Having experienced lots of roles and environments, I feel pleased that I’ve been able to witness the negative and the positive side of employee monitoring first hand. So what is employee monitoring? It is the act of monitoring an employee at work through whichever means including but not limited to; computer activities, Emails, phone calls, or even GPS during work hours. Almost 80% of employers are about to use employee monitoring tools. Tools like Controlio are popular for employee monitoring. But is it really worth it? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons from my perspective.
What Benefits I Experienced While Using an Employee Monitoring tool?
Employees tend to be focused when they are aware that they are being watched. This makes it likely for them to accomplish even more tasks in a day as this is beneficial for the company. From my perspective, some employees even welcome this because it assists them in meeting deadlines for various tasks and sub-tasks.
Monitoring also reduces the risk of exposing the company to sensitive information, which is for employees only. I’ve noticed that monitoring employees with their devices and what they use or access can thwart important data from being misused. It also goes a long way in preventing any encroachments that may lead to the compromise of the company’s security by tracking employees trying to access sensitive material they have no business doing so.
I find that in any organization where there is monitoring of the employees, all participants are aware that someone is watching their activities and thus, they are accountable. Furthermore, it becomes easier to detect the period when an employee is not meeting the expected performance targets or is not executing their responsibilities as expected. Personally, I believe most organizations use such a monitoring system to assist in performance evaluation training.
Since a large number of employees work from home, employer personnel monitoring is ideal for ensuring that employees perform satisfactorily. Since employees are not always visible or manageably so, people monitoring software is quite essential in tracking activities. I have witnessed it prove very useful in networks of remote teams, keeping every member of the team informed.
Cons of Employee Monitoring
Based on what I have experienced, some employees also complain about the over monitoring of their emails or internet browsing, which is the most common form of employee monitoring. This is especially true when there is no explanation to the employees as to why they are monitored.
Decreased morale levels in people have been traced to the adoption of employee monitoring. This is due to the feeling that their employers do not have the trust in them to adequately perform their responsibilities without supervision. I have witnessed some employees report becoming stressed or anxious with being exposed to close monitoring, and this interferes with their delivery and job satisfaction.
Possibility of Some Abuse
One of the other negatives is that monitoring software may be misused. In some instances, managers might care more about the tracking of petty issues rather than the strategic vision. I’ve come across cases where they have to use monitoring tools to control everything their employees do, which comes off as intrusive and creates a lot of mistrust between the employees and the bosses.
The truth is, there are no perfect solutions that are employed. In some instances, monitoring systems are set in such a manner that even the most innocent of activities is flagged as suspicious behavior.
Should We Monitor Employees’ Activities? Is It Beneficial?
In the end, it all comes down to the specific details when talking whether employee monitoring, in general, is worth it. Personally, it can be a productive and a secure thing when done properly and the expectations are set well. It can, however, backfire if it is too obtrusive or it feels like the employees’ trust is violated.
