Reduce Time Wasting

In an article published in the Online Journal of Applied Knowledge Management, Johnathan Yerby explains potential productivity losses could be as high as $1 million for a company with 500 employees that browse unproductive websites for only half an hour a day. One million dollars in just half an hour?! Most companies can’t afford to be losing money like that.

Productivity tracking software can help you curb wasteful internet practices. Combining features such as live activity monitoring and website blocking, an employer can keep employees on track without continually looking over their shoulders. This frees up administrators to be more productive with their time as well as creating an inherent trust between employer and employee that will benefit everyone.

Enforce Existing Policies More Effectively

Making sure employees don’t leak proprietary data is an essential function of productivity monitoring Houston TX software. Administrators can monitor electronic communications such as email, internet usage, and other electronic communications. Through employee use of these channels as well as unauthorized use of electronic media, companies could be at risk of a breach. In fact, employee negligence is the main cause of data breaches according to a recent state of the industry report by Shred-it, an information security organization.

Using productivity monitoring Houston TX software can help employers get an early warning about these dangerous activities taking place. With certain features such as remote screenshots or automated alarms, productivity monitoring software can help admins keep track of any breach of sensitive information.

Keep Track of Employees Who Work From Home

Recently a Gallup poll found 43% of employees surveyed worked from home at some point. Considering the increase in telecommuting, employers need to find a way to make sure employees aren’t wasting time while on the clock.

Productivity tracking software is the perfect tool to make sure employees are just as productive at home as they are in the office. Administrators will still have the ability to track the use of distracting websites and can make sure employees stay on track even when working remotely. As long as employees are working on company-issued devices, a productivity tracking software can easily signal if an employee is misusing company property.

Privacy Concerns

Employees are generally concerned about privacy when a productivity tracking software is implemented. The idea of someone looking over their shoulder can be unsettling when it isn’t explained correctly. Give your employees advanced notice of your plan as well as how you’re going to be protecting their personal data. Let them know that their personal information is not being collected.

Things such as phone number, bank info, and passwords aren’t going to be useful for increasing productivity. Some programs intentionally blur or redact personally identifiable information (PII) such as this. Making sure your employees’ PII is safe should be a top priority when searching for the perfect productivity tracking software.

Could Affect Morale

Some employees can get stressed at the thought of having their activity constantly monitored. This stress could lead to employees overworking themselves, which eventually results in decreasing their productivity, and possibly increasing turnover. To avoid this, be upfront with your employees and explain precisely what you’re looking to get out of the software. Elaborate on the benefits your company will be able to obtain from using the software such as being able to cut costs on software licenses. Let them know how you’ll be using this information. Explain the company goals are simply to grow, which helps everyone. Don’t be overbearing and drive your employees away.

In tandem with being candid, lay out exactly what you expect of your team. As we mentioned earlier, creating an internet usage policy and going over it with employees can relieve anxiety and prepare your organization for a smooth transition into using productivity monitoring software.

Legal Concerns

Though there is a good deal of information available on the subject, there are many common misunderstandings when it comes to the legality of productivity monitoring software. In a nutshell, using this type of software is perfectly legal.

The sheer number of laws describing what is legal and illegal when it comes to tracking activities can make it a very overwhelming topic. In the United States, as long as a company owns the computers, they are allowed to monitor employees. The EU has different laws that require employers to be more forthright with their plans to implement productivity monitoring software. The main takeaway here should be that the legality of employee monitoring varies across the world.

Despite this, data gathering is still possible, and there are numerous ways to analyze day-to-day activities per local laws. To make sure you’re covering all of your bases, research the laws in your area individually. Also, being honest with employees can help develop a healthy relationship that promotes trust and increase morale. Before you decide on a productivity monitoring software, we suggest seeking proper legal counsel regarding the laws in your area.