The demand for employee surveillance software has significantly increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Searches for staff monitoring software rose by 75% in March 2020 compared to the previous year’s average, indicating a rising trend. The shift to hybrid work during the pandemic has led to a lack of trust from leaders, with 85% of them struggling to believe that their employees are productive, according to a Microsoft survey. Startups in the work monitoring software industry have benefited from this trend, with Erudit, a company that uses AI to track workforce statistics, recently raising $10 million in funding.
Erudit, like other workplace surveillance platforms, connects to existing apps such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom to measure the organization’s performance. By collecting and analyzing data through AI algorithms, Erudit generates scores on metrics like alignment, autonomy, engagement, and satisfaction. The company claims to provide real-time insights into employee productivity without disrupting workflow or relying on biased survey data. However, concerns about potential mistakes, misinterpretations, and privacy violations arise when software reads and analyzes private messages. A survey conducted by ExpressVPN in 2021 found that a majority of employees feel stressed and anxious about their communications being monitored, perceiving it as a violation of trust.
Apart from privacy concerns, there are concerns about the possibility of discriminatory AI models. It is crucial to consider how people from different backgrounds and cultures express themselves through text, as many AI models do not account for this, potentially leading to discrimination. Additionally, there are questions about how Erudit handles momentary lapses in judgment, such as impulsive messages that are later deleted. The platform’s potential implications also raise concerns about unjust punishment or bias in decision-making based on the data provided by Erudit.
Although Erudit justifies its platform as a tool that can be used for both good and bad purposes, employees may still fear how their managers will interpret and act on the data provided by the platform. There is uncertainty about whether teams deemed insufficiently engaged or aligned will be unfairly penalized and how managers with consistently low satisfaction levels will be treated. Despite these concerns, Erudit claims to have found success in securing customers, with dozens of businesses currently using its platform. The company plans to expand its team, particularly in customer support, customer success, and sales, reflecting its belief that it plays a crucial role at the intersection of people, business intelligence, and AI.