A pandemic has shaken the world. Although the biggest changes occurred in transportation and medicine, every industry had to adapt. Many employees changed the location of their work, by making the office their home. While this is certainly very convenient, many business owners have had trouble tracking the work of their staff. In this article, you will find our ranking of employee monitoring software.
Why do you need computer monitoring software?
The answer is not as obvious as you may think. Under the standard system, salary is based on the number of hours worked, which may motivate some to cheat. Staff tackers, however, may be required by law. In the EU, every employer must keep time records in order to pay their staff based on those records, and there are very high fines for lack of documentation. The U.S. administration also demands it.
Many companies are eager to use employee monitor software as it makes its operation easier. Internal messenger, cloud integration or screen sharing are just some very useful features. Even if these tools cost some money, managers treat it as an investment.
Should I buy it immediately after starting a company?
When you start a business, you need money for many purposes. A logo design, a website, tools to work with, help from lawyers and taxes. Is buying tracking software on that list? No, it’s not necessary. If you can't afford this expense, which is understandable, your employees can be paid according to performed tasks.
If you are a freelancer, it is even simpler. All you need is an Excel, a watch and a little attention! Programs make work easier, but all the time they can easily be replaced by using old methods.
How does the attendance tracker work?
Staff trackers happen to be very different. The simplest form is, of course, an Excel table, but as you can easily guess, this will not always be sufficient.
- Simple trackers offer the function of counting time, calculating total hours worked and organizing tasks. It's really a combination of a timetable, clock, and calendar. If you are a freelancer, you should be satisfied with just a basic staff tracker.
- More advanced computer monitoring software often includes a cost calculator, communicator, tools for creating work reports and saves data in the cloud. These are dedicated utilities for large companies that employ hundreds of people.
Which employees should use monitoring software?
There are workers whose salaries are based on the amount of work they do. It's easy to assess the performance of a programmer, proofreader or accountant, but what about jobs like virtual assistant or teacher? They are the ones who need trackers the most. Still, even those employees who are held accountable for the results of their work should use monitoring software, as it typically improves the management of their work.
Is employee monitor software ethical?
Some people say that employee control is bad. This is not true! Every company exists to make a profit for the owner. Employees have to do their jobs, even if it's tiring, because that's what they get their salaries for. However, it is important not to confuse control with bullying, which is definitely bad. This is precisely the difficulty of the profession of manager.
List of monitoring programs
It's time to list our suggestions. There are a lot of tools for employee control and their choice is not easy, however, maybe which of these programs will turn out to be perfect? Most of them are really cheap and offer a free trial period, so don't hesitate to experiment.
Connecteam
Connecteam is available on multiple platforms, including iOS and Android. You can create payroll with it, there are many customization options, and it's free if you employ fewer than 10 people. Unfortunately, above that number, Connecteam comes with a fee-a plan for 30 people costs $29 per month. Many employers may be satisfied with GPS tracking. Connecteam gives the impression of being dedicated to larger companies.
Harvest
Harvest also runs on most of platforms, like iOS, Mac and Windows. Unlike the previous ones, it is mainly aimed at companies that hire freelancers. The built-in invoice management feature is sure to make work easier, and the report creator and timetables are sure to speed up project organization.
How about pricing? Harvest is unfortunately pretty expensive. It costs $12 per month per employee, and the free plan is only valid for one person and 2 projects.
Toggl Track
Toggl is a very friendly staff tracker for small businesses. It is cross-platform, intuitive, and very easy to use. Toggl includes most of the features from Harvest and Connecteam, yet is very well priced, as it is free for teams of up to 5 people. Higher plans start at $10 per month per person. Unfortunately, some features are difficult to use, and there is no invoicing in it. This is probably the best attendance tracker for small businesses.
Clockify
Clockify is dedicated to freelancers. It combines the functions of a time tracker and a project management tool. You can program an hourly rate, use the built-in calendar and note your project expenses. Clockify is fairly cheap. It starts at $3.99 per month per person. The only drawbacks are the lack of a free plan and no cloud storage.
We hope you found our guide about employee monitoring software useful. If you liked it, be sure to read our other articles on business, such as the one on startup loans and Lean Canvas. See you on our blog!
