Pros and Cons of Using Internet Monitoring Tools in the Workplace

Very few businesses will now not use computers. Employees need PCs for all types of reasons, whether they’re developing software, writing documents or just handling customers. However, there are the chances that the staff will use the computers for their own use.

You need to make sure their work time is spent doing their work, which is where internet monitoring tools come in handy. However, should you use them? Here are some pros and cons to consider.

They Improve the Productivity in the Office

Your staff will become more productive because more of their time is spent doing work. There is little chance of checking things like Facebook, or arranging dinner dates with friends. By improving productivity you can:

• Increase profits
• See more work completed
• Keep hiring levels to a minimum
• Have an enjoyable workplace

Surveillance on Specific Members

There is no need to monitor every single employee. Some you will be able to trust without worrying, and will accept that every now and then they will use the work computer for their own use. You may even have a rule that they can do it in their lunch breaks or if they come in earlier than they’re paid for.

Surveillance can be carried out on particular members of staff. This is a great way to monitor those you believe are using the computers for personal use throughout the day. Some will monitor their personal email accounts, while others will use the internet to search for a new job. Some will even watch porn while in the office. By knowing whether someone is guilty and having the proof, you can then carry out the appropriate action without worrying that that decision will come back to haunt you.

Employees Feel Like They’re not Trusted

Most employees will use their computers for work only. When they find out they are being monitored, they will start to feel like you don’t trust them. This can damage the relationship between you and the employees. They end up not really wanting to work for you, and will start to question the type of work they are doing on a daily basis. It can make them act out in defiance to the new monitoring.

Sometimes you need to put your trust into the employees. There are ways around the internet issue without doing any monitoring. One of those is to instil the rule, and do random checks while walking around the office just to see what people are doing. You could also block certain websites, so there is no chance that the employee will be able to procrastinate or do something they are not supposed to.

Take your time to determine whether full internet monitoring tools are really necessary. In some cases they are, but you could find that the partial tools that monitor individuals now and then are better. If you want to show that you trust your employees, you could also find that showing you trust them by not monitoring them is the way to go.