Eliminating the need for employee monitoring software
Employee productivity is more than checking boxes.
If business leaders are asked what keeps them awake at night, concerns around the productivity levels of their teams are most likely at the top of that list. The growing adoption of distributed workforces — especially since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic— has taken away the ability for managers to quickly see what their colleagues are working on throughout the day. Some leaders have turned toward employee monitoring systems to ensure their teams are focused while working remotely.
Currently, the global employee monitoring market stands at $1,071 billion and is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 25.5%. While some have been quick to implement this software, many employees believe these systems are invasive and unappealing as it can measure keystrokes, video camera activity, email cadence and specific websites visited.
It is important for leaders to be able to trust that their employees are getting their work done without being too focused on the tactical elements, such as how many emails an employee responded to that day.
When leaders highlight the bigger picture and how their team’s work directly contributes to the company’s success, employees will feel engaged and motivated to be productive, and there will no longer be a need for employee monitoring software.
Measuring productivity
First, it is important to define what being productive really means. Employee productivity is more than checking boxes. It also means freeing up time from mundane tasks in order to prioritize high-value work. Some employees may think that they are being productive when they are just checking boxes off a repetitive to-do list. True productivity is when employees are making progress on all fronts, from goals that are moving the business forward to their personal successes.
Managers and employees should take an extra moment when looking at their assignments for the day in order to highlight what work is actually helping the team achieve success. Certain tasks can be reprioritized or forgotten altogether.
For example, the average employee has at least 8 meetings per week and usually spends that time reporting on their work. By taking an extra look at your agenda, you can identify where time is being spent on excessive reporting and lengthy Zoom calls that can be eliminated altogether, leaving more time to complete assignments that are moving the business forward.
People will have a stronger sense of accomplishment when they finally wrap up and send off that big project or deliver an outstanding piece of work, rather than checking boxes on a laundry list of to-dos.
Boosting productivity, without micromanaging
Every person has a different managerial style. Most try to strike the right balance between being involved in what their team members are working on versus micromanaging. To avoid micromanaging while trying to keep employees productive, it is critical everyone understands their goals and objectives, and how they align with the company’s mission and metrics.
Whether it’s objectives for the week or goals for the quarter, the “North Star” will help guide employees in their day-to-day schedules. This will mitigate the need for constant check-ins to make sure people know what they need to be working on.
In addition to goal alignment, when leaders express passion around what they do, teams will catch the same feelings and strive toward the same goals.
When employees see how their work is directly impacting the company, they become invested in the work they are doing. Nobody feels motivated to do their work when they see it as “busy work” or not directly attributing to a larger goal, so managers should highlight how the team’s work is making a larger impact.
Going forward
To avoid the need for employee tracking software to ensure productivity among teams, business leaders can encourage more flexibility in the workplace and a greater degree of transparency. Flexibility in the workplace is becoming more prevalent as people’s workspaces are also their homes. Today, teams should feel empowered to compare what assignments they have on their plate with their goals.
This keeps the end result constantly in mind and helps teams better understand how to reprioritize their time. This can lead to maybe revisiting an item that might not be as urgent.
During a time when most organizations are operating with a distributed workforce, it is important for there to be a greater degree of transparency and collaboration among teams.
Communication and collaboration are key in driving results and reaching goals. The “go-at-it-alone” mindset creates silos and halts productivity. By encouraging people to share what they are working, teams will feel more aligned and connected to the other work within their organization. Also, this allows for others to share ideas or help on a project, helping get the work done more efficiently than if someone was doing it alone.
It is clear that the workplace is changing, and leaders and employees are constantly learning to evolve and adapt. With employee productivity being at the forefront of business managers’ concerns, implementing employee monitoring software does not always keep teams motivated or reflect the work being done. Team members who embrace their company’s goals and mission feel more engaged and motivated to get their work done, ultimately leading to an increase in employee productivity.
