Are the claims regarding employee monitoring software true?
Employee monitoring software is being used by companies to monitor employee activity via applications like Controlio. However is this helping, or is it only giving rise to more controversies? As the concept of remote work catches on, the need for such tools has also risen. However, with employee monitoring some claims have recently surfaced. Let’s see if they are true:
Claims regarding employee monitoring software
Invades people’s privacy
This is one of the biggest concerns regarding employee monitoring software. The software has have capability of tracking various activities of the employee like the website visited, the keystrokes, screen grabs, etc. According to Forbes on Employee Monitoring, the concern is valid, but it can be addressed by transparent policies. Employers should maintain a balance between productivity, monitoring, and respecting the employee’s privacy. When there are clear guidelines in place, employees know which action is being monitored and the reason why.
Increases productivity
Those in favor of employee monitoring software like controlio.net say that it can increase productivity. The rationale is that when the employee is being monitored, they are more likely to avoid any time-wasting activities and stay more focused on the task at hand. PCMag on Employee Monitoring Software says that these tools can help find out the inefficiencies and bottlenecks and provide managers with insights into how to streamline the workflow better. However, the impact on productivity depends on the way the monitoring is seen by the employee. When the employees see the monitoring as a way of support and improvement, then productivity rises. When they feel that monitoring is a way of privacy invasion, productivity may be reduced.
Keep security breaches at bay
Another claim in favor of such software is that it can keep security breaches at bay via real-time alerts. These tools can detect if there is any breach of activity like downloading unsecured data, accessing restricted files, etc. The software will immediately notify the administrators who can remotely shut down the incident from happening. This approach can boost the security posture of the company. However, even though these alerts are beneficial, they are not foolproof yet.
Reduces the morale of employees
A primary concern in the case of employee monitoring software is that they are negatively impacting the morale of the employees. No one likes to be constantly watched. Feeling like they are being watched all the time can hurt the employees’ morale. This increases discomfort and stress, reduces job satisfaction, and boosts the turnover rates of the company. The key here is to maintain transparency and communication with the employees. Employers should allow employees to take part in discussions regarding the monitoring practices and explain why they have been implemented and how the data collected supports the work at hand and is not meant to punish the employees.
As long as employees are kept in the loop regarding how the software can boost the workflow and help them in the long run, there is a chance that this implementation will only be beneficial moving forward.
