Why Customization Is So Important with Employee Monitoring Software

Monitoring your employees computer and device usage has many benefits for your company. You can head off mistakes and lapses that could cost your company money, identify security risks and weaknesses, and eliminate cyberloafing and other types of time theft that happens when your employees are on the clock. But not all employees have the same function, and the same monitoring modalities won’t work the same way for all of your employees. Take a look at some of the reasons why it’s important to find a customizable monitoring solution for your workplace.

Employee Behavior is Supposed to Vary

Employee activity that’s normal and expected for one employee can be a source of concern for another.

You can’t expect all employees to behave the same way online – not just because they have different work methods, but because different positions require different behavior. You don’t want to get an alert every time your social media manager logs onto Facebook, for example, because that’s actually an important part of their job – they aren’t just wasting time online. On the other hand, you may want to know about it when a data entry employee logs on to Facebook, since that’s probably not part of their job.

IT is another area where different parameters might be needed. If an IT employee’s job involves testing your system for vulnerabilities, their activity may involve security breaches that would be alarming if they came from another user’s account, but that may be normal coming from theirs. It’s important to be able to customize your employee monitoring software in a way that accounts for these differences in employee behavior.

Monitoring Needs May Differ Between Remote and Onsite Employees

Technology makes it possible for more employees to work more flexible hours and from different locations. Not everyone needs to sit in an office all day, and some employees can be more effective and do different types of work from other locations.

However, this creates different needs when it comes to employee monitoring software. You probably don’t need GPS monitoring for someone who works exclusively from a desktop computer at your home office, but an employee who works on the road and uses a tablet, laptop, or cell phone provided by the company can benefit from features that allow you to locate their devices if they are lost or stolen, and these features help you keep your company information more secure.

Different Alerts Require Different Responses

You should not only be able to get the data you need, but you should also be able to get it when and how it works best for you.

Employee monitoring software can give you a lot of information, but what you do with that information can vary greatly depending on what it is. An employee who occasionally shops online during work hours should be addressed, but you may choose to bring that information up at their next performance review rather than dealing with it immediately. On the other hand, if you have an employee who is accessing data that they’re unauthorized to view or downloading insecure files, that activity needs to be addressed right away.

You need a monitoring system that allows you to set different levels of alerts for different types of activity. You may want some types of data to be collected into weekly or monthly reports, while other types of activities should trigger an immediate notification.

You know your business best. The monitoring setup that works best for the business next door may not be right for your business, and vice versa. It’s important to choose monitoring software that gives you the tools you need and the ability to use them in the way that makes the most sense for you. For more information about how you can put monitoring software to use in your workplace, start your free 7-day trial.