What is it?

When you run a business, you want to make sure you have a high priority on your efficiency, as every penny counts. There are many ways you can improve the efficiency of your business, and one of them is through monitoring your employees through their computers. Of course, not their personal computers, but the ones they’re using for work! The idea is, you can see what they’re doing, how much they’re working, and how long it takes them to complete certain tasks. It’s like being given a window to their computer, but without having to look over their shoulder the whole time. So here is the detailed article by AAM Consultants about using a monitoring app to track employee computers.

The Advantages

You might be wondering why you would want to track your employee‘s PC, but there are many benefits that you can get from it! The main one being an increase in productivity. If your employees know that their PCs are being monitored, they’re much more likely to find it easier to focus and get their work done more efficiently, as it’s less tempting to get distracted in that kind of environment! It’s not that your employees aren’t trying when you’re not looking, but it can be hard to keep a solid focus throughout the day!

Not only can you help to make sure that people are able to stay productive, but you can also see what people struggle with and excel at, which can make managing people properly much easier! It can be hard to gauge what people are good at in the workplace, as people are often not as willing to talk about their weaknesses so openly, especially when they feel like they are capable. Being able to see where people struggle means you can properly delegate work and make the most out of everyone’s strengths!

If you monitor your employee’s PCs, you’re also going to have to worry a lot less about data security, as you can see what apps are being used, installed, and other potential threats that your employees might encounter. The last thing you want is for your private data to be leaked to the public, and being able to make sure that your employees’ PCs are secure can help you that greatly!

Read More: Best 5 Android Spy Apps

The Disadvantages

Of course, there are disadvantages to monitoring your employees’ computers, and it can be bad for positivity in the workplace. Some may feel that it shows a lack of trust in them to work hard, and can change how they view the business as a whole! Most people won’t enjoy the idea of you watching over them, and while it will likely help them to be more productive, it brings into question your view of them. If you disclose that their work computers are being monitored, be sure to explain your intentions and reasons behind it!

In some cases, it may even raise the stress levels in the workplace. It depends on the environment that your employees are working in, but people may feel like they are being watched due to their own personal performance and that there will be consequences if they aren’t constantly focused. You want to make sure that implementing the monitoring software won’t have a negative impact on the work environment, and you can do this by being open about what you’re looking for!

Legal obligations

You are not always legally required to disclose to your employees that they are being monitored, however, if you’re looking to boost productivity, you’ll have to tell them. That’s not to say that you can monitor your employees however you like, and their consent does come into it to some extent, but as far as devices you give them go – a lot of the time you are within your bounds to monitor them.

You do, however, risk legal concerns if you attempt to monitor oral or electronic communications when it comes to your employees, as you would be heavily breaching their privacy. You would only be able to do this if you have motives backed by serious concerns over your business. If you want to monitor communications from your employees, their consent would have to be gained; and in some cases, consent from only one party is enough.

Moral concerns

Morally, some may argue that monitoring your employees is a serious breach of their privacy, and it can be, especially if you don’t make them aware of it! On the other hand, a lot of people believe that anything that should be kept private should not be done at work, and saving work hours for productivity. When it comes to moral issues, it all depends on the individual to decide how they want to run their workplace, so long as you don’t break any legal regulations!

You also face the issue of hiding the monitoring from your employees, and then people finding out later on. If you want to make sure you have a strong relationship with your employees, it’s best to be transparent with them from the start, so that you don’t risk a drama later on.

If you want to get the most from employee monitoring, being clear with them from the start, and make sure they’re understanding and aware of your policies when you hire them. You want them to know that you’re monitoring them through lack of trust in them, but rather a concern for your business. You also want to make sure that you’re treating people fairly, and not monitoring specific people more than others – else you may face discrimination charges down the line.

It can be a double-edged sword when it comes to monitoring employee computers, but as long as you’re clear with your employees about what you’re looking for, you’re most likely going to be gaining the benefits of productivity over everything else! It doesn’t need to create a negative work environment if you don’t let it! Whether you want to gain data on how to properly manage your teams, or help to make sure that company data is secure, there’s plenty of reason to employ this tactic!