Employee Monitoring Software: Productivity Booster or Trust Killer?

Imagine you're an HR manager, wondering what a particular employee is up to during the workday. Maybe they're not responding on Teams or haven't updated their progress in a while, and you're trying to figure out if everything's on track. You want to maintain productivity, but you also don't want to cross any boundaries. Is monitoring software the answer?

In some cases, it can be.

The increase in remote and hybrid working has brought plenty of benefits for both businesses and their employees. But it also raises concerns around productivity and accountability.

Many companies are turning to employee monitoring software to try and address these worries.

But while these tools might appear to offer a straightforward solution, we really need to consider their broader implications. Is it possible to strike the right balance between accountability and maintaining a positive, trusting company culture? Let's take a look.

What is employee monitoring software?

Employee monitoring software includes a range of tools designed to track various aspects of what your employees are doing. Some popular examples are Teramind, ActivTrak, Qustodio, and Veriato.

There are several types of employee monitoring tools available, each designed to address specific needs and provide unique insights. Here’s a breakdown of the most common types:

• Time tracking software: Apps and websites like Harvest track the amount of time employees spend on specific tasks or projects. This software helps in understanding how work hours are utilised, aiding in project management and performance evaluation.
• Employee productivity monitoring software: These tools, such as ActivTrak, measure productivity through various metrics to provide insights into how effective a worker is. They help identify patterns and areas where an employee's productivity can be improved.
• User activity monitoring software: This type of software tracks computer activity on company devices, including website visits, app usage, and file transfers. IT admins can monitor user activity, helping ensure compliance with company policies. Looking at things like file transfers, access to sensitive information, and even keystroke tracking, they help prevent data breaches and maintain data security.
• Employee tracking software: Tools like Qustodio track employee location, attendance, and similar metrics. This is particularly useful for businesses with remote or mobile workforces.

The potential upsides of employee monitoring

An employee monitoring system can theoretically offer numerous benefits to businesses. Here are some key advantages:

• Improved productivity: If they track employee activity, businesses can identify areas where time is being wasted or tasks aren't being performed efficiently. This insight means managers could address issues promptly and bring in strategies to improve productivity.
• More employee accountability: Monitoring software encourages employees to stay focused on their tasks, knowing that their activities are being tracked. This increased accountability could lead to higher performance levels and a more disciplined work environment.
• Better data security: One of the clearer benefits of employee monitoring software is its ability to prevent data breaches and other security threats. Tracking employee activity, businesses can identify potential risks and take proactive measures to safeguard sensitive information.

The downsides of employee monitoring software

So they can certainly tighten things up a bit in your company. But we also really have to acknowledge the potential drawbacks. Over-relying on these tools can damage both the working lives of individuals and your overall company culture. Some downsides are:

• Impact on company culture: Continuous surveillance can damage the trust between your employees and your leadership. The constant feeling of being watched can create anxiety and lead to micromanagement, making for a pretty demotivating work environment. Intrusive monitoring tools treat employees with suspicion rather than respect.
• Ethical concerns: Collecting huge amounts of data about employee activities raises serious privacy concerns. There’s a fine line between legitimate monitoring for productivity or security and invasive surveillance.
• Questionable effectiveness: Advocates of monitoring software argue that it improves productivity, but the evidence is mixed. Some studies suggest that knowing they are being watched can actually hinder employees’ creativity and innovation, leading to a drop in overall performance.
• Employee dissatisfaction: The growing number of searches like “how to tell if ActivTrak is installed” or “how to uninstall ActivTrak” show that employees aren’t keen on being monitored. Bringing in monitoring software without addressing these concerns can cause resentment, lower morale, and increase turnover. In discussions around cybersecurity, for example, experts have pointed out that high stress levels can lead to mistakes and vulnerabilities. This principle applies to all employees — a culture of constant monitoring adds stress, potentially leading to mistakes and reduced productivity.

Less spying, more smiling: the Blinktime approach

Instead of using a traditional employee monitoring solution, you might want to consider a more human-centred approach that values coordination, flexibility, and trust. We think Blinktime is a solution that delivers these values, helping your teams to thrive in a modern work environment.

Rather than focusing on surveillance, Blinktime encourages open communication and collaboration by helping teams coordinate their schedules and locations. Employees can book desks in advance, making sure they have a workspace when they need it, and helping colleagues plan their in-office time together. This builds a sense of community and prevents the frustration of arriving at an empty office or overcrowding on busy days.

Blinktime also integrates simply with popular calendar platforms and tools like Slack and Teams. This makes scheduling simple and keeps everyone informed about where the team will be.

The software is driven by employee input, not covert tracking. Giving employees the choice of when and where to work means that you build a nice sense of autonomy, with a more positive and trusting work environment.

Blinktime also provides data analytics to show preferences and behaviour, but the aim is to empower your workforce, not invade employee privacy. Insights into office occupancy trends, peak times, and popular spaces help you make informed decisions about space allocation and resource management. For instance, if certain areas are consistently underutilised, you could repurpose them as collaboration spaces or quiet zones.

The future of employee engagement and trust for hybrid employees

We think that hybrid work is the future for the majority of companies.

A study by Cisco found that remote and hybrid workers saved significant time by avoiding lengthy commutes. This extra time allowed them to do things that improved their wellbeing, like spending time with loved ones or enjoying personal hobbies. 77% reported feeling healthier, too.

And one study by IWG showed that 75% of workers feel more productive after going hybrid.

Giving hybrid and remote workers freedom instead of watching them all the time is one of the best ways to improve their wellbeing, and therefore, help them become better at their jobs.

We think using an employee monitoring tool, with its intrusive nature and potential to undermine trust, is becoming increasingly outdated. Focusing more on flexibility, trust, and employee autonomy is a better way to run a healthy organisation.