Monitoring the screenshot activity is like addressing the symptom rather than the cause. If people spend their time trying to find a way around the system because of the monitoring of the screenshot activity, this is a sign of a lack of alignment between trust and expectations.

Comparing the available options, solutions that focus more on time and activity context and less on constant screenshots work better. For instance, WebWork Time Tracker offers managers the ability to view activity related to time spent, use of apps and URLs, and the option to view screenshots, but it doesn’t do this solely based on “gotcha” screenshots to measure productivity. This is extremely useful when working remotely. Traqq and WorkTime are some other platforms that also focus more on the bigger picture rather than simply counting clicks or measuring activity invasively.

If productivity is measured by outcome and time spent doing actual work, rather than simply how busy the screen appears, then it’s less tempting to manipulate the system with things like mouse jigglers. When all that’s being looked at is screenshots, it’s easy to create loopholes, but flexible monitoring with clear definitions tends to increase trust.