Hybrid working has become a norm in modern organizations, and with it, the need to monitor employees is also increasing. Many feature-rich remote employee monitoring software have come into the market to cater to the rising demand. These are not only beneficial for employers in keeping track of employee activities but also assist them in securing data.
With these, you can identify the workflow bottlenecks and potentially boost your overall organizational performance. However, selecting the best remote employee monitoring software that aligns with the business needs is also important. Don’t worry; the guide provides the top ten options, so choose one that fits your needs best.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Why Remote Employee Monitoring is Essential
In the current work scenario, especially remote, employers can struggle to track employees’ performance to ensure they’re working at their full potential. Luckily, many remote monitoring software are available, and using them is essential for the following reasons:
- Data Security: Keeping a tab on employee activities ensures they comply with the privacy regulations and don’t misuse the data.
- Productivity: Monitoring employees helps ensure they are working towards achieving organizational goals and not spending time on personal activities or sitting idle.
- Accountability: Remote workers must be held accountable for their work, and monitoring lets them do that and communicate issues and progress.
- Engagement: This software can help identify top-performing and struggling employees, boosting productivity and engagement.
- Insider Threats: You can ensure to stay safe against insider threats, which can come from contractors, employees, or cybercriminals.
Part 2: Best 10 Remote Employee Monitoring Software
Nowadays, employee monitoring isn’t about tracking employees' actions but ensuring they only access the authorized tools and software. It helps minimize data breaches within the systems and keep your data safe. Here’s a list of the top ten remote employee monitoring software:
1. FamiGuard Monisen
Amongst the best employee monitoring software, FamiGuard Monisen stands out as a comprehensive solution crafted to cater to unique business requirements. An extensive suite of stealth and real-time monitoring tools like screen monitoring, social media monitoring, email monitoring, and others provides the employer with unparalleled tracking capabilities.
A detailed employee productivity report can help employers boost staff productivity, improve employee satisfaction, and make better decisions. It also entails an anti-spyware and malware checker to detect and remove threats and potentially protect sensitive data.
FamiGuard Monisen is more suitable for teams, parents and small business. Because it has a relatively reasonable price, and that kinds of customisation and finer-grained control features that large businesses require don't really apply to small groups, spending extra money on features that aren't practical is less necessary.
An Array of Amazing Features
- Monitor remote workers: Once the target computer connects Internet, the data will sync to dashboard.
- Screen monitoring: FamiGuard Monisen can help to automatically record screens and employer or parents can view Live screen anytime.
- Keylogger for Windows: Capture keystrokes in different languages, and get control what they type every work time.
2. SentryPC
SentryPC is another remote employee monitoring software with plenty of use cases, from blocking websites to conducting investigations and enhancing productivity. Log into the software through any internet-connected device (laptop, smartphone, tablet, or others) to monitor and change settings.
The best part is its multi-device monitoring capability. You can view logs and manage the settings of unlimited devices. This is beneficial in large organizations where a single IT personnel needs to monitor, manage, and repair hundreds of devices within the infrastructure.
Alternatively, you can set an “idle timeout” period on your account, whereby you’re logged out automatically if the account sits idle for a specified number of minutes. There’s also a two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
3.Veriato
Veriato, similar to the top recommendations, lets you monitor everything an employee is doing on their computer. You can monitor chat, email, app, and website usage, idle and active time tracking, and take automatic screenshots in invisible mode. Based on it, it creates reports for you to track unique productivity metrics of respective employees.
That’s not it. Veriato provides insights into how happy and committed employees are to their work. It uses AI to detect changes in sentiment through written documentation, such as emails and provides flagging alerts to the admin. These changing sentiments are often the early signs of job dissatisfaction and disengagement, which is crucial to determine, considering the competitiveness of the job market.
While Veriato can take screenshots, it doesn’t offer the capability to record a screen. And there’s no iOS mobile app available.
4. InterGuard
InterGuard makes it into the list of the best employee monitoring software for multiple reasons: packed with monitoring capabilities, review tools, preset reports, remote access, and cross-platform compatibility.
For security reasons, it highlights vulnerabilities such as user activity alerts and risky keywords and helps companies recover lost or deleted files. It also lets you lock a device if it’s stolen and provides its accurate location for easy tracking.
Despite all the good things InterGuard has to offer, its primary drawback is that the platform has a bit steep learning curve. Although it’s perfectly navigable once you learn it, finding the right tools at first can be a pain, and people with short attention spans might find it frustrating.
5. Teramind
Teramind is another remote employee productivity monitoring software that employers can use to identify workflow bottlenecks, increase team performance, detect and block malicious data, and monitor the endpoints. Unlike Veriato, it can collect screen recordings aside from capturing screenshots and logging keystrokes to monitor human processes and build compliance burden of proof.
Besides, employers will appreciate its quick setup process and its intuitive interface. Teramind requires you to set ground rules early and lets the admin stay visible or invisible to an employee with just a flip in the settings. It departs from apps like Veriato, where the admin is always invisible.
Teramind seems to be a decent monitoring software, but it’s designed solely for servers and desktops and doesn’t let you monitor employees’ cell phones. However, an admin can use their mobile device to monitor any computer with the software installed.
6. Insightful
Insightful is a unique monitoring software focusing more on productivity trends across teams, projects, or organizations than on individuals. For example, its video recording feature lets you check the project status rather than monitor an employee throughout a workday.
Other than that, it entails invoicing and budgeting features that let you track the overall costs of a project. You can further click on an employee's name to access a report that details their income and productivity status over a period. Finally, you can download these reports for payroll purposes.
However, unlike InterGuard, it doesn’t provide the ability to delete data from lost or stolen remote computers. You cannot track a lost device with the software installed. Besides, there is no mobile app, so you must be on a computer to monitor your activities.
7. Clockify
Clockify, similar to most apps, has features like monitoring an employee's idle and active time and how much time they spend on an app. It, however, has a few bonuses like creating a staff work schedule, tracking work hours, checking everyone’s availability, allocating tasks accordingly, and controlling overall budgets.
Besides, it logs individual employee time entries, which provides valuable insight into their productivity habits. You can export the reports created from the logged-in data every working week and customize the data you want to include.
Despite the good things Clockify offers, there are some potential drawbacks. Many users complained about the synchronization issues on Android and that the app can be glitchy when the internet connection is weak.
8. Monitask
If you’re looking for an intuitive and feature-rich remote employee productivity monitoring software, then Monitask is worth a shot. With features like real-time employee monitoring, keyboard logging, productivity analysis, and task management, businesses can track and manage their teams effectively. Its easy-to-use interface allows managers to boost productivity, streamline their remote workforce, and gain valuable insights about the teams.
But, compatibility with other tools and software can be limited. So, you can’t access any project, cost, or other data stored on any other software and generate reports accordingly.
9. Hubstaff
Where many apps focus on the security aspect of employee monitoring, the focus here is productivity. Hubstaff has many helpful features, such as time tracking, online timesheets, scheduled tracking, and detailed reporting.
The Timesheets feature encompasses billing, tracking, and payroll features, which one can access on their mobile application. This way, managers know which employees are due for their salary payments and can monitor the budget and staffing levels.
Other than that, it entails a GPS feature that allows you to track the fleet assets by the number of hours they are driven and lets you easily manage multiple projects and staff across various locations. Keeping a tab on the workflow is also made easy with the availability of integrations with project management, budgeting, and other tools.
However, it lacks advanced tracking features, and the generated reports don’t provide a detailed insight into employee productivity.
10. iMonitorSoft
Lastly, iMonitorSoft can be a helpful software that lets an admin monitor up to 1000 computers from a single server. It lets you monitor a host of activities such as clipboard activities, document activities (such as copying, pasting, deleting, renaming, etc.), screenshots taken, emails, printing, websites and apps visited, etc. In short, you have a complete detail of employee’s activities throughout their working hours.
That’s not it. Its additional features include monitoring employee activities on up to ten different remote systems at a time and providing alerts for any specific activities. For example, you’ll get alerts if employees switch to social media platforms or connect any removable storage to watch videos.
However, it lacks security features. Like the top apps like FamiGuard Monisen, SentryPC, and others, it lacks antivirus software. So, it won’t provide any alerts even if malware or ransomware enters the server.
Part 3: How to Choose Remote Employee Monitoring Software
Remote monitoring software benefits a business irrespective of size, but selecting the right one is essential. Consider the following to choose the best one:
- Features: Remote monitoring software entails plenty of features, from basic tracking features like taking screenshots and determining idle time to advanced ones like budgeting, GPS tracking, and others. Understand which aligns with your goals and select the best software for your needs.
- Usability: You don’t want to spend much time learning the features and usage, so select one with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
- Type of Reporting: Not everyone wants detailed analytics based on every bit of data it collects, and a simple dashboard might suffice. Based on your business size, determine the type of reporting you need.
- Budget: Prices of the software vary, so determine your budget and select one that provides value for money within the range.
Part 4: How to Implement FamiGuard Monisen for Your Business
Using FamiGuard Monisen in your business is a strategic move to enhance productivity and ensure a secure work environment. Start by assessing your company's specific monitoring needs, such as tracking internet usage, safeguarding sensitive data, or monitoring employee productivity. Once you've identified your goals, you can install the FamiGuard Monisen software across all relevant devices in your organization. The setup process is straightforward. By integrating FamiGuard Monisen, you create a more controlled and efficient work environment that benefits both the company and its employees.
How to Set Up FamiGuard Monisen?
Step 1: You need to Create/Sign in your FamiGuard account and pick the suitable subscription plan to unlock all FamiGuard Monisen features.
Step 2: You need to physically access the target computer and acess https://ms.famiguardapp.com into any browser to download the software.
Step 3: Follow the package guide to install the software and finish the configuration. To make FamiGuard Monisen run successfully, adding Monisen to anti-virus software is necessary. Here are the steps,
3.1 Make sure that where is the Monisen installed: C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Assistant App. The full file name is: Monisen.exe
3.2 You need to paste the full file installation path or temporarily allow viewing of hidden folders in Windows File Explorer, and manually select the folders from inside the antivirus app. Add the MS folder under the installation path or the given complete file name to whitelist, depending on the requirements of different antivirus software.
Please check the official instructions for configuring the Exception list for specific antivirus programs.
Step 4: This is an optional choice for a better monitoring on websites, and it is simple to make it. Open your Chrome browser > Extensions > Turn on Developer mode. Click Load unpacked then go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Assistant App\MS\extension and selet moni-chrome-extension folder.
Step 5: After successfully verfity, FamiGuard Monisen will hide itself, and you can monitor the target Windows from the online dashboard now.
Please be aware that the first sync may take some time, and no data uploads when the target computer is idle.
FAQs about Remote Employee Monitoring Software
1. What is remote employee monitoring software, and why is it important?
Remote employee monitoring software is a tool that allows employers to keep track of remote employees' activities during work hours. It can help boost productivity and improve security by helping employers find bottlenecks and allocate resources efficiently.
2. How does FamiGuard Monisen improve remote employee productivity?
FamiGuard Monisen tracks your employees' activities and sends alerts if they are working on other activities or sitting idle. It also helps you determine whether employees are satisfied and engaged. With a detailed report, you can take proper initiatives and allocate resources to boost overall productivity.
3. Are there any free options for remote employee monitoring software?
A few free remote employee monitoring software options include DeskTime Lite, Teramind, Hubstaff, and Kickidler.
4. How does FamiGuard Monisen compare to other monitoring tools?
FamiGuard Monisen is a comprehensive software with rich features for monitoring, ensuring security, obtaining detailed reports, and more, but it is much more affordable.
Conclusion
Remote employee monitoring softwareis crucial in overseeing and optimizing remote work environments. The options provided in the article entail enough features to track employee performance, keep data safe, and enhance overall productivity.
Among these, FamiGuard Monisen stands out as one of the most comprehensive and feature-rich remote employee monitoring software. Its ability to monitor every aspect of an employee’s work, secure data, and provide detailed reporting lets employers effectively manage their teams.
By Tata Davis
professional in software and app technology, skilled in blogging on internet
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