From the standpoint of many job seekers, a remote or hybrid work system is a great advantage.

‍

Employers who want to stay competitive on the job market need to offer a work-from-home option. This means they also need to work out how to track remote employees and ensure they are productive. Otherwise, this employee benefit can easily turn into a stumbling block for the company.

‍

This article outlines the most useful methods for tracking remote employees together with the most popular tools you can rely on.

‍

1. Introduce Time Tracking Software

‍

Time tracking software allows employees to log their hours and activities. Thanks to this, managers get a transparent view of how their teammates spend their work time.

‍

This approach can be especially useful for tracking project-based work and can highlight discrepancies between reported and actual work hours. 

‍

What managers should be mindful of are the limitations of time tracking. One of those is the potential to miss out on recording spontaneous tasks like phone calls or unscheduled meetings.

‍

Insightful

‍

Insightful enhances workforce management with features like automated time tracking, activity and productivity monitoring, and insider threat detection.

‍

Real-time insights into employee productivity allow managers to distinguish between active and idle time. This way it supports compliance with labor laws through break and overtime tracking.

‍

The platform also offers real-time threat detection. This feature is especially important for remote or hybrid teams. It allows the security officers to immediately be notified about risky employee behavior and prevent any security breaches.

‍

ActivTrak

‍

ActivTrak, with its robust employee monitoring tools, aids leaders in enhancing team performance.

‍

This software facilitates weekly coaching summaries and real-time activity insights, allowing targeted coaching and productivity tracking. It also offers detailed analytics on work activity and productivity, along with benchmarks to assess and improve team goal achievement.

‍

What may be a downside of the software is that it might slow down the response time of the device.

‍

2. Adopt a Project & Task Management Application

‍

Task management applications enable managers to assign work, set deadlines, and track progress in real time.

‍

While primarily used for project management, they can also shed light on individual work habits and productivity. This can help managers identify areas where employees may need additional support or resources.

‍

Wrike

‍

Wrike has around two million users across the world. It boasts extensive features including resource planning and AI-driven automation for efficient project management.

‍

This tool also offers customizable Gantt charts, Kanban boards, real-time analytics, and numerous app integrations. Thanks to its robustness, it facilitates seamless collaboration and scalable growth.

‍

Reliable support and diverse pricing plans allow it to meet various organizational needs.

‍

Monday

‍

Monday.com is a user-friendly project management software. It features customizable dashboards, automation, and a variety of templates to boost productivity.

‍

With key integrations and a range of pricing plans, it garners positive reviews for its smooth navigation and collaboration capabilities.

‍

Its flaws include potential data clutter as well as somewhat limited analytics and support options. Despite this, numerous companies choose this software to manage their projects.

‍

3. Implement an Email Activity Analysis Tool

‍

The average professional dedicates 28-50% of their workday to email communication. In other words, email activity constitutes an important aspect of productivity for many roles.

‍

Email monitoring tools can provide in-depth data on email volumes, response times, and communication patterns. A data-driven approach such as this one can help managers understand individual workloads and redistribute tasks to enhance team efficiency.

‍

EmailAnalytics

‍

EmailAnalytics offers intuitive visualization of email activities for Gmail and Outlook. It provides metrics, like email response times and daily volume per agent, vital for sales and customer service efficiency.

‍

With automated daily or weekly reports and a seamless setup that is adaptable to existing workflows, it allows insights into team email dynamics.

‍

Right Inbox

‍

Right Inbox is a Google Chrome extension for Gmail. It enhances your email management through features like click tracking allowing you to monitor who engages with your emails and their level of interaction.

‍

This tool also includes functionalities for scheduling emails, setting reminders, and automating sequences to streamline your communication process.

‍

Conclusion

‍

These three methods for tracking remote employees are the best ones to start with. The sequence in which you will employ them depends on your industry and specific business needs.

‍

Start with the analysis of your team’s day-to-day tasks. Figure out your priorities. If your email traffic isn’t heavy, then it’s probably best to start with general time tracking efforts.

‍

Everything runs smoothly once you figure out your most important area for monitoring and choose the tracking software. Reach out to the software sales team, and they will surely guide you through the setup process.

‍

Before you know it, you will have streamlined your business processes and boosted your productivity, all the while working from home.

‍