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MonitUp
Learn how time tracking with screenshots can help improve employee productivity and identify areas for improvement. Try MonitUp for free with our 7-day trial and streamline your employee monitoring
monitup.com
It is definitely important.
It is also important though, that for a company adopting your product is the best way to lose employees and fail in hiring.
I agree with the second part but not the first.
Employees are paid for productivity, not hours spent not watching youtube.
Hours are not a measure of output.
Hey Jonathan,
Of course, these types of tools cannot give you a 100% accurate result. However, it can give you ideas, data and create awareness.
Lol, Indie Hackers doesn't disappoint.
I knew the comments would be a shit show.
Google, Facebook etc. they watches us and knows a lot about us but we still use them :)
Companies have to make money, they have to work efficiently. Otherwise, they cannot continue.
This is a awful idea, I'm sorry.
You may make some money, but just a bad business tool to adopt anywhere
I respect opinions.
We had a similar idea. We even started to implement it, but then we gave up. (
All the employees we interviewed were strongly against such monitoring. They said it was a sign of disrespect for them and that they would rather change jobs than agree to it. Considering that we interviewed mostly IT specialists, it is really often not a problem for them to change jobs. Employers were more tolerant, but expressed doubts about a possible breach of privacy law (in the country we live in, this is very significant) and that the best workers would not go to them if they were "spying" on them.
Maybe in your country the situation is different. I will follow your success!)
Hey Alena,
Admittedly, this job is really tough. Keeping data about people and keeping it safe is a big responsibility.
We have sold MonitUp to 11 different countries, different demands and requests come from every different country and culture.
We focus on efficiency and want to increase the efficiency of companies. Especially companies in countries with bad economy have to work efficiently.
Thank you for your good wishes.
I think the idea is good, but it's more suited for past years.
Nowadays, times have changed, and value and time are not necessarily connected.
It's possible to create a lot of value in less time. As you said, as a business, your goal is to MAKE MONEY through value creation, rather than by consuming employee time.
Therefore, what matters is not what your employees are doing, but how much value they create 🤷♂️
Edit: In just one day, you have received a lot of comments. This indicates that you have created a type of content that generates engagement or reactions, in this case, "controversial content". Use this insight wisely and you can leverage it to catalyze other projects as well 😉
Hey Ernesto,
You're absolutely right, but MonitUp caters to many different industries.
For example Call Centers. Call center workers work from home and have to answer their phones when they ring, they have to be at the computer.
Managing such large teams can be really difficult.
I've worked in Call Centers and your comments it's absolutely true.
BUT I've seen people attending calls (explaining payment details, for example) while they play video games at work.
Are there creating value or not?
In any case, if you've validated your market and you know that there is a need for some tool like yours, go on!
We aren't your clients, and the #1 premise is to listen to your client.
Your comments are really valuable to me, you may not be my direct client, but you may be my client indirectly. The company you work for can use MonitUp, so we also care about your thoughts, what you want or don't want.
I think it's okay if the employee playing the video game is also doing their job well. Can continue playing the video game. But some bosses, CEOs, HR managers like control. People with personalities who love control prefer this type of product.
This is an instant NO for me.
one screen always has Spotify or Youtube playing for me. That does not mean i am not productive.
if you don't trust your employees, you should not have hired them in first place.
Also this creates timing mentality. People should not be paid for the time they spent with code editors open.
Screenshots & computer activity also don't capture time spent with pen and paper, white-boards, or staring blankly while in deep thought about the task at hand.
I wouldn't want to work at a place with that level of monitoring. It reminds me of a company that installed cameras almost right in front of every employee in order to monitor them. Such a level of distrust, which stemmed from the boss' own untrustworthiness.
This is absolutely true, MonitUp cannot give you a 100% result. The fact that the computer screen is on and the employee is looking at the screen does not mean that something is going through his mind about work. Maybe he's just looking!
However, MonitUp can give you ideas, data and create awareness. You can foresee a problem and take action. If there is a problem, you can understand correctly. You can be sure there is a problem.
strongly agree.
Hey Prakash,
People will of course listen to music on Spotify, watch something on Youtube. It is very important that especially the developers work with motivation. If they motivation are bad, the work to be done in 1 hour may take days.
The main purpose of these tools is not to monitor all employees one by one. To be able to detect a problem beforehand, to be sure if there is a problem or to know its source.
Nobody can work efficiently for 8 hours like a machine without stopping. People should do something to clear their minds.
did i understand the product wrong? from your page that is what i inferred.
"However, it is important to note that employers have a legal right to monitor employee activities on company-owned devices. "
MonitUp is like a car, you can buy the car and go do something bad or go do something good.
If the admin using MonitUp examines the data with the intention of increasing efficiency, it does something useful. If an employee wants to look for vulnerabilities the admin does something bad.
I did the opposite. I created https://LazyWork.xyz which helps employees hide from intrusive software like this and mimics human activity.
Haha that's a great idea, I really like it. I'll call it Anti MonitUp :)
I think you should post your product on Reddit, people out there will love it.
I had a boss that would be super happy to get his hands on this.
Luckily I no longer work for him, nor would I ever work for an institution that judges me
on my input instead of output.
Best of luck!
Hey Mihap,
Bosses like to check :)
I think the main problem here is: The boss takes a lot of risk, works hard and takes most of the profits.
The employee, on the other hand, does not take risks, works during working hours and earns a very small portion of the earnings.
And the employee can never be as committed to the work as the boss.
I think that a model in which employees own shares will lead to a more productive working environment.
Oh God, that sounds dreadful! As someone working for a work time tracking software company, I can confidently say that invasive monitoring was never on our radar. We're currently developing a facial recognition feature to streamline time tracking (no need to remember clocking in or out upon entering the building), but even that was meticulously scrutinized for privacy and data safety concerns. I recently penned an article on time tracking in 2023, which I'll share here: https://unrubble.com/Blog/time-to-break-the-clock--how-to-buck-antitrends-and-track-work-time-in-2023. The first point on my list? Micromanagement is a dead-end street. I mean, who has the time for that anyway? Let's focus on boosting productivity, optimizing processes, and automating repetitive tasks instead of breathing down the necks of those working in challenging and thankless roles like call centers.
Great post! Time tracking with screenshots can be a powerful tool for enhancing employee productivity, and it's great to see the benefits outlined here. At Reblo-Services, we believe that document integrity is another important factor in the success of any company. Our platform provides a secure and tamper-proof way to verify the accuracy of important documents, all powered by blockchain technology. By combining the power of time tracking with screenshots and document integrity, companies can ensure that their employees are productive and their documents are secure. We'd love to explore how Reblo-Services can help your company achieve these goals.
This kind of tool will not end up on the computers of engineers or data analyst... they will end up on computers of those for whom work is already hard and stressful and who are afraid to lose it, and who will not even have the possibility to relieve their anxiety by watching a youtube video, no they will have a new source of anxiety instead. Build a better world, don't perpetuate the worst.
Hey Alceste,
I can understand their concerns.
MonitUp is like a car, you sell a car and the person who buys the car can do something good or do something bad with that car...
The manager, who examines the reports, should examine the data with the intention of "how to work more efficiently" by protecting the rights of the company and the employee.
Of course, people working at the computer will listen to music, research and read something to distract their mind, shop, etc. We are humans, not machines. In order to work efficiently, we must first clear our minds and be motivated.
You can't ignore the fact that selling a bazooka to a terrorist will end badly?
A good business manager builds trust and makes his employees feel good so they can be productive. A bad manager will probably buy your tool because he didn't hire his employees well and doesn't pay them enough.
That will cause psychological damage, and sorry to say but you will have contributed.
Great article! The benefits of time tracking with screenshots are indeed significant in enhancing employee productivity and performance. I appreciate the emphasis on identifying areas of improvement and providing constructive feedback to employees based on the data obtained through this method.
I'm also been focused on improving my productivity because I'm doing a Twitter challenge where i build a startup in 8 days (in public) and one of the biggest things I've had to learn is to manage my time.
As an employee, if I knew my employer was doing this then I would quit.
As a (future) employer, I wouldn't use this.
I'm not your target market though. I know there are plenty of employers who already do this type of thing.
Hey Tyler,
This is a beautiful perspective, great work is done with great teams. Great teams must trust each other.
However, in some cultures, some companies and their employees do not trust each other.
This business has a huge market in the world.
This is actually an excellent idea.
Employees are already so lazy in the office.
They won't suddenly become bastions of productivity and self-motivation at home -- fat chance!
In fact, on forums, you see employees sharing tips on how to appear active, even though they're off playing video games or doing chores or what have you.
Hey Jay,
I'm glad you like MonitUp.
MonitUp has a long way to go, we want to make it a more useful tool. We want it to be fair practice that protects the rights of employers and employees.
I'm genuinely curious, how did you come up with this idea, and what inspired you to develop it further?
Hey Jan,
Before Covid 19, I developed an application that measured the productivity of injection machines and operators working in the factory at the company I worked for, and I saw how important it is to measure productivity.
With the pandemic, people started working from their homes and I wondered how I could measure and increase the productivity of people working at home.
Firms in countries with bad economies have to measure and increase their productivity. Otherwise, their business will not be sustainable.
You have a Ferrari car, you can go at 218 mph in this car, but you can only go at 150 mph and the worst thing is you don't know how fast you are going. We are your speedometer :)
Have you received positive feedback from your customers or noticed an increase in productivity among remote teams using this tool? I personally believe that there are other ways of ensuring productivity in a remote work environment that are less intrusive and promote trust.
Couple years ago I got a job offer from 2 companies around some time. During our last interview with the job A, the founder asked me how comfortable I am with installing a time tracker on my device.
That question made my decision process hella easier. Insta-reject job A :)
Hey Emre,
You made the right decision :) People should work where they will be happy.
The feeling of tracking makes people uncomfortable, and they're right.
Crowded and remote teams can sometimes be difficult to manage. Sometimes companies may need such tools.
Although the idea is interesting, it is not currently effective. Nonetheless, there is still a necessity to keep tabs on remote employees. I have observed reputable companies notifying their staff that they will be taking screenshots while they are on the clock. This is because employees tend to utilize their work laptops for personal activities like using WhatsApp, conducting online banking, and other applications that may capture screenshots randomly, depending on the frequency set per hour
Hey Aurpay,
Employees should do their private work from the company computer during the day. This shouldn't be a problem for companies.
Employees will be more productive if they empty their minds and focus on work.
These types of applications are more preferred to detect malicious employees, employees who harm the company. Especially companies where their employees work remotely show more interest.
It's a cool idea, but currently not effective. However, there is still a need to monitor employees who work remotely. I have seen good companies inform their employees that during work hours, they will be taking screenshots. This is because people use their laptops for personal activities such as Whatsapp, banking, and other apps, which may take screenshots randomly at any time depending on the number of screenshots taken per hour.
Hey Bucky,
Employees should do their private work from the company computer during the day. This shouldn't be a problem for companies.
Employees will be more productive if they empty their minds and focus on work.
These types of applications are more preferred to detect malicious employees, employees who harm the company. Especially companies where their employees work remotely show more interest.
agree with your point!
My first reaction is also, that I wouldn't take it, but in that way I am privileged and can choose. I would be interested to know where and what type of companies and why they would need a product like this? Is there a niche?
I can tell you how we came up with this idea. It happened during the pandemic when many companies were forced to move their teams to remote work. However, many managers were not skilled in managing remote teams, which led to trust issues. Managers constantly felt that their employees were not working effectively, not as efficiently as in the office, and were deceiving them. This product is primarily aimed at such managers to ease their anxiety. But then we thought, if they can't properly organize processes under these conditions, it's a result of their incompetence. Let them learn instead of terrorizing the "peaceful population" )))
Hey Julius,
In some cultures, people trust each other less. In some companies, things move very slowly. Some employees want to quit and do not express it, and they hardly work during working hours.