Organizations need a strategy for long-term success that maximizes opportunity while mitigating risk. For many, user behavior analytics is a natural starting point. Thousands of companies integrated employee monitoring software to provide oversight for their newly remote teams, writes Isaac Kohen, Teramind.
In many ways, 2020 was defined by unavoidable disruption. A global health crisis, economic recession, and social unrest forced companies to reorient their operational capacity by embracing remote work and empowering employees to be productive from anywhere.
Now, these organizations need a strategy for long term success that maximizes opportunity while mitigating risk. For many, user behavior analytics is a natural starting point. Thousands of companies integrated employee monitoring software to provide oversight for their newly remote teams.
Now, leaders can harness data derived from these efforts to prevent risk in the year ahead. In doing so, human resources leaders can foster organizations that are secure, productive, and supported.
Cybersecurity Matters
The past several years have seen an incredible uptick in cybersecurity incidents, making it one of the most potent risks facing many organizations. Today, companies can expOpens a new window ect to spend nearly $4 million to recover from a data breach, a staggering sum that does not account for the less-quantifiable reputation damage that has far-reaching and sometimes more significant implications.
Of course, the massive Solar Winds breachOpens a new window impacting numerous organizations is a powerful reminder that companies will need to improve their defensive postures in the year ahead.
While defending against emerging external threats is critical, companies can significantly improve their cybersecurityOpens a new window efforts by leveraging behavior analytics to reduce common vulnerabilities. This includes:
- Insider threats. Especially in a remote-first environment, HR leaders need to ensure that accidental and malicious insiders cannot create a cybersecurity incident.
- Password procedures. Most people never update their passwords, a simple step that can prevent bad actors from accessing company data. Behavior analytics provides insights into this behavior, allowing HR executives to tune policies appropriately.
- Phishing scams. These malicious messages continue to be frustratingly prevalent. To avoid a significant cybersecurity incident, HR leaders need to know that their teams are ready to identify and defend against this risk.
To be sure, this isn’t an exhaustive list. Even so, it’s illustrative of the ways that companies can leverage behavior analytics to reduce cyber risk. In 2021, thriving companies will recognize that cybersecurity is a bottom-line priority that matters more than many people realize.
Productivity Metrics
Newly remote companies were rightly concerned about employee productivity. Would employees neglect working, choosing instead to indulge in distraction, and hours-long Netflix binges? The answer, we know now, is resounding “no.†People worked more than ever during the recent pandemic, extending their hours, increasing communicationOpens a new window , and engaging at unpredictable levels.
However, thriving companies are not built on activity alone. That is why HR leaders can harness behavior analytics to focus on outcomes, ensuring that teams are working toward clear objectives while offering flexibility whenever possible.
In the year ahead, companies need their teams to be at their best. Monitoring for outcomes allows leaders to track progress at every stage, promoting thriving companies by making sure that activity is meaningful.
Learn More: 4 Steps to Creating an Integrated Risk Assessment Model for Your Contingent Workforce Opens a new window
People as Priority
2020 was a uniquely challenging year for many people. Studies consistently show that employees are stressed, burned out, and exhausted. What’s more, many are looking for new work, hoping that a change of scenery will restore their minds, bodies, and spirits.
This is awful news for HR executives who are charged with fostering healthy teams. Therefore, many companies will need to update their commitments to renewing work/life balance.
Effectively deploying behavior analytics can keep these efforts on track. Specifically, they provide insight into:
- How long people work. Productivity and employee satisfaction plummets after a certain point. Setting and enforcing fair expectations can keep everyone on track.
- How late people communicate. Managers sending late-night emails, team members responding to Slack after hours, or isolated employees working on weekends will not renew exhausted teams.
- How well people perform. Nobody wants to be ineffective at their job. Putting people in the right place at the right time benefits everyone.
People are a company’s most valuable and least renewable resource. Making their wellness a company priority creates thriving teams and flourishing companies.
After a challenging year, 2021 poses many hurdles for companies looking to get back on track or forge ahead. Regardless of the goal, employee behavior analytics are key to forging a path to reach the desired destination. They allow companies to be more intentional, precise, and effective, making 2021 more consequential than its predecessor.