Tracking Employee Productivity in the Workplace

Although the concept of data gathering for tracking employee productivity sounds straightforward, it’s rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it’s more often dependent on the individual and the workplace. For instance, an introverted worker may thrive in a quiet environment with a minimum of interruptions while an extroverted employee may be more productive in an environment with more interactions.

Employee Tracking Technology

In an attempt to better understand what makes employees tick, some employers are looking at adding employee tracking technology to the workplace in the form of GPS and RFID tracking devices in company-issued automobiles, smartphones and employee badges. Similar to the smartphone technology we use to get from point A to point B, the employee tracking software monitors in an attempt to understand employee behavior and the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. If reading the last sentence flagged your internal Big Brother monitor, you’re not alone. Privacy, particularly in the online realm, remains an issue with many unknowns.

Employee Tracking Transparency

If you’re considering the implementation of an employee tracking technology system to enhance employee productivity , one of the most important considerations is understanding and being able to quantify why you want to do it. Once you’re clear about the reasoning then it’s critical to share this information with any employee included in the tracking program. Currently, there are an abundance of employment tracking options out there, each with the ability to do something different. These include programs such as ActivTrak that record the websites employees visit online or systems like TeleNav that monitor and manage remote employees.

Employee Privacy

Instituting a tracking system without full disclosure could turn a normal workplace into a place of fear and paranoia. One way companies balance employee tracking with privacy is making data received anonymous. While there are few legal precedents arguing in favor or against employee tracking systems, the courts largely frown on its use for tracking employees outside of working hours. In the case of employees using a company-provided smartphone or vehicle outside of these parameters, this remains a potentially slippery slope.

Considerations before Adding Employee Productivity Tracking

• Decide the reason(s) for wanting employee tracking
• Make collected employee data anonymous
• Use tracking with good intentions to increase employee productivity
• Be transparent about the reason for using employee tracking

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