The recent pandemic has broadly introduced one culture in the business world along with many other changes that it brought, which is work-from-home. Before coronavirus, work-from-home was not on the to-do list for managers or CEOs. Now most boards of directors and CEOs of the biggest companies are demanding a work-at-home plan. Every business seems to be in need of a well-thought-out work-at-home and business continuity plan.
Companies that remain working at home, many of them are searching for efficient ways to track employee productivity as offices are closed. Part of the reason why companies of all sizes can be confident in letting employees work from home is because the bosses are tracking their workers with employee monitoring tools. The reason is nothing else but these tools being the most reliable way to keep internal compliance, employee monitoring tools are seeing huge uptick amid coronavirus.
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This rise of employee monitoring tools started with the acceptance of need. As unexpected as this predicament was, recent shelter-in-place orders allowed workers in nearly every industry to do things at home they never thought possible, from live TV production to trading multi-asset class hedge fund portfolios. With more of their employees working in their pajamas, employers face many difficulties in micromanaging the employees. This is where tools like CloudDesk are coming forward with features like remote employee check-ins to start work day and periodic pop ups to confirm employee engagement.
Another complicacy that employers are facing is employee productivity. From many survey results conducted throughout the world, many organization’s believe that the single biggest concern for continued remote working is fall in productivity. It is even greater during the current pandemic given the possible obstacles of employees facing sickness among family, childcare demands etc. As a result, companies are relooking at their HR processes to make them compatible enough to evaluate their employees from afar. Companies are relying more on emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation and Machine Learning for their future HR processes.
Some employee monitoring tools are providing robust ways to track employee productivity during these trying times. Tools like CloudDesk captures application activity data from employees’ computers and makes reports based on those to have a visualization of how the workers are spending their time during their work hours. Managers can access these data in real time and everything is logged for analyzing and reporting. All these data can be used as major decision makers for any changes in the task routine or task allocation by managers. This is a great way to keep track of productivity for individuals and to create reports that can help HR with their decisions regarding benefits or promotions as well. In some ways, these tracking tools can have more value than a typical HR system in a physical office that can not monitor employees with such great measures. It can also act as a great factor to reduce bottlenecks as the decision makers can rule the extra time consumed with paperwork and formalities by analyzing productivity data in real time.
One of the greatest barriers that makes employers hesitate to let their employees have the benefit of working from home is trust. This transition phase is surely tough for managers to trust their employees in case of failed tasks. Even in cases of mitigating mistakes where you need to track back the work process done by the team, remote working can pose certain threats and boundaries. Employee monitoring tools like CloudDesk solves these issues as well as creates a trusted remote working environment where employers have more confidence in employee participation while working remotely. As much as it can solve the problem with employers having trust issues, it can also make the whole workforce more productive at times. Many companies have reported themselves to see a spike in their productivity during the remote working session while using tools to track and modify productivity. It showcases potential ways to reduce noisy communication systems while working that saves time for employees.
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According to experts, it is the right time for the HR Heads to recalibrate their priorities, focus towards managing remote workforce, digitalize the HR function, and re-imagine workforce models. With all these in hand, companies are in a desperate search to optimize their budget. Many companies have taken a hit in their sales because of the pandemic. Even the ones which are not currently affected, are planning ahead to face the upcoming crisis situation where solvency will play a key role for survival. Employee monitoring tools can offer great cost optimization as with teams working remotely. It also offers companies to hire people from around the globe which gives them a better chance of finding a perfect talent for their job while keeping things cost effective. As luxurious as these services sound, the price for them are quite the opposite as these tools are offering great packages for businesses which is another reason for the rising demand. For example, CloudDesk offers its services free for up to 3 users with additional users starting at $10/user/month with no long-term contract! This is really helpful for businesses to keep their return on investment in check while planning for short term or long term. With all these new trends in innovation and service consumption, the working environment might be seeing big shifts in the near future.
Darren Trumbler is a versatile content writer specializing in B2B technology, marketing strategies, and wellness. With a knack for breaking down complex topics into engaging, easy-to-understand narratives, Darren helps businesses communicate effectively with their audiences.
Over the years, Darren has crafted high-impact content for diverse industries, from tech startups to established enterprises, focusing on thought leadership articles, blog posts, and marketing collateral that drive results. Beyond his professional expertise, he is passionate about wellness and enjoys writing about strategies for achieving balance in work and life.
When he’s not creating compelling content, Darren can be found exploring the latest tech innovations, reading up on marketing trends, or advocating for a healthier lifestyle.