Employee Monitoring Technology

We spoke to People Management about employee monitoring technology.

While employee monitoring tech may seem like an easy solution for managing remote and hybrid teams, it tends to breed distrust and disengagement when taken too far. Strict surveillance of employees' activities, like logging keyboard strokes or webcams, tend to infringe upon personal boundaries and gives rise to a host of ethical concerns, particularly concerning privacy. 

When you try to keep a very close eye on flexible workers, it usually doesn't end well. A quick online search will show you how crafty employees can get to look busy even when they're not at their desks. Plus, too much monitoring tells your team that you don't trust them, which can kill morale. It's simple – when people feel trusted and appreciated, they tend to care more about their work. 

Rather than defaulting to high-tech oversight, managers would do better to invest in building strong relationships with their teams. Our latest research (listening to 350 employees and line managers over 110 hours) underscores the growing importance of building trust, particularly as we shape more effective and flexible workplaces in the future. Our findings highlight that in flexible workplaces where trust thrives, productivity soars, teamwork flourishes, and overall satisfaction increases.  

Of course, this is easier said than done. Managers often ask us - how can we be sure that remote workers are engaged at work?  

It's a fair question in our new flexible work era. 

The key lies in fostering trust by strengthening three essential pillars - ability, intent and integrity. 

When employees consistently demonstrate strong ability, managers can trust they have the skills to excel without micro-management. Regular check-ins on progress and growth reinforce this. 

When employees exhibit caring intent, managers can trust their commitment to the team. Empathetic leadership and open communication maintain engagement. 

When employees act with integrity, managers can trust their character even from afar. Operating with transparency and aligning words with actions builds loyalty. 

In essence, monitoring technology suggests a deficit of trust. But managers can proactively build trust by monitoring employees’ ability, intent and integrity. 

On the flip side, when distrust arises, it's important to diagnose the root cause. Is it truly an issue of ability that more training could resolve? Or does flawed intent require disciplinary action? A nuanced approach is needed. 

In the end, flexibility requires a strong sense of mutual understanding between leaders and staff. The healthiest teams balance compassion and accountability. Heavy-handed monitoring undermines that, while trust and empathy nurture it. That kind of supportive yet empowering environment allows employees to fully apply their talents to remote work.  

Read the article here.