Businesses started using the work-from-home model during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep employees healthy and safe. However, what started as an imposed temporary solution soon became a preferred work model for millions of employees.

A recent survey showed that 55%of American employees want to continue working from home now that the pandemic is under control. For this reason, numerous business owners started thinking about including employee monitoring software into their workflow to ensure their workers stay highly productive while working out of the office.

However, employee monitoring is still a touchy subject that employees frown upon because they think their managers will use it to control them or pry into their privacy. This is why you have to be prepared to answer some burning questions before you start to monitor computer activity in your company.

Therefore we’ll focus on the most common questions your employees may ask you about employee monitoring. Try giving open and honest answers to shed their doubts and fears and make the most of using a PC activity tracker.

1.  What Will You Monitor?

Advanced workforce analytics solutions provide an array of different monitoring options. Before you start monitoring your employees’ activities, find out what your goals are. Then, make a well-devised employee monitoring policy, explaining in detail what activities will be monitored and why.

You may use this software to keep track of their attendance and see what apps they use during work hours. You may also keep track of time spent on various ongoing projects.

Whatever the purpose of employee monitoring may be, make sure to explain to your employees that you’ll monitor only activities on the company computers during work hours. By stating this you’ll diminish their fear that their personal information may be exposed.

2.  How Will You Use the Data Collected?

This one may be the thing your employees worry about the most. They don’t know if you’re going to use monitoring data to cut their breaks or their paychecks. Some of them may even fear that they’ll get fired once monitoring data sync in.

You may easily shed these unreasonable fears by clearly explaining your goals. Explain that you’ll use the data collected to give them objective real-time feedback, rewarding hard workers, and providing guidance for those who are struggling with specific tasks.

This will boost productivity and team performance. Also by seeing how much time employees spend on tasks and projects, you’ll be able to delegate workload by choosing the right person for the right job. In this way, you’ll improve time and project management and your employees will be happy to do things they’re good at.

When you explain your goals clearly, focusing on benefits employees may have from monitoring, they may start looking at employee monitoring from a different, more positive perspective.

3.  Can I See My Track Records?

You should answer this one with a convincing “Yes.” If you want to gain your workers’ trust and present a productivity tracker as a useful tool, you need to be transparent about monitoring and let your employees access their data.

By doing this, you’ll assure them that you don’t have a hidden agenda related to employee monitoring. Moreover, employees can use this data to see how their productivity fluctuates during the day and to organize their work better. This is another benefit of the employee tracking software your employees will get if you use this tool transparently.

4.  Should I Change My Working Habits Because of Monitoring?

You may be surprised by this question. But, many workers may stress out about monitoring, thinking that they need to change the way they do things to “impress” the software. Others may fear that they won’t be able to go on a break when they need one.

So, try to convince them that they don’t need to worry about how this software “judges” their performance.

The point is that the monitoring software data helps managers get a detailed picture of someone’s workflow, and decide what steps to take to boost their performance. In short, tell your employees to relax and focus on delivering high-quality work.