Are you surprised how the remote work model eventually takes over the conventional working method? But even more surprising is that this remote work dynamic is proving effective. So, what new strategy are enterprises adopting to make that happen?
Companies are turning to employee productivity monitoring software to ensure remote workers’ effective and efficient performance. This helps boost the productivity of remote employees and facilitates accountability. However, if you are yet to employ the right kind of remote software in your business work landscape, you might be overwhelmed with the variety of options available.
Fortunately, this comprehensive guide on buying the right employee productivity monitoring software might help. In 2024, we will examine the software’s key features and pricing models.
A brief on employee productivity monitoring software
As a reminder, employee productivity monitoring software is generally a remote tool designed to help with employee monitoring activities through time tracking, analyzing employees’ work patterns, producing reports, and more. These tools force companies to set standards for measuring productivity, determine inefficient activities, and guarantee compliance with company policies.
This information enables organizations to get an idea of how employees spend their time, provides tools to managers for workflow optimization, minimizes time wastage, and makes well-informed choices. However, not every monitoring solution in the market is equal and offers the same benefit. That is why it is necessary to pick a monitoring tool that best fits your company’s requirements and goals while also maintaining trust and respecting employee privacy while monitoring.
Key features to look for in 2024
When you know your monitoring needs, choosing a suitable employee productivity monitoring software becomes less of a hassle. Keeping in mind the following features might help narrow your options:
- Real-time activity tracking: This feature is useful when you want instant insights into employee spending time. Find a remote monitoring tool that serves comprehensive applications, websites, and task tracking in real time. This feature enables managers to figure out potential roadblocks to efficient performance and address them promptly. For instance, Insightful’s real-time tracking feature benefits managers by providing detailed and immediate reports on workers’ activities to help companies maintain high productivity margins.
- Automatic time tracking: Automated time tracking is the second fundamental feature of any monitoring software. Businesses can now measure the duration of time spent on a particular project or task by employees. It is often suggested to go for a solution with an automatic time-tracking attribute running in the background, thereby removing manual activities and minimizing errors. Plus, the automatic logging of work hours makes tracking billable hours and payroll management easier for businesses.
- Employee privacy controls: While monitoring employee productivity is indeed useful for the business, it is also equally essential to ensure that employee privacy is not invaded. In these times, enterprises must also prioritize software privacy controls, like enabling/disabling features to track time during breaks or outside of working hours. Another is transparency features, such as notifying workers of the active monitoring process to help facilitate and maintain trust.
- Productivity reports and analytics: If you want to stay updated and understand productivity trends over time, detailed reporting and analytics might help. This software feature offers customizable reports on multiple metrics, including application usage, idle time, and time spent on specific tasks. It will be a plus point if you get advanced analytics that helps determine productivity patterns and suggest improvement methods.
- Project management integration: If your business has to manage multiple projects simultaneously, your employee productivity monitoring software should also have integration capabilities with project management tools. This helps with adequate task assignments and seamless tracking of project completion progress and timelines.
- Mobile compatibility: In 2024, remote and flexible work arrangements will prevail more than ever. This means that your monitoring software must be highly compatible with mobile devices, enabling managers and employees alike to track and review performance on the go. For instance, Insightful’s mobile application offers remote employees the flexibility to access productivity data from anywhere.
Pricing models
Employee productivity monitoring software is available in multiple pricing models. Finding software that fits your budget and business requirements can often be tricky, but it can be made easier when you know these pricing models.
- One-time purchase: Many remote software solutions in the market offer a one-time purchase plan with perpetual access without recurring fees. While high upfront costs can be a disadvantage, this model proves to be cost-effective in the business’s long run as there is no need for frequent updates or charges for additional features.
- Subscription-based pricing: Some of the most popular monitoring software offers products on a subscription basis, charging an annual or monthly fee per user. This model is best suited for businesses that want access to regular updates with predictable costs. For example, Insightful offers flexible subscription plans depending on the number of users, proving to be a scalable option for businesses of all sizes.
- Custom pricing: Big enterprises often look for tools that offer custom pricing models as they have specific requirements. Insightful is a popular example. These plans enable tailored benefits to fit the company’s unique needs in terms of user limits, features, and support options.
- Freemium models: Do not be confused; it is “freemium” and not “premium.” This pricing model simply offers the tool’s most basic features for free, with the option to upgrade to a premium model for more advanced features. Small businesses or those who want to test the waters before committing to a particular employee productivity monitoring software usually opt for this type of pricing plan.
To sum up
Choosing the perfect employee productivity monitoring software is necessary for maintaining accountability and efficiency in the modern workplace. By emphasizing only the critical attributes of the software, you can pick the most viable solution that meets all your business’s demands. Remember to evaluate different pricing models based on your business capacity and budget. With the right comprehensive monitoring tool, you can easily enhance productivity and your organization’s work environment.
