Research Shows That: The Implications of Electronic Performance Monitoring

Electronic Performance Monitoring (EPM) is a rising trend, especially in our current remote work environment. But what is EPM? In essence, it's the use of technology to observe, record, and analyze data related to an employee's job performance. Real-life examples abound: nurses being monitored via GPS, manufacturing employees wearing RFID technologies to measure productivity, police officers recording their interactions with civilians using body cameras, and even Walmart's patented audio surveillance technology that tracks employee interactions as customers check out.

A comprehensive meta-analysis by Ravid, D. M., White, J. C., Tomczak, D. L., Miles A. F., & Behrend T. S. in 2022 provided some deep insights into EPM's effects on workers. Drawing from 94 independent samples (a total of 23,461 participants), the research revealed:

- Surprisingly, there's no evidence that EPM boosts worker performance.

- EPM is associated with increased stress and strain on employees, regardless of the monitoring style.

- However, organizations that implement EPM transparently and non-invasively can expect more positive feedback from their staff.

In conclusion, while technological advancements facilitate various methods of employee monitoring, it's crucial for organizations to reassess these practices. Not only do they lack clear evidence of improving performance, but they also negatively impact employee well-being. It might be time for businesses to rethink the true cost of EPM.

#informedecisions #employeeexperience

3 OUT OF THE 5 FASTEST GROWING JOBS IN THE US ARE HR RELATED

LinkedIn recently released it’s 2023 “Jobs on the rise” report, in which it recaps the 25 fastest growing jobs over the past five years, based on job title analysis.

3 out of the top 5 growing jobs are HR analytics manager (#2), DEI manager (#3), and Employee experience manager (#5).

These are very encouraging findings that demonstrate organizations’ understanding of the importance of making data-driven people decisions, making their workforce more inclusive and diverse, and engaging their employees in order to retain them and enhance performance.

For HR professionals which are either leading a team or a part of a team, it’s a good time to ask yourself:
Are these 3 components a part of our HR strategy?
Do we already have these positions/capabilities in our team?
Have we clearly defined metrics in each of these areas that we are working towards?