Remote Work Monitoring

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work wasn’t as commonplace as it is today. Although freelancers and consultants largely relied on this model of work, very few businesses around the world had embraced it.

At the peak of the pandemic, business owners were confronted with ensuring their employees were able to continue working but also keep safe at the same time. This gave rise to working from home on a global scale.

Now, although we’ve almost put the worst behind us and things are slowly going back to normal, many businesses are still holding on to remote work.

Working from home comes with countless benefits: it increases productivity, saves on time spent commuting and allows your team members to get enough rest and take long enough breaks in between work.

If you’re looking to keep remote work in your business, you’ll need to find an effective way to supervise and track the progress of tasks by employees without invading their privacy.

This is what we will cover in today’s article – how to monitor remote work.

Establish rules of engagement and communication

When working remotely, your employees shouldn’t lose the access they have to their teammates. Adopt a reliable means of communication where each of your employees can reach each other and yourself whenever there is a need to.

You should also consider establishing rules of engagement and communication. For example, set a specific time frame in which you’ll be available for phone calls and video conferences.

In the same vein, ensure your team members expect you to reach out only at a certain time, preferably at the end of the workday. This will keep you from interfering with their work. During your daily check-ins, you could ask them to provide updates on pending tasks and business objectives.

Ensure your employees are well-equipped

Your employees will only be effective while working from home if they’re equipped with all they need. Think about the typical office space. What would your own team members have access to while at work?

Try to provide these things if you can: a good, comfortable desk, fast, reliable internet, and even quality webcams. This way, your employees will have more than they require to get stuff done.

You should also provide adequate communication options and be available to deal with any challenges that may arise. Once your employees are confident you’re doing the best you can to set them up for success, their performance is bound to live up to, or even exceed your expectations.

Choose a remote work monitoring tool that suits your needs

What would we do without technology? In today’s workplace, it is possible to supervise and monitor your employees’ progress right from your desk.

A good monitoring tool lets you see how much time your team members spend actively working, and how much time goes to waste. It also enables you to view the websites they visit and the communication they have with their teammates.

SoftActivity Monitor is one such program, specifically designed to make remote work monitoring a breeze. Using a monitoring software that’s uniquely suited to meet your needs is a crucial step in running an effective work from a home business model.

Inform your employees that you’ll be monitoring their performance

A challenge that may come with monitoring your employees remotely is that it may breed distrust. People are likely to be uncomfortable when they realize you’re tracking what they are doing over the internet. This is why you need to communicate about it beforehand.

Let your employees know that you will be monitoring them. Explain why this is necessary, and the benefits it will bring to your business.

Be sure to remind them that since you’ll be able to track their digital footprints, they will need to refrain from conducting personal activity while on the company network. This will do away with the mistrust.

Encourage dialogue and communication

If any of your employees aren’t used to remote work, they may struggle to find their rhythm at first. Some may feel lonely or may end up getting distracted. It’s crucial to encourage all your team members to voice their grievances and concerns whenever they need to.

Talking things through is the quickest way to find a solution. Let your employees know that they can count on you, and each other, whenever they feel stuck.

Once you’ve addressed the issues they’re facing, you’ll definitely notice an improvement in their productivity.

Find a remote work monitoring software that works for you

Supervising your team as they work from home shouldn’t be difficult in this day and age. Using a monitoring software like SoftActivity enables you to track your employees’ progress without being too intrusive and interfering with their workflow. For your business to effectively run a work from home program, you will need to monitor how they spend their time, ultimately guiding them towards productivity.