The large scale ‘work from home’ necessitated by COVID-19 has thrown up technical challenges; perhaps more importantly it has raised questions about managing human capital too. People are, after all, the beating heart of any company. And businesses are looking for ways to ensure employee productivity without demoralizing the workforce.
In this article, we discuss how you can build buy-in for productivity monitoring software in your organization; and the role the software plays in ensuring business continuity at a delicate time.
Since COVID-19 there has been a 35% increase in demand for monitoring software, according to CBC.
Should you be monitoring your workforce using software?
Since the early days of the lockdown, our IT professional services have seen significantly increased demand for activity monitoring software. For most business owners monitoring software is less about trust, it has more to do with productivity and accountability. However, with monitoring software come moral and legal questions. Ask yourself if it is legal to track computer activity and take screenshots in your territory. Are there limits to what you can do?
For most businesses, the extent of monitoring is a greater determinant of acceptance within the workforce. Employees appreciate the challenges managers face trying to maintain productivity; however, excessive monitoring can draw a negative reaction.
Here are some key considerations our IT consulting services team has identified for deciding what should be monitored:
- Legality
- Data safety
- Employee trust
- Maintaining morale
- Privacy concerns
It is legal for employers to require staff to use monitoring software in Canada.
Benefits of employee monitoring software
Productivity and activity monitoring software can track a variety of parameters to determine how much time an employee has spent at their workstation. Some such facets include: mouse movement, keystrokes, file transfers and application usage. Software can also take screenshots periodically that can be accessed by managers. There are several benefits of this:
- Automatic alerts about activity
- Analysis of activity
- Easier project management
- Ease of managing teams across time zones
- Fair performance assessment
- Fair working environment
- Data security and protection from insider threats
Monitoring software can track an employee’s GPS location and even watch over them using the webcam.
Types of software
Since COVID-19 the options for software that offer employee activity monitoring have skyrocketed. Speak to our IT professional services team when selecting a platform for your organization; we will help you identify solutions that are compatible with your existing operations and collaboration software. A few examples of employee activity monitoring software are:
- ActiveTrack
- Hubstaff
- Hivedesk
- Teramind
- Time Doctor
Regardless of which platform you opt for, make sure it provides dashboards and real-time insight into activity.
Challenges of monitoring software
The biggest challenge employers face with newly integrated monitoring software is to do with duplication of administrative processes. With many businesses already tracking billables, monitoring software can add yet another administrative requirement for employees to fulfill. Our managed IT services team ensures your platform integrates with existing human resources tools and project management software.
IT professional services that protect your business’s productivity
At NUMENTIS, we understand the challenges businesses face trying to maintain productivity with a remote workforce. We work with clients to find solutions that meet the demands of the organization; our managed IT services team provides training for employees to manage change; and support teams troubleshoot problems immediately.
Speak to our IT consulting services team to discuss your productivity requirements.
