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Does tracking employees make them more productive? It depends on their motivations
- New technology has brought increased surveillance and monitoring of employees in the workplace raising concerns over worker performance and feelings of being treated like cogs in a machine. Employers should weigh up the pros and cons of employee monitoring systems. While such measures can reduce the amount of non-work activity in which employees engage, excessive scrutiny can impact creativity, risk-taking and experimentation, according to workplace experts from RMIT University.
- Woolworths has come under fire for having unrealistic expectations of worker productivity, requiring pickers to reach 100% efficiency via a coaching programme if they fall short. University of Turin's Elisa Giacosa compiled a systematic literature review of the impact of digital surveillance on employees, finding that while the evidence is mixed, some workers responded positively. Employers must therefore consider ways to create more psychologically safe workplaces, build employees' sense of autonomy and motivation, and think creatively about ways to innovate.
- A Slack survey of desk workers found that more than 25% report feeling that they are not trusted by their employers, with such employees twice as likely to look for work elsewhere as those who feel that they are trusted.
- Psychological discomfort and a feeling of being constantly under scrutiny can lead to poor employee experience.
- Despite the lack of any reliable evidence, companies continue to apply digital surveillance techniques that can ultimately damage worker performance. By increasing involvement in work activities, monitoring tools could bring a risk of stifled creativity and employee burnout.
- Fear and dissatisfaction stemming from too much scrutiny can lead to a workforce that is disgruntled, under-performing, and less productive. It is crucial that employers recognise their employee needs as individuals if they want to motivate them to perform to their highest ability.
- Companies need to tread carefully when deploying surveillance technologies that attempt to maximise output at the expense of employees' autonomy and creativity. To maximise the motivation of employees, they need to foster trust and safety within their workforces.
- The use of technological solutions, while often exacerbating a feeling of being monitored, must be part of a larger effort to create a workplace culture that is more supportive of employees' needs.
- Creating a psychologically safe environment in the workplace creates a sense of belonging which is integral to employee engagement. Such an environment motivates employees to invest in the company culture and become more productive due to the fulfillment they receive from the company culture and its values.
- Companies need to consider and implement alternative and balanced ways of managing the engagement of their employees by fostering a conducive environment that is responsive to the needs of its workers without introducing techniques that leads to over-monitoring and micromanagement.
- To improve employee performance and wellbeing, companies need to foster creativity and innovation by creating an environment that is conducive to experimentation without fear of negative consequences.
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