If you think these in-depth picks are a little much, there are alternatives. If your objective is to keep your employees off sites not related to their job, Web-blocking software will do the trick by blocking visits to gaming, shopping, or pornographic sites. By using this less intrusive Web-blocking software, you won't have to set aside time to go through reports, and your employees won't feel spied on. You may encounter some resistance at first when installing the software, but if you feel the need to monitor your employees, don't expect them to be dead set against it. The point is, there's a difference between monitoring and spying.
Quick tips Get trials.
Most vendors offer free downloadable month-long trials of their software. Give it a whirl before you shell out the cash. Make sure you have an e-mail and Internet policy that notes what kind of sites shouldn't be accessed and what the repercussions will be if Internet access is abused. Leave room for mistakes. It's easy to accidentally access the wrong site.