Tracking Productivity Through Employee Internet Monitoring

By Author: thomas galvin
Total Articles: 612
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Since widespread use of the Internet began in 1995, it has revolutionized much of our day-to-day work lives and provided countless benefits to our personal lives as well. Virtually any information you want to find is now just a few mouse clicks away. Many of the routine business tasks once performed manually or over the phone can now be done quickly and efficiently using the Internet and other automated tools.

Unfortunately, there has also been a downside to the Internet. Because of its accessibility, it has become a temptation for employees. It’s all too easy to use the Internet for personal purposes during business hours. Many workers have fallen prey to that temptation, which has resulted in a significant lack of productivity in many workplaces.

Understandably, this has become a great concern to business owners and managers. In an effort to track their employees’ productivity, many people have turned to employee Internet monitoring software. Through the use of specially designed software, employers can find out what websites their employees are visiting throughout the course of the workday. While this information ...
... may help to determine which employees are productive and which aren’t, it also presents an entire new set of problems.

Many people consider this type of Employee Internet Monitoring software to be extremely invasive. And, in fact, much of the software that allows employers to track Internet use is referred to as “spyware” because it is so invasive. It’s very likely that using this type of tracking tool will result in employees becoming resentful, and that, in turn, can lead to an even greater lack of productivity.

Moreover, the recent advent of smart phones, used now on a regular basis by workers throughout the U.S. and other countries, renders Internet tracking software ineffective. While employers may be able to determine which employees are visiting non-business-related websites on work computers, they cannot track which sites employees visit on their smart phones throughout the course of the workday. To sum it up, this type of employee Internet monitoring is both insufficient and counterproductive.

Measuring Productivity versus Monitoring

The best way to increase employees’ productivity is not through monitoring their Internet use, but instead through measuring their productivity and encouraging them to perform at even higher levels of productivity. In order to accomplish this, employers need a software tool that will provide valuable feedback regarding the amount of time each employee spends actively using his or her computer. Once productivity information is gathered for several different employees with similar jobs, the business owner or manager can establish a performance standard. The employer can also work individually with employees to help each person increase his or her own level of productivity throughout the course of each workday.

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