Does Managed Service Providers Need Employee Monitoring Software?

Should managed services providers (MSP’s) companies use employee monitoring software’s? The answer to that question lies around the fact whether you trust your employees or maybe if you’re attempting to build a case to let one of them go — even though the original question mentioned using it to track billable hours.

It’s obvious that the topic of using employee monitoring software’s may hit quite a few nerves. But despite being such an unpopular idea, it begs the question, should MSPs use software to monitor what their employees are doing?

How does employee monitoring software’s work?

According to CloudDesk, an employee monitoring software provider, it enables employee computer activity monitoring as well as time tracking services. It tracks which websites they’re visiting, which apps they’re using, and their activity level. Some employee monitoring solutions also can detect security threats, prevent data loss, and help enforce regulatory or corporate policy compliance. 

Most employee monitoring software focuses much more on the reward or punishment than the desired behavior from employees. Their selling propositions, including providing insights into how people work, helping managers focus more on where to improve productivity, and monitor and generate activity reports. Additionally, employee monitoring software often works with other tools that optimize productivity, track time and facilitate project management.

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What if you are using a professional services automation tool? 

Are professional services automation (PSA) and employee monitoring tools the same thing under a different name? Since some of their features and functionality do overlap, so if your goal is to track time more accurately or manage projects and utilize resources more efficiently, you can probably accomplish those goals by leveraging your PSA tool.

The purpose of employee monitoring software is not purely for IT services space. Their use cases include customer service, manufacturing, healthcare, government, banking, legal, and other industries where what employees do on company computers and working hours can have serious consequences. More than just tracking working hours, businesses and organizations in these industries use it primarily to keep a tab on their employees to know what they are doing and get involved when they detect non productive or risky behavior.

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Is This a Remote Work Issue?

The recent jump in the adoption rate of employee monitoring software solutions have come from the need to shift operations to remote work due to the global pandemic. MSP leaders have suddenly lost insight into how their employees are spending their work hours, and they may see a decrease in their working hours. So, the purpose behind deploying a solution that monitors their work activity,  is simply to gain some insight so managers can get involved if they notice any issues. You need to keep in mind that, only if you have an accurate account of what your employees are doing and for how long, then you can bill for that. That’s not a trust issue. It’s a profitability issue.

If you are planning to deploy an employee monitoring software from distrust or building a case for a dismissal, generally speaking it could be beneficial. But, before you go down that path, carefully consider the impact it could have on your overall company culture. Need help with adopting the right solution? Contact us.