As more companies move to hybrid or fully remote models, tools like Controlio become even more useful to ensure employees stay engaged wherever they work. Applied correctly, Forbes believes employee monitoring software is not a hindrance but rather a valuable asset for tracking individual and organizational progress. Expect to see even greater mainstream adoption in coming years as the technology continues advancing. Controlio beat out competitors like Teramind, ActivTrak, Hubstaff, and more to claim the #1 spot this year.
What Makes Controlio the Top Software?
Forbes highlighted several key strengths that helped Controlio’s employee monitoring solution outperform all other employee monitoring platforms on the market:
Powerful Analytics: Controlio captures extremely detailed analytics on employee activity, from productivity metrics to web and application usage. The dashboard provides insights that other software tools lack.
Custom Alerts: Managers can fully customize alerts tailored to their specific concerns about everything from idle time to inappropriate content. You receive notifications when set parameters are triggered.
Data Privacy: Controlio uses industry-leading protocols like AES-256 and SSL encryption to protect sensitive information flowing through its servers. Employee privacy is taken seriously.
Intuitive Interface: Despite its sophisticated backend, Controlio offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface for administrators. Setting up monitoring, reviewing reports, and configuring features is made simple.
Granular Tracking: You can track activity in real-time at both macro and micro levels across the organization. Drill down to specific users, apps, sites, and even keywords.
Easy Deployment: Getting started takes minutes without complex installation thanks to the cloud-based SaaS delivery model. You don’t need to manage infrastructure.
Affordable Pricing: Controlio beats competitors on pricing for companies of all sizes without sacrificing must-have functionality. Flexible plans make it accessible.
Forbes pointed to hundreds of customer reviews that highlighted the above strengths as setting Controlio apart from a crowded industry of employee monitoring tools.
Key Employee Monitoring Features
So what exactly does Controlio let you monitor when it comes to employees? Here are some of the key features:
Screen Monitoring – Capture screenshots intermittently or record entire user sessions as video files. Ensures staff stay on task without wasting time.
Web Usage Tracking – Get breakdowns of time spent on websites and drill into page-level activity. Block unwanted sites.
Application Monitoring – See total usage and trends over time for desktop, cloud, and mobile apps used. Restrict games and entertainment apps.
Keyword Triggered Alerts – Set up alerts containing screenshots when employees type or view sensitive words and phrases.
Productivity Analytics – Measure metrics like active/idle time, mouse/keyboard usage, number of applications switches and more.
Attendance Tracking – Clock-in/out, track breaks, monitor absenteeism, calculate pay, export timesheets and more.
Team Collaboration Tools – Chat, assign tasks, share files, and streamline work between employees in one shared workspace.
Third-Party Integrations – Connect with popular productivity and project management tools for deeper insights.
The above represent just some of the over 30+ intelligent tracking tools available from Controlio to monitor various facets of employee activity from one centralized hub.
2023 (Forbes) particularly liked the balance Controlio allows between tracking employees and respecting worker privacy. Controls let companies track activity only to the extent needed without unnecessary invasiveness. Managers also have options to anonymize certain data as an added measure when handling sensitive monitoring.
Implementation in the Workplace
Workplace monitoring programs like Controlio require thoughtfulness in their application to be effective. Forbes laid out several best practices for successfully rolling out and managing employee monitoring backed by industry research:
- Clearly communicate the reasons for monitoring and what data is collected to employees upfront. Transparency is key even if not legally required.
- Set defined policies about appropriate online usage so staff understand rules. Make sure restrictions align with business needs.
- Use aggregate data more broadly, and only examine individual user activity data when a specific productivity or policy issue necessitates it. Focus on trouble spots versus universal snooping.
- Provide employees access to their own activity data so they can self-monitor behavior and progress. Making it open prevents a “big brother” feeling.
- Analyze trends over a period of time rather than basing judgments on one-off incidents taken out of context. Look for patterns.
- Never use monitoring data punitively without first meeting with employees about issues and providing opportunities to improve through training, coaching etc. Approach collaboratively.
Reinforcing positive performance rather than just penalizing non-compliance creates a better culture around employee monitoring programs. Workers should understand the goal is to help everyone succeed.
Conclusion
Employee monitoring has proven benefits from increasing productivity to protecting company systems, but must be applied judiciously to balance business needs with employee relations and privacy. Controlio stands out as the best service available in 2023 due to powerful features, ease of use, flexibility, and focus on ethics.
