The Importance of Consistent Monitoring

Much has been said about the necessity of employee monitoring but not so much about its consistency. If you implement an employee monitoring system in your company, the first weeks of monitoring can pleasantly surprise you with high results. However, only consistent long-term monitoring can render honest and true-to-life results. Our today's case is the proof.

A recruiting agency director shared his frustrating experience with CleverControl. Like many employers, he was concerned about the productivity and engagement of his employees. Many employees missed deadlines excusing themselves with large workloads or tough clients.

However, the director occasionally noticed that some recruiters visited entertainment websites at work. Although they always assured him it was a single case, the director wondered how much work time was truly wasted. When he implemented CleverControl in his office, his goal was to find the idlers and the main distracting factors and minimize them. Although the employees were reluctant, the director managed to convey the advantages of monitoring to them.

In a week, the director contacted us and said the program did not work. It did not register any entertainment websites, social networks or any other distractive resources. Registered periods of inactivity were insignificant. All recorded activity was productive. We ensured the program worked correctly and recommended checking the logs again in two or three weeks. When the director logged back into his monitoring dashboard in two weeks, he was surprised. The productivity level of most employees decreased, but not much. CleverControl registered some employees visiting entertainment websites, but these visits were generally short and happened during lunch breaks. The rate of social media usage increased by 10% compared to the first week of monitoring. Generally, the staff still stayed productive, but a little less than during the first week. Apparently, at first, monitoring was a stress for them, and they did their best. Later, they relaxed and allowed themselves some extra breaks, still staying productive in general. One employee was an exception, though. His social media usage reached 4 hours per day, and he was frequently late from lunch breaks. The director was surprised at such a change because that employee was one of the most productive during the first week. It turned out the employee was a typical idler. Knowing about the monitoring, he began doing his best, but his enthusiasm did not last long. CleverControl's log proved it.

If the director stopped monitoring after the great results of the first week, he would not find an idler in his staff. That is why consistency is the key when it comes to employee monitoring.

• 访问过的网站监测

  Seeing what websites the employees visit during the workday is a useful source of information about their productivity.
• Social media monitoring

  If the employee's position does not require communication through chats and social media, seeing Facebook or WhatsApp in the log may also signal unproductivity.
• Idle time tracking

  Significant idle periods during the workday are a clear sign of unproductivity and require immediate action.