A Guide to Remote Employee Tracking Software

Nearly 5 million employees in the U.S. work from home for at least half of the work week, and 62% of employees say they work from home at least occasionally. Remote work has its benefits, including increased flexibility for employees and lower overhead costs for employers. 

But it also has its challenges. Some employees may struggle to stay focused or motivated in a remote work environment. Remote work can also make it difficult for managers to keep an eye on what their team is doing. 

The key to overcoming these challenges and allowing employees to enjoy the perks of remote work is using remote employee tracking software.

What is Remote Employee Tracking Software?

Employee tracking software is used to record remote workers’ digital activities on company-owned devices. This software can track and record various types of activities, including:

• Emails

• Instant messages

• Search history

• Web site history

• Application/program usage

• File uploads/downloads

• Social media usage

• Print history

• USB device usage

Tracking software is also a keylogger, which means it will record every keystroke typed by your remote employees. The software can even take screenshots of employees’ devices so employers can see exactly what their employees are looking at on their screens. 

Employers can view this data in easy-to-read reports or dashboards, so they never have to wonder what their remote workers are doing again.

What Are the Benefits of Remote Employee Tracking Software?

There are countless benefits to using remote employee tracking software to keep tabs on remote workers, including:

• Increased productivity: Employees that know they are being monitored are more likely to stay focused and productive throughout the workday. Plus, monitoring can help you identify the strongest members of your team so you can ensure they receive the recognition they deserve. Rewarding their efforts can keep them motivated and increase their productivity.

• Insider threat detection: Employee tracking software is programmed to identify digital activity that falls outside the employee’s normal range of activity. This type of activity is considered suspicious, so the software will notify you of it right away. This feature allows you to detect and address insider threats before they seriously harm your business.

• Smarter business decisions: You can analyze the data to identify employees’ strengths and weaknesses, inefficient business processes, and unprofitable clients. Use this information to make smarter decisions so you can grow your business. 

• Workplace investigations: Data collected by this software can serve as irrefutable evidence in investigations related to harassment, discrimination, workplace violence, fraud, or other misconduct.

What to Look For When Choosing the Right Tracking Software

There are a number of different options to choose from when it comes to remote worker monitoring software. But not all monitoring software options are created equal. It’s best to choose software with these key qualities:

• Time Tracking

• Reports

• Video Playback of Screenshots

• Real-Time Alerts

• Device Compatibility

Time Tracking

Remote workers are often tempted to give in to distractions, step away from their computers for extended periods of time, and work shorter hours. Make sure you can spot employees who are slacking off and wasting time by choosing software with a time tracking feature.

Reports

Monitoring software tracks and records every step your remote employees take on their company-owned devices. But having all of this data available at your fingertips can be overwhelming, which is why it’s important to look for software that presents information in easy-to-read reports.

Having access to reporting features will ensure you can quickly find the information you need without sifting through an overwhelming amount of data.

Video Playback of Screenshots

It’s best to look for software that not only takes screenshots of employees’ devices but also allows you to watch these screenshots as a video playback. This feature will make it easier for you to determine exactly what your employees are doing at any given moment. 

For example, say the data reveals that an employee visited a restricted website. You have the option of watching the video playback of the screenshots to see exactly what happened. Did the employee intentionally visit this website? Or did the employee land on the website as a result of a typo? Watching the screenshots can help you determine the employee’s intent in this type of situation.

Real-Time Alerts

Picking software that offers real-time alerts is crucial. This feature is designed to detect suspicious activity that could indicate the presence of an insider threat. Once the activity is detected, the software will immediately send a notification so you can take further action if needed.

Without this feature, suspicious activity could go undetected for days, weeks, or even months. By the time it is detected, it may be too late to protect your company and prevent a serious data breach.

Device Compatibility

Make sure to choose software that works on different types of devices to ensure you can always monitor your remote workers. 

For example, it’s not wise to choose software that only works on PCs, not Macs or Chromebooks. Choosing software with these limitations can prevent you from monitoring all of your remote workers. 

You should also look for software that monitors digital activities on smartphones since many remote workers rely heavily on these devices.

How to Implement A Remote Employee Tracking System

If you’re ready to use remote employee tracking software, it’s important to know the right way to introduce it to your team. There are certain steps you can take to ensure a smooth rollout of this software. Here’s what to do:

• Learn about the laws in your state. There is no federal law regarding the use of monitoring software, but there are some state-level laws that employers must comply with. For instance, some states require employers to notify their employees ahead of time when they plan on monitoring digital activity. Talk to an attorney to learn about the laws in your state prior to introducing this software.

• Put a monitoring policy in writing. This policy should clearly outline who is being monitored, what tools are being used to monitor employees, and what types of activities are monitored. It should also include guidelines on what employees should and should not do on company-owned devices. Make sure this policy is included in the employee handbook.
• Explain the purpose. Employees may wonder why you are deciding to monitor their activities, so make sure you clearly explain the reasoning behind this decision. Help them understand how monitoring software benefits them, too. 

• Encourage conversation. Employees may have questions or concerns after learning that their activities will be monitored. Promote transparency and build trust with your employees by answering these questions and addressing their concerns. Having these conversations with your employees can make them feel more comfortable with the idea of digital monitoring.

• Gather feedback. After the software is installed, encourage your employees to provide feedback. This will help you continue the conversation with your employees to ensure they remain completely comfortable with the monitoring policies.

Following these tips can help you successfully implement a remote employee tracking system for your team.

Start Monitoring Your Remote Employees Today

Keeping tabs on your remote employees has never been easier thanks to InterGuard software. Use this software to monitor your remote employees’ digital activities, detect insider threats, measure productivity, and grow your business. The sooner you install InterGuard, the sooner you can help your team reach new levels of success. Learn more about how InterGuard software works by scheduling an online test drive or starting a free trial today.