Get Shift Done: Management
Can Your Employees Get Comfortable with Being Tracked? These Tips Will Help.
Cloud-based tracking software, such as email trackers or browser recorders, are common in today’s business environment. That doesn’t mean your employees are particularly thrilled with the idea. Running a successful business hinges, at least in part, on the happiness of your employees. So before you rev up that tracking software, here are a couple of way to make your employees as comfortable as possible.
Don’t Be Sneaky
You may think that the best way to catch dishonest employees is by keeping your tracking software a secret. Bad idea. Chances are, no matter how sneaky you are, they’ll catch on to the fact you’re using some kind of tracker. Once that happens, you’ll lose credibility with your staff and they will feel like you’re spying on them or worse, that you don’t trust them.
Being open and honest with your employees is the best policy. Tell them about the software and be very explicit. Be sure to answer these questions:
- Does it track emails? Browser sessions? Money transactions? Time spent working?
- Does everyone have the tracking on their devices?
- What devices is it installed on, such as company phones, laptops, vehicle computers, etc.?
Give Them a Reason Why
Be sure to reassure your employees that you’re not out to get them by explaining why you’re tracking their activity.
Explain that this type of tracking is used by many companies, big and small, to monitor company communications and activity to protect the company and it’s employees from improper behavior. Be clear on this: the protection runs both ways.
If your immediate goal is to catch someone who’s stealing from the company, practicing sexual harassment or violating company rules, leave that out of your explanation. You don’t want to make your innocent employees feel like they are being unfairly targeted and, you don’t want to tip off the suspect.
Once the air is cleared, your employees may not be thrilled with the idea however, they will be much more positive than if you tried to hide your tracking efforts from them and were found out.
The GSD Management channel is brought to you by Work Market, the leading labor automation platform. Work Market empowers businesses and skilled professionals to unlock new levels of productivity, engagement and growth across the entire lifecycle of work. Learn more at www.workmarket.com.
