Managing a remote team is a bigger task than starting a business itself and I can say that from my personal experience. I started as a solopreneur but later had to hire a remote team to take the business to the next level. After hiring the team a question popped up in my mind how to know if remote employees are working or not?
The question is obvious because it’s easy to do time theft when you are working remotely and no one is looking at you. I have done a lot of research on this topic and found an answer which I would like to share with everyone out there who wanted to check if their remote employees are working or not. So without wasting any time, let’s begin.
Table Of Contents
- How To Know If Remote Employees Are Working?
- How To Ensure Remote Workers Are Working?
- Final Verdict
- FAQs
How To Know If Remote Employees Are Working?
If your employees are indulging in time theft and not working properly then you can notice the following signs.
1. The Work Is Not Completed On Time
If you notice that some of your remote employees are not submitting the work in due time then it means that they might not be working from home. If they miss the deadline one or two times then you can overlook it but if it happens frequently then you should take some action.
2. Low Productivity
A low performance or dropped productivity is also a sign that your remote employees are not working from home. If an employee is taking more time than they should take to complete a task then it means that they might be wasting their time on other unimportant stuff such as browsing the internet, scrolling social media feeds, playing games, etc.
3. They Don’t Reply On Time
If you run a remote team then you must be keeping in contact with them on Skype, email, or through any other medium. In case, you notice that your employees are not responding to your text or calls on time then it is a sign that they are not working.
4. You Get Lots Of Complaints About Them
If you keep hearing negative talks about the same employee from their remote coworkers then it means that they are not working from home.
How To Ensure Remote Workers Are Working?
If you see any of the above-mentioned signs in any of your remote employees then you must make sure that your remote employees are working from home.
1. Track Their Work Time With Time Tracking Tools
A time tracking tool can help you track whether your employees are timely submitting the assignments or not. If your remote employee is not working in a timely manner then you can know about it with the help of employee productivity tools. My Hours, Timely, and Harvest are some of the good options you can explore.
2. Make Use Of Employee Monitoring Software
While spying on employee outside of work is illegal, you have all the rights to monitor your employee’s during office hours. With the help of employee tracking software, you can keep a close eye on all the activities employees perform on their devices. This includes reading their emails, monitoring their browsing history, and much more.
pcTattletale and MoniVisor are some of the best employee monitoring software that I have used so far. If you want to monitor your employee’s activity on their PC as well as a phone then you can pick pcTattletale.
3. Virtual Daily Standup
At the end of each day, you can do a virtual daily stand-up meeting with your employees using video conferencing software. This will allow you to know if the work is completed on time or not or if some employees are indulging in time theft.
4. Performance Incentives
Providing performance-based incentives is a great way to ensure that employees are working from home. You can do a performance review of each employee at the end of each month and reward the deserving employees accordingly.
5. Set KPIs
You should set key performance indicators and let your remote employees know your expectations from them in advance. It is helpful in managing a remote team and ensuring that everyone is working effectively.
Final Verdict
Having a remote team can give you the freedom that you cannot get with a regular office setting. However, managing a remote team is not that easy, especially if some of your remote employees are not working from home.
To make sure that your employees are working from home, you can make use of special employee management tools such as timekeeping apps, project management software, and employee monitoring programs. These tools will enhance the productivity of your remote employees and make sure your business runs smoothly.
FAQs
Can Employer Monitor Employees Working From Home?
Yes, an employer can monitor their employees during office hours even if they are working from home.
How Do Employers Track Work From Home?
Employers can track work from home employees using time tracking and employee monitoring software.
Is It Legal To Monitor Your Employees?
Yes, you can monitor your employees during work hours but you should let them know about it.
