee privacy, increased employee anxiety, and potential inaccuracies in tracking data. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use productivity tracking software should be based on a careful evaluation of the specific needs of your business and the potential benefits and drawbacks of different tools. It's important to weigh the pros and cons of employee monitoring software and make an informed decision that will benefit both the company and the employees.
For more tips on how to improve employee experience and productivity, read our blog post 7 Tips For Creating A More Inclusive Workplace.
