6 Ways to Boost Workplace Productivity with Monitoring Software

Employee productivity is a key factor in any organization's success. Engaged, focused, and efficient employees contribute significantly to the company's growth and profitability. Research by Gallup finds that engaged employees show 23% greater profitability, 18% higher productivity in sales, and 10% higher customer loyalty. However, only 23% of employees worldwide can be called "engaged"

Businesses are constantly looking for effective ways to increase employee productivity and engagement, from creating various incentives to implementing monitoring software. This article will explore ways to use tracking programs to boost productivity.

Employee monitoring software is one of the most widely used methods of tracking productivity, and it gained favor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its popularity, there are widespread debates about its efficiency and ethicality. Critics say that constant surveillance creates a sense of distrust and resentment towards the employer. Besides, it increases employees' stress levels and lowers overall job satisfaction. However, it is important to understand that negative effects result from incorrect monitoring software implementation.

Oppressive tracking of every employee's step or reprimands for an extra minute in the restroom will provoke anxiety and make the worker consider changing jobs.

Quite the reverse, when tracking is used ethically and transparently to optimize work processes and help the staff, it boosts productivity and contributes to a supportive work atmosphere. Check out this article to learn more about digital ethics in employee monitoring.

Monitoring software can become a powerful element in the system to increase workplace productivity in many ways. Here is how it can help make your team more efficient.

Attendance tracking is a tedious process for managers and employees alike. Filling and reviewing endless paper timesheets and calculating overtime, sick leaves, and vacations takes valuable time and is prone to human mistakes.

Digitalizing attendance records speeds up the process a few times and eliminates the need for paper-based timesheets, improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Employees can easily clock in and out using their computer or mobile device. In some cases, they do not even need to do it manually - monitoring software like CleverControl automatically registers the beginning and the end of work activity. Some systems allow employees to submit leave requests online, and managers can review and approve them quickly.

Monitoring programs calculate each employee's work hours, record when they are late or leave early, and mark absences automatically. Managers can access these reports on employee attendance, including hours worked, overtime, and leave balances, and even get calculated payroll.

Besides, employee monitoring software reveals time fraud - a scheme of putting odd hours in timesheets. The system will show if there is actual work activity on the employee's computer when they claim they work.

As a result, tracking programs save time and effort on attendance reporting and payroll calculation, freeing valuable time for important tasks for managers and employees.

Sometimes, simply installing tracking software is enough to increase productivity. When employees know they are tracked, they tend to self-regulate their performance: become more accountable, more responsible, and less prone to breaking work policies.

We spoke to Mark, the owner of an online sports gear shop, about his experience using CleverControl. During the pandemic, his staff turned to remote work, so he needed a tool to ensure the employees stayed as effective as they were in the office. "Honestly, I rarely check the monitoring reports, maybe once or twice a month," says Mark. "My team knows they are monitored, which makes them stay productive. When I check the dashboard, I mainly watch live streams from computers' screens to see if the employees are focused on work."

Live reports are a powerful feature that can improve workflows. Seeing in real time what your team is doing, spotting inefficiencies, and providing timely feedback will make work processes more effective, boosting productivity.

Employee monitoring software provides valuable insights into employees' work habits and patterns, allowing them to reveal inefficiencies and improve productivity.

First, the program tracks activity levels throughout the day, revealing peak performance hours. Knowing their most productive time, employees can schedule meetings or tasks that require the most focus during these periods. On the other hand, idle periods can reveal potential distractions, allowing managers to take the necessary action.

Some monitoring solutions have built-in task management functionality. Thanks to it, managers can track how much time employees spend on different tasks and pinpoint tasks that consistently take longer than expected. This information will allow them to assess task priorities, identify areas where time management could be improved, and provide targeted support.

Finally, employee tracking software is a valuable source of insights into remote employees' work activity. Controlling remote workers is a tough nut to crack for many managers as they do not know how to do it correctly. Monitoring tools solve this problem - they provide detailed reports about each employee's activity without the need for constant check-ins. By analyzing remote work patterns, managers can identify potential challenges, such as technical difficulties or lack of communication, and address them accordingly.

Monitoring software collects objective data on employee performance, such as time spent on tasks, performance levels, distractions, and adherence to deadlines. This data can be used to provide personal, specific, and actionable feedback.

By relying on data rather than subjective impressions, managers can reduce bias in their performance evaluations, leading to fairer and more accurate feedback. Besides, they can suggest personalized development plans that address specific needs and help employees reach their full potential.

Feedback should not be only about finding an employee's inefficiencies - management should recognize their achievements as well. There is a clear connection between acknowledgment and productivity. 37% of employees admit they would be more encouraged to improve their performance if they received more recognition. Employee monitoring software helps spot high-performing employees and acknowledge their achievements - which in turn boosts their motivation to grow further.

Distractions at work are not rare, but overly indulging in scrolling social media or online shopping does not contribute to productivity or professional development.

With monitoring programs, managers and employees can track time spent on different apps and websites and identify their biggest time-wasters. Monitoring programs can also be configured to block specific websites or apps, preventing employees from getting sidetracked and promoting a more focused and productive work environment.

Burnout in the workplace has become a common yet worrying trend, and the situation is worsening. SHRM's Employee Mental Health 2024 survey found that 44% of employees experience burnout and 45% feel emotionally drained at work. Burnout has profound physical and emotional effects on employees, including decreased performance.

The good news is that it can be detected early with the help of monitoring software. It can detect employees working consistently overtime or starting their workday very early, which can be signs of overwork and burnout. Rare and short breaks can signal that employees are neglecting self-care and pushing themselves too hard.

Another sign of burnout may be long inactivity and a decline in productivity, such as fewer tasks completed or lower work quality.

Tracking programs can pick deviations in the employee's work patterns early. By analyzing monitoring reports, managers can identify employees at risk of burnout and take proactive steps to address the issue, such as additional support, adjusting workloads, or offering vacation opportunities.

Despite the controversy surrounding employee monitoring software, it can become a powerful tool to boost workplace productivity. It makes the management routine - tracking attendance, analyzing work patterns, providing personalized feedback, and blocking distractions - easier, more efficient, and personalized. It saves valuable time and helps create a more efficient and productive work environment. However, it is essential to strike a balance between monitoring and trust, ensuring that the technology is used to support employees, not to surveil them.