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The employee tracking software packages that will hit the market in 2022 are reviewed, and the best way to use them is explained in detail.
- Employee Monitor System
- ActiTrack
- Hubstaff
- Teramind
- bambooHR
- With the spread of remote working, keeping track of employee productivity and efficiency is becoming increasingly complex, but it is more important than ever.
- Several companies now offer packages that track everything from keyboarding to accessing external drives and generate real-time or scheduled reports.
- While these packages may not look much different on paper, there are considerable differences in how they are used, with some packages being better suited to specific tasks than others.
- This guide is for business owners, general managers, and human resource managers who want to know the differences between the best employee tracking software tools.
Table of Content
1. Introduction
1.2. ActivTrak
1.3. Hubstaff
1.4. Teramind
1.5. BambooHR
2. Cost of Monitoring Software
3. Employee Monitoring Software Features
4. Benefits of Employee Monitoring Software
5. Choosing Employee Monitoring Software
6. FAQs about Employee Monitoring
Introduction
Small firms and managers can gain useful information about how employees spend their time at work via employee tracking software. The finest employee monitoring software can take screenshots of user actions, track online browsing and usage, ban material and applications, and produce thorough reports.
We show the top software apps for 2022 to assist you in finding the finest option for your company. We took into account user friendliness, productivity, staff activity, and cybersecurity monitoring features.
1. Employee Monitor System
In our opinion, the most excellent employee desktop monitoring application for managing staff productivity is Employee Monitor System. Tracking individual staff productivity can be difficult, especially for contingent staff. Employee Monitor System includes non-intrusive features that enable you to precisely measure employee time and user activity, reducing this issue and raising your team’s productivity.
Employee Monitor System is adaptable software that can handle a variety of businesses, gadgets, and workers, including field service workers, independent contractors, and remote workers. The Employee Monitor System is compatible with iOS and Android devices as well as Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome. It is a feasible alternative for organizations of all sizes because it offers three free reasonably priced premium plans. The minimum number of users for all paid subscriptions is two, and the software can be tested during a free 14-day trial period. Plans can be upgraded or downgraded at any time.
The Employee Monitor System aims to track employee time, increase productivity, and protect employee privacy. It measures the amount of activity on the mouse and keyboard to determine how engaged your employees are; rather than keylogging the precise information entered, the Employee Monitor System rates the activity as true or false to determine productivity.
2. ActivTrak
ActivTrak offers a free plan for three users, two paid plans for five or more users, and a customizable plan for large companies. It can be the ideal tool for anyone who wants to increase employee productivity and efficiency. Still, it is especially recommended for startups with few employees and a limited budget. However, it does not work on iOS or Android devices.
ActivTrak has all the necessary features for transparent employee tracking. ActivTrak tracks employees’ productive and non-productive behavior based on mouse movements, keyboard movements (but not keystroke logging), and website and app usage. For example, it can track employee engagement during their work hours. And active and passive (inactive) behavior time can be tracked. If you want to know where your employees are most productive (e.g., in the office or remotely), you can use ActivTrak’s Location Insights dashboard, which will launch in September. This new tool shows employee productivity by the user, by location, by the time of day, and by week.
ActivTrak helps keep employees safe by blocking certain websites and applications based on users or groups. Other security features may include audit logs, USB activity tracking, automatic responses, and risk assessments. We especially like the advanced analytics features that give employers and managers a wealth of insights to make informed business decisions and set goals.
The software presents employee productivity, work efficiency, workload distribution, and device usage analytics. These statistics can be categorized by team or individual user to determine top performance. Comparisons also help identify underperforming or inefficient employees or teams that need help. Identifying vital characteristics, such as employee burnout, can eliminate workload inefficiencies and increase employee engagement.
3. Hubstaff
Hubstaff is our software of choice for tracking and managing employee productivity. Keeping track of individual employee productivity can be difficult, especially for field workers. To alleviate this problem, Hubstaff has non-invasive features that allow you to track employee time and user behavior accurately, thus improving your entire team’s productivity.
Hubstaff is a flexible software that can be used for several industries, devices, and employee types, including remote employees, freelancers, and field workers. Hubstaff is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome, as well as iOS and Android devices. With one free and three paid plans, it’s a good choice for businesses of all sizes. All paid plans are designed for at least two users and offer a 14-day free trial. They also offer a 60-day money-back guarantee. Rates can be terminated, increased, or decreased at any time.
Hubstaff aims to record employee time and improve productivity while maintaining privacy. Hubstaff uses mouse and keyboard activity to measure employee activity. Instead of tracking precisely what an employee type (keylogging) is, an actual/false value is assigned to the activity to indicate productivity. Screenshots can be taken at regular intervals, but screenshots containing sensitive information (e.g., banking or medical data) can be deleted by the employee.
4. Teramind
Teramind is a highly secure software that can be used in the office or remotely via the cloud and monitors Windows, Windows Server, Mac, Citrix, VDI, VMware Horizon, and terminal servers. It is ideal for businesses and industries where security is essential.
Teramind’s three plans include features for different monitoring needs: The Starter plan is the simplest option and is suitable for standard monitoring. The User Activity Monitoring (UAM) plan is for companies that need advanced monitoring capabilities, while the Data Loss Prevention (DLP) plan offers the features of the UAM plan plus additional security measures.
Teramind can monitor employee behavior such as web and application usage, messaging activities, online meetings, file transfers, web chats, social media activities, keystrokes, clipboard functions, and print jobs. Certain employee behaviors can be prohibited, and their actions can be recorded on video and audio. It can also protect user privacy to some extent by only recording when a violation occurs. Unlike many competing products, Teramind also offers the ability to monitor employee devices remotely. This is useful when removing an employee’s access to protected company information.
You can also access various reports, real-time alerts, and policy management features. TerraMind’s free live demo allows you to see the system in action using sample employee data to try it out before making a decision. Customer support is available via phone, email, and chat.
5. BambooHR
BambooHR is a cloud-based workforce management software that helps manage employee performance. It is not a traditional employee tracking software but a complete HR solution with various features that help SMBs recruit and hire staff, manage employee performance, track work hours, calculate payrolls, and more. BambooHR offers two paid plans (Essentials and Advantage), which offer a free seven-day trial period with no termination fees and a monthly contract per employee. Additional payroll, time entry, and benefits management features are also available.
BambooHR software is intuitive and easy to use on desktop and mobile devices. The mobile app allows employees to use self-service features such as leave management, viewing the company calendar, and accessing employee directories and org charts. They can easily reach out to support staff via phone, email, or web chat if they have any questions or problems with the software.
The Essentials and Advantage packages include standard HR features such as employee data, performance tracking, workflow and approvals, document storage, reports, and email notifications. BambooHR also offers COVID-19 immunization tracking, which tracks and records which employees were vaccinated or bolstered and when. These results can then be integrated into reports that provide insight into the company’s overall immunization status.
Companies looking for software that also helps with recruiting and onboarding will benefit from the Advantage plan with applicant tracking, employee onboarding and offboarding, e-signature capabilities, audit trail, and training track. The Employee Net Promoter Score is well suited to identify employee engagement and improvement opportunities.
Cost of Monitoring Software
The price of an employee monitoring solution depends on the desired functionality and the number of employees. For example, a newly established company that needs basic functionality and employs only one or two employees might use the free option. In contrast, a company that needs premium functionality might pay up to $150 per user per year. On average, however, they can expect costs between $60 and $80 per user per year.
Fees are typically calculated per user and charged monthly or annually. They include software, upgrades, and support. Some vendors separately charge a one-time license fee for annual software upgrades and support plans.
To ensure that the bill is not a nasty surprise, there are four factors to consider when comparing prices
- A minimum number of users: Some companies only need one or two licenses, while others need five to ten or more.
- Additional features: You may have to pay extra if you need certain additional features, such as geolocation.
- Additional costs: Additional costs are rare, but it’s essential to be informed before you sign up and know what you’re getting into. Ask about installation fees (which can run into hundreds of dollars) and IP address upgrade fees.
- Contract terms: Many employee monitoring software providers offer monthly rates, and some offer discounts if you pay annually. As with any other service, check if a contract is required. If so, obtain a copy of the contract and review it, paying particular attention to the term and termination terms.
Employee Monitoring Software Features
Employee monitoring software can contain many features, and the ones you need depend on how you want to monitor your employees.
Think about why you want to install this software. Do you want to ensure your employees aren’t surfing the Internet or logging into Facebook while at work? Are you concerned that confidential information or trade secrets could be leaked? Are you looking for ways to monitor cybersecurity risks? It would help if you also decided whether your software should be proactive or whether you should be notified when prohibited activities or other policy violations are discovered.
Content blocking:
There are, of course, websites that employees should visit during working hours or not at all if they use a work computer. The content blocking feature allows you to block such sites and individual URLs. For example, if you allow browsing social networks or shopping sites during lunch break, some programs allow you to set time limits for specific sites and indicate when the block should be lifted. In other cases, access rights can be set on an individual or group basis.
Application and web tracking:
This feature shows which applications employees use, such as Microsoft Word and Excel, and their website URLs. It also records the time spent on each application, website, or program.
Keyboard logging:
This feature allows you to see all your employees’ keystrokes in emails, instant messages, Word documents, and the Internet.
Screenshots, videos, and live monitoring:
Want to see what your employees are doing? Most employee monitoring solutions take random screenshots of the employee’s screen (many support multiple screens). Some also record videos of what is being monitored, while others allow live viewing.
USB and print monitoring:
A must for those concerned about data leakage. If the system detects a USB or portable hard drive inserted into a company computer, it displays a warning message. Print tracking means that the software tracks the files printed by each computer.
Productivity tracking:
There are different ways to track employee productivity. For example, some software tracks productivity by detecting keyboard and mouse activity. Some employees must also log their work hours based on tasks or client projects.
Mobile apps:
If you’re on the road or have employees working in different time zones, a mobile app in your software can be helpful to access alerts at any time. However, some applications are platform-dependent. If this feature is essential, you must ensure the software is compatible with your cell phone.
Benefits of Employee Monitoring Software
The use of employee monitoring software can assist your company in several ways.
Employee Engagement and Attendance Management
Monitoring software features such as website tracking, content filtering, and screen capture provide information on what content employees are interested in and which websites and apps they spend more time on. Are they surfing work-related sites or getting distracted by YouTube videos? You may also notice that employees spend their days filling out job applications. With employee tracking software, you can see what sites your employees are using (and blocking) and identify performance and engagement issues.
Employee Productivity
Software monitoring features such as keystroke recording, mouse activity, and webcam recordings can show how actively your employees use their work computers. Are the devices idle for long periods, or are they actively engaged throughout the day? Employee behavior monitoring features vary from platform to platform but knowing which employees work and at what times of the day is helpful.
Enterprise Security
Software monitoring can also help resolve security issues and disputes. Recording and archiving employee behavior can provide supporting information when an employee files a complaint against the company or a colleague; managing website permissions, monitoring USB usage, and print jobs can help prevent the leakage of confidential information. Prevent employees from browsing malicious sites themselves or acting up.
Choosing Employee Monitoring Software
Choosing employee monitoring software depends on several factors. Here are some of the most important ones
Devices
You can choose from the ten packages presented here if your company uses only PCs. However, if your employees regularly use mobile devices, ensuring your chosen platform is compatible with iOS and Android is essential. If employees frequently use thumb drives, you must ensure that portable devices can be monitored and analyzed. Some platforms do not allow for the monitoring of devices such as printers or data sticks.
Value-Added Services
Some software providers have added additional services to their packages, such as employee onboarding and offboarding, payroll management, performance management, and COVID-19 vaccine tracking, to set themselves apart from the rest. It may seem unnecessary, but if you don’t already have software that offers these services, it may be worth considering a package that bundles some HR tools.
Support and Assistance
Some of the best employee tracking software providers offer a range of communication methods, while others offer only web-based support; some offer 24/7 customer support, while others do not. In this industry, after-hours and overnight support is rarely necessary to maintain productivity, but ensure you agree to the support offered and the hours before signing up.
Ease of Use
Given the abundance of metrics collected by the best employee tracking software, it’s vital to ensure you’re not overwhelmed by the scope of a particular platform. If you find Insightful’s analytics, which generates raw data in seconds, too granular, you may be better served by Hubstaff’s core monitoring software, which offers six different dashboard reports.
Cost
A detailed chart is needed to explain all the scheduling options and costs associated with purchasing employee monitoring software. However, the crucial factors are the number of employees, whether it’s a monthly or annual fee, whether there’s a free trial version, and whether you need to upgrade to a more expensive package to use certain features.
FAQs about Employee Monitoring
What is software for employee monitoring?
Employee monitoring software is an on-premises or cloud-based system for keeping track of employee computer usage. The software shows business owners and managers how employees are using the company’s computers and other work tools. For example, it tracks websites visited and applications used, records work hours, blocks harmful or unproductive websites and applications, and even records screen events. Employee monitoring software is often used to improve business productivity, engagement, and security.
How Does Employee Monitoring Software Improve The Performance Of Remote Workers?
Remote work poses several challenges for workers and managers. Employee monitoring software can solve some problems related to attendance, productivity, and safety. When employees are in the office, managers can easily walk around the workplace and track who is doing what. Employee monitoring software allows managers to do the same remotely, holding their employees accountable for what they are working on when they say they are working.
Working from home involves many distractions (e.g., childcare, household chores, errands) that don’t take priority in the office, but not all workers will admit that they can’t focus. Employee tracking software can show who works productively and needs extra guidance or help. It can also show you the times of day your team is most likely to be active and the technology they need to be productive.
Remote workers pose an additional security risk to your business. Your business risks a security breach when employees access company data via an unsecured public WLAN connection or view malicious content on company-owned devices. Monitoring software can help block malicious content and identify vulnerable employees.
Should Employees Be Notified That They Are Being Monitored?
This is often a matter of discretion. In some states, there are restrictions or requirements in this regard, but no federal law currently requires that employees be informed that they are being monitored. It is generally a good idea to make this known since better results are often achieved when employees agree with the software. For example, if the goal of the monitoring software is to improve productivity, explain it this way your team will work harder if they know their actions are being monitored and analyzed. This is also an excellent opportunity to discuss the acceptable and unacceptable use of company devices to reduce the likelihood of harmful or unproductive behavior.
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