Worker Monitoring, Motivation, and Productivity

Remote hiring and work has the potential to expand the set of labor market opportunities across geographies, and disproportionately benefit workers traditionally underemployed in their local labor markets (such as those in remote areas, or those preferring flexible work arrangements). However, which practices optimize worker productivity and well-being in remote work is less studied. In this paper, we focus on one management practice frequently and increasingly employed by remote work employers: digital input monitoring. Software that monitors digital activity can help managers better identify shirking and, thus, may make riskier hiring (including hiring less familiar worker types) more feasible, but may also reduce worker motivation and well-being. Our pilot will test the impacts of digital monitoring on worker performance and job satisfaction among remote workers from India and Bangladesh.