Monitoring remote employees: implications for HR

Abstract

Purpose

More and more organizations have resorted to the employment of monitoring software to keep track of employees’ everyday performance and task completion. The current paper aims to outline the capabilities, pros and cons of monitoring for employees. Several recommendations for Human Resources (HR) professionals are outlined to inform best practice.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper summarizes recent literature and trends on electronic monitoring aimed at remote workers, focusing specifically on trends observed in the UK and the USA.

Findings

The number of pros and cons, as well as the resulting recommendations for HR professionals, outline how technology may aid – but also undermine – performance.

Originality/value

The summary of capabilities, pros and cons represents a snapshot of current monitoring practices. The recommendations will give readers an overview of all the aspects and factors that ought to be considered when monitoring software and related tools are selected.

Citation

Jeske, D. (2021), "Monitoring remote employees: implications for HR", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 42-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-10-2020-0089