Thinking of tracking employee activity? You’re in good company. The vast majority of remote companies use some form of employee monitoring software.
However…
Not all methods are created equal.
Some help boost remote team productivity. Others erode trust. And often, it’s difficult to decipher the difference. So before you dive headfirst into a new solution, you need to carefully weigh your options.
That’s what this guide is for. We’ve explored five of the most common methods for monitoring remote employees — so you don’t have to. Keep reading to learn how companies are monitoring remote workers in 2025.
What is remote work monitoring?
Remote work monitoring is when companies use software to track activity among employees who work from home or other locations outside the office. Most monitoring methods rely on data collection to track, measure and analyze key metrics — such as when people work, what websites they visit and how long they spend on different tasks.
Solutions range from time tracking software to productivity measurement tools. If you’re wondering how companies monitor remote workers, here are the five most common methods:
- Remote workforce management software
- Time tracking tools
- Schedule adherence tracking
- Hybrid work monitoring
- Employee coaching and feedback
Each of these options helps managers maintain visibility into remote workforce engagement. However, while these tools provide valuable insights, companies must take steps to protect employee privacy when using them.
Advantages of monitoring remote employees
Using monitoring tools to track remote employee activity offers numerous benefits. Many companies use it to:
- Boost productivity: For example, monitoring makes it easy to see when it’s time to redistribute workloads or take steps to prevent burnout.
- Increase accountability: When employees know the organization’s monitoring their productivity, they’re more likely to avoid distractions in the workplace.
- Recognize achievements: Employee monitoring helps reduce the isolation remote workers often feel by providing real-time feedback to managers. This lets you know when it's time to recognize and praise hard work.
- Reduce security risks: Tracking activity lets you know when employees inadvertently engage in risky behaviors like unsecure filesharing.
- Ensure compliance: From social media use to location requirements, most remote teams must follow policies and guidelines. Monitoring activity lets you see if and when they don’t.
5 ways companies monitor remote employees
Once you understand the purpose of employee monitoring — think insight, not oversight — it’s time to find the right solution for your remote workforce. Let’s look at five of the most popular methods.
1. Remote workforce management software
One of the quickest, easiest ways to monitor remote employee productivity is with specialized tools. Productivity measurement software collects extensive data on team member performance — how employees spend their time, which apps they use and whether they’re more productive when working from home or at the office. Analyzing this data makes it easy to uncover patterns and address issues as they occur. It also allows you to see who excels in remote work environments and who needs more support.
2. Time tracking tools
Tracking employee time shows you how team members structure their days when they’re not at the office. This method involves tracking time spent on tasks and projects as well as meetings and distractions. The goal with this method is not to micromanage start and end times or breaks. Rather, it helps provide a sense of overall productivity. Managers then use these insights to help remote employees be as time efficient as possible.
3. Schedule adherence tracking
Another common approach is schedule adherence tracking. With this tactic, managers compare scheduled work hours to actual work hours. It’s most commonly used to monitor service-oriented teams such as customer support and IT help desks, where people rely on employees to be available at set times. However, it’s also a useful method when you want to keep teams aligned across geographic locations and time zones.
4. Hybrid work monitoring
Not all employees are fully remote. According to Gallup, 50% of remote-capable workers spend part of their workweeks at the office. For these teams, a specialized hybrid workforce monitoring strategy is essential. That means combining technology with human oversight. The first component is hybrid workforce management software to track employee productivity no matter where people work. The second involves using insights from that software to guide policies and performance evaluations.
5. Employee coaching and feedback
To complement monitoring efforts, many companies adopt coaching and feedback tools to facilitate ongoing communication and development. These platforms enable managers to provide real-time feedback and collaborate on personal goals. As part of a larger remote team monitoring program, they’re a great way to boost engagement and reduce turnover. When remote employees feel seen and heard, they’re more likely to bring their best to work.
Essential remote work monitoring features to watch for
While there’s no one right way to monitor employees when they’re working remotely, some features are more helpful than others. Essentials include:
- Productivity metrics: The ultimate goal of remote work monitoring is to boost productivity. But you can’t improve what you don’t measure. Focus on finding a solution with productivity metrics to guide data-driven decisions.
- Security alerts: Employee monitoring isn’t just about productivity. It’s also a reliable way to protect company data. This is especially important when employees work offsite on personal devices. Look for options to set up security alarms that alert you, in real-time, to potential security threats.
- Employee dashboards: If you use productivity measurement software, choose a solution that provides personal insights. This allows employees to track their own remote working habits and self-correct as needed.
- Privacy measures: For employee monitoring to be effective, you have to prioritize employee privacy. That means no intrusive data collection — no keystroke logging, camera access, video recording or email reading.
Start monitoring your remote team with ActivTrak
Finding the right tools for managing remote workers is the first step to building an engaged, productive team. For thousands of organizations, the answer lies in ActivTrak. Our award-winning software allows you to:
- Understand where and when team members are most productive
- Spot inefficiencies and issues that need immediate attention
- Compare how much time team members spend collaborating or focusing on individual tasks
- Identify risky behaviors so you can address remote work policies and compliance risks
Join the 9,500+ companies that trust ActivTrak to improve workforce productivity — contact our sales team today to get started.
