The future of activity monitoring software
In 2020 we witnessed the rise of activity monitoring software. The pandemic sent people to work from home for the first time, and managers felt they were out of touch with what their teams were doing on a daily basis. That environment created a perfect field for the monitoring industry to grow.
Some companies reported revenue growth up to 600% in the past year! It really was a fruitful time for the monitoring industry, but how will the future look like for them?
History of Employee Monitoring
Employers were looking for ways to monitor their workforce even before the computers became a standard part of every workstation. Supervisors in factories were in charge of making sure that everyone was doing what they were supposed to, however, with the widespread use of computers, they were replaced with the software.
Other changes, like technological advancements, economical growth, and the rise of remote work have all fueled the need for employee monitoring in a virtual world.
In recent years, many different solutions have emerged, ranging from simple clock-in apps to advanced software which helps detect insider threats or prevent data loss. However, a tool which is definitely the most popular among employers is the activity monitoring software. And the reason is simple – it connects various features to help them track time and attendance, as well as productivity or time spent on different tasks.
In 2018, researchers surveyed 239 large companies and found that 50% of them were using some form of non-traditional (non-traditional being CCTV for example) employee monitoring options. Those same researches predicted that this number will rise to 80% in 2020. Seeing how this year developed in front of us, it’s quite possible that this number is even higher right now.
What Can We Expect in the Future?
After 2020, we can definitely expect that activity monitoring software will be normalised. In the past it has received a lot of bad reputation since some people have seen it as a way to spy on the employees, or use it as a micromanaging tool. However, the pandemic made the acceptance of this software easier. Multiple companies have stated that they’re certain their employees would react differently if they implemented such a tool before everyone started working from home.
