When employee monitoring is too invasive. Read from the experts.

As experts with more than 20 years of experience in the field, we have gathered extensive knowledge from our customers' needs and feedback on what is too invasive when it comes to employee monitoring. To simply explain this, we can say that monitoring becomes excessive or too invasive when it goes beyond your business needs. Employee monitoring tools with invasive features can collect sensitive information that might overstep your employees' privacy. What’s more, when data of this nature is often collected, it becomes relatively easy to get carried away and overdo it — micromanage employees (especially if you plan to monitor and assess productivity).

How does employee monitoring become too invasive?

There's a wide range of monitoring software on the market. Most of these tools consist of invasive functions that go well beyond productivity monitoring needs. Although marketed as productivity software, such features are neither for productivity monitoring nor productivity assessment (Read this article to see what these invasive features are). Continuously using such tools can inevitably lead to infringements of privacy, micromanagement, security breaches, and loss of reputation because of their spying or spy-like functions.

Monitoring becomes excessive or too invasive and goes beyond your business needs when it begins to collect sensitive data and overstep your employees’ privacy boundaries.

Let us explain in detail.

Spy-like monitoring functions

There’s a type of software called spyware. Most of the time, this type of software is used covertly to retain confidential information. Many employee monitoring software on the market today have the same functions in the form of keystrokes and screenshots recording but are promoted as productivity monitoring software. That is why we often refer to them as spy-like, even though they claim to monitor productivity. Productivity monitoring software shouldn't be invasive or breed distrust in the workplace. Rather, it ought to be the opposite. If the plan is to boost productivity and performance, choose employee monitoring software with noninvasive features. The only case in which monitoring with spy-like functions is useful is for investigative purposes.

A lot of employee monitoring software on the market today have the same functions in the form of keystrokes and screenshot recording but is promoted as productivity monitoring software. That is why we often refer to them as spy-like, even though they claim to monitor productivity.

The hidden danger behind spy-like functions

Sensitive information leakage

The most common problem with spy-like functions is capturing sensitive/private information, financial details, etc. If this information leaks, it could damage the company’s reputation. When data has been violated and exposed, trust is lost, and business credibility goes downhill. Unwanted legal issues may further exacerbate this if proper precautions are not taken to avoid them.

Micromanagement

Nobody likes a “control freak.” Of course, it’s perfectly legal for businesses to keep an eye on employees’ productivity, but continuously using these spy-like functionalities at work may depict deep-rooted micromanagement. Employee monitoring software with employee monitoring software with such features will create tension at work and a hostile work environment breeds poor productivity, trust issues, and employees begin to disengage.

Monitoring without crossing the line

It solely depends on your goals! The key here is always to remember your long-standing business and monitoring objectives. Set well-defined business and monitoring goals and, most importantly, work on accomplishing these goals without overdoing them or crossing privacy and security lines. If enhancing productivity is the top priority, focus on monitoring features that improve productivity, time management, etc. In this respect, you'll find it unnecessary to use tools with spy-like features. There are exceptions where the company may need to use such features for investigative purposes, but, as mentioned earlier, this is not productivity monitoring.

The key here is to keep track of long-standing business and monitor goals. Set well-defined business and monitoring objectives and, most importantly, work on accomplishing them without overdoing it or crossing privacy and security lines.

Keeping your business safe

Imagine implementing employee monitoring software with spy-like functions daily. Doing this with the hopes to 'yield huge benefits’ is a recipe for disaster in any company. Due to these invasive features' cumbersome nature, data security could be compromised, and micromanagement is inevitable in the workplace. If the data collected is not well protected, the company may easily be exposed to data leaks and legal issues. To keep your business safe, you may want to avoid using unnecessary spy-like monitoring functions. Instead, consider using monitoring tools with productivity-focused monitoring features.

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