Is Constant Corporate Monitoring Killing Self-Esteem?
To monitor employees or not to monitor? That is the question many businesses ask when it comes to monitoring their employees. But we think the question should be like: “businesses need to monitor their employees, but how?” “Can we monitor everything?” “How to monitor without crossing the line?”
Companies can monitor their employees in several ways, using high-definition cameras, time tracking tools and smart features that record everything an employee does during work hours. Tracking your team is a tricky process which can lead to several issues amongst employees, especially when it comes to privacy concerns and trust issues.
Hypothetically, an employee monitoring system can improve productivity. We all know that there are considerable benefits associated with employee monitoring practices if done sophisticatedly, but could employee monitoring also affect employee morale? The answer is yes, it can affect employee morale in a negative way if the whole process of monitoring is not transparent to them.
Many Employees Are Yet Unfamiliar with Employee Monitoring Software
A drawback of employee monitoring software is that many employees are not used to having their work being so closely monitored. Technology has empowered companies to track their employees in a number of detailed ways, which can effectively monitor the overall performance and behavior of employees. Once employees realize they’re being monitored constantly, and understand that performing at lower-than-average rates could put them on the risky path of termination, stress begins to increase. The fear of being fired is common amongst employees and can prevent workers from doing their best on their tasks. Another negative side can be that, employees will focus too much on performance numbers while neglecting more subjective elements of their job, at the end you and your company will suffer the consequences.
Employees may feel their privacy has been violated.
The most common complaint against employees’ monitoring software is that it breaches an employee’s right to privacy. Many employees worry about being monitored even during their non-work hours. They fear that their company is spying on their personal data and their privacy is at risk.
Collectively, these effects could reduce morale, making employees feel detached and undervalued. The degree to which your employees’ morale will drop depends on several factors, including how you’ve implemented the monitoring software, the intelligent features of that software, the personal tolerance of your employees and the other conditions.
A Balanced Approach
Of course, companies have every right to protect their interests. But at the same time, employees also have the right to not feel spied on. That’s why it’s so important to find a balanced approach, where you can set a reasonably strict security policy, while not overstepping the boundaries of employees’ personal matters.
If you’re implementing a monitoring system for your business, it is essential to establish a clear policy. The policy should contain a detailed description of your monitoring approach. It is a good practice to have the employee sign a form agreeing to employee monitoring policies, and then have the employee download and install the software themselves. Ensure your employees understand that this monitoring software is viewed as a productivity tool that will only function during employees’ work hours, not as a spying device. Once you help your employees understand this, they’ll be more willing to comply with it.
Using CloudDesk for employee monitoring
There’s a lot to consider before making the decision to monitor your workforce. Once you are ready to being monitoring your employees, CloudDesk can help.
The CloudDesk® remote employee monitoring software provides real-time visibility into distributed workforce activities to increase productivity, improve compliance, and optimize performance. With time-tracking features for employees to check-in/check-out as per their schedule, allows employees to take breaks during work hours. The software tracks breaks, and time spent away from work and gives you the record of total working hours. With features such as random screenshots, employee facial ID verification, and web and app usage monitoring, employers are able to efficiently monitor and manage all employees who have consented to be monitored.
