If you’ve purchased employee monitoring software when your team started working from home and you have no idea what to do with it once you go back into the office - this article is for you.
First of all, you’re not alone. The monitoring industry boomed when lockdown started because most managers were in the same boat as you. They had employees working from home for the first time, and it was hard to keep up with what they were doing. Some employers were skeptical about working from home, and they didn’t believe their teams can be productive when working like this.
Whatever your reason for implementing employee monitoring software, you’re probably wondering what to do with it when you go back into the office. So, that’s why we’ll focus on what you should expect from the monitoring data moving forward, as well as how you can keep using it to your advantage.
Productivity Might Go Down a Little Bit
Those first few weeks in the office are going to be like a Christmas morning. Your employees haven’t seen each other in a very long time, so you can expect there’s going to be a lot of chit-chats.
Additionally, getting used to working in the office will take time. People are used to working from home, and distractions at home and in the office are wildly different. Just like your employees took some time to get used to working remotely, they’ll need time to get used to the old ways.
The third reason you could see lower productivity levels is the fact that not everyone will be in the office at the same time. Social distancing rules will probably apply for a while, therefore, your employees will take turns working in the office. This could cause delays in collaboration.
If you do see lower productivity numbers, don’t be alarmed, and don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s completely understandable, but if the numbers keep going down over time, talk to your employees to figure out what are the reasons behind their unproductive levels.
Keep an Eye on Your Subscriptions
Employee monitoring software wasn’t the only software you purchased while working from home. You’ve likely invested in some collaboration, project management, or communication tools.
Now when your team is working from the central location, they might not use all the tools they did when working remotely.
Pay close attention to the apps and websites each individual is using, you’ll discover that some of them have become redundant and you can easily cut down your costs. You should also talk to your employees about the tools they’re using, and check if there might be alternatives that would work better in the new working environment.
Compare the Data
Data buffs will find this the most interesting thing about going back into the office - the ability to compare in-office and home data to determine which environment makes employees more productive. Make sure you’re collecting the data for at least a few months before making the final decision since multiple factors can affect daily productivity levels.
In any case, the data comparison will allow you to update policies on flexible work to match your employees’ wishes, as well as their capacity.
Final Thoughts
Other than these tips, keep using your employee monitoring software in the same way that you did while your team was working from home. Benchmark performance, identify and reward top performers, create tangible action plans for employees who are falling behind, and don’t give up on your monitoring software just because you can see your workers now - it can still be one of the most useful tools in your toolbox.
