How Kazakhstani companies monitor remote employees

— 71% of companies do not believe that software can effectively control employees' working hours
— 78% of companies do not use special software to monitor employee work
— 86% of Kazakhstani companies do not operate remotely.

At the same time:
— 65% of companies believe that a virtual office could increase the efficiency of remote employees
— for 34% of companies, the main indicator of employee work efficiency is the number of hours worked
— for 33% of companies, the main indicator of employee work efficiency is the quality of completed tasks.

Other findings from the study:
— 77% of companies believe that remote employees work the same number of hours as in the office
— 60% of companies do not believe that regular video meetings with remote workers help increase company efficiency
— 57% of companies hold online meetings with colleagues several times a month
— 83% of companies do not make unexpected video calls to colleagues for monitoring purposes
— 42% of Kazakhstani companies do not use any methods to monitor remote employees
— 66% of companies do not believe that employees working from home are overworking.

Sarmantai Kasenov, Director of the online-service “Bitrix24” in Kazakhstan

The pandemic is subsiding, and most Kazakhstani companies have returned to their offices. Today, business operates offline.

The survey showed that monitoring tools have taken a back seat. Top management does not believe in the effectiveness of spying—employees are under significant psychological pressure and stress.

Instead, entrepreneurs prefer to track work productivity using online tools. The main criteria are the number of hours worked and the quality of completed tasks. This indicates a balanced approach to processes within companies.

It is also worth noting that Kazakhstan has huge potential for business digitalization. Online services allow organizations to choose a convenient work mode—remote, hybrid, or office—without being tied to offline operations.

The full version of the survey:

1. Does your company currently operate in remote mode?

a) Yes — 14%  

b) No — 86%

Conclusion: 86% of Kazakhstani companies do not operate remotely. 

2. Do you believe that remote employees spend less time working than in the office?

a) I believe — 23%
b) I do not believe — 77%

Conclusion: 77% of companies believe that remote employees work the same number of hours as in the office.   

3. Do you believe that regular video meetings with remote workers help increase company efficiency?

a) I believe — 40%
b) I do not believe — 60%

Conclusion: 60% of companies do not believe that regular video meetings with remote workers help increase company efficiency. 

4. How often do you hold online meetings with colleagues?

a) Several times a month — 57%

b) Several times a week — 11%

c) Daily — 26%

d) Several times a day — 6%

Conclusion: 57% of companies hold online meetings with colleagues several times a month. 

5. Do you make unexpected video calls to colleagues for monitoring purposes?

a) Yes — 17%

b) No — 83%

Conclusion: 83% of companies do not make unexpected video calls to colleagues for monitoring purposes.  

6. Does your company use special software to monitor employee work?

a) Uses — 22%
b) Does not use — 78%

Conclusion: 78% of companies do not use special software to monitor employee work.  

7. Do you believe that software can effectively control employees' working hours?

a) I believe — 29%
b) I do not believe — 71%

Conclusion: 71% of companies do not believe that software can effectively control employees' working hours. 

8. What is the optimal way for you to monitor remote employees?

a) None of the above — 42% 

b) Desktop screenshots — 27%

c) Call recording — 9%

d) Mouse movement and keyboard click analysis — 7%

e) Webcam surveillance — 7%

f) Auto-dialing — 6%

g) GPS tracker — 2%

Conclusion: 42% of Kazakhstani companies do not use any methods to monitor remote employees. 

9. Do you believe that employees working from home are most likely to overwork due to distractions?

a) I believe — 34%
b) I do not believe — 66%

Conclusion: 66% of companies do not believe that employees working from home are overworking due to distractions. 

10. What is the main indicator of employee work efficiency?

a) Time spent at work (number of hours worked) — 34% 

b) Quality of task completion — 33%

c) Adherence to task deadlines — 20%

d) Engagement in the work process — 13%

Conclusion: For 34% and 33% of companies, the main indicator of employee work efficiency is the number of hours worked and the quality of task completion. 

11. Which tool could increase the efficiency of your colleagues in remote work?

a) Virtual office — 65%

b) Video calls and chats — 23%

c) CRM — 7%

d) Time trackers (software for tracking working hours) — 5%

Conclusion: 65% of Kazakhstani companies believe that a virtual office could increase the efficiency of remote employees. 

* The study was conducted online by the “Bitrix24” service in Kazakhstan from 5 to 9 September 2022 among 1000 respondents.