The modern work environment has become as ubiquitous and essential as the smartphone has become in our daily lives, with employee surveillance ranging from electronic time tracking to email monitoring.
In 2018, Gartner conducted a study that indicated that 22% of organizations worldwide monitor employee movement data. It is evident that employers do so for the following reasons: they wish to monitor productivity and prevent both insider and outsider security concerns.
However, there is a novel form of surveillance that is currently in development, which extends beyond the mere observation of individuals who are neglecting their responsibilities and violating protocol. a system that guarantees to assist and even anticipate employees who are experiencing feelings of overwhelm.
Monitoring the conduct of employees
The purported potential of behavioral analytics, one of the numerous subfields of people analytics, is to identify exhaustion and, in the end, to enhance the health and well-being of employees in the workplace.
The data collection tools can be as basic as a wristband or an electronic badge; wearable devices that can detect speech patterns, sleep quality, and vital signs..
“In a recent study on employee monitoring, Saryu Nayyar, CEO of global security analytics firm Gurucul, said that companies can detect when employees’ behaviors violate individual “norms” and can identify when individuals may be acting in a manner that suggests they are overworked by utilizing behavioral analytics.”
The results of Nayyar’s team’s investigation into the public’s perception of workplace monitoring tools indicate that 62% of respondents are unconcerned about working for employers who actively monitor their employees.
According to the discovery, employees are now beginning to embrace the concept of workplace surveillance, even if it entails enabling tools to access their most intimate information, such as their pulse rate or their insomnia history.
Smartphone psychiatry
An intersection of emerging technology and I/O psychology is represented by behavioral analytics. Apps that are intended to anticipate episodes of melancholy, anxiety, and angst by “reading” specific signals are the result of the integration of artificial intelligence.
In addition to wearable devices that gather behavioral clues, smartphone usage may also provide a multitude of information regarding an individual’s mental and emotional well-being.
A movement known as “smartphone psychiatry” is gradually gathering traction in the United States. Among its advocates is Dr. Thomas Insel, who previously served as the director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
To date, Dr. Insel has examined approximately one thousand smartphone “biomarkers” for depression. Anything from an individual’s typing pace to their word choice may offer insight into their mental state.
These tools are currently being examined by researchers for their ability to identify physical, mental, and emotional tension and exhaustion.
According to Pooja Chandrashekar of Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the most effective health and wellness tech solutions are characterized by their most basic features. Chandrashekar conducted research on mental health apps for smartphones.
The most effective alternatives, according to Chandrashekar, provide self-monitoring capabilities on a straightforward interface and generate substantial user engagement through gamified interactions and utilization reminders.
It is claimed that these behavioral prompts encourage increased utilization, which in turn enables individuals to maintain their health and wellness regimen.