The only thing more surprising than the sheer amount of employee information one can get from their access card, is the fact that so few know of this. Access cards, ID badges, and proximity cards today are far more than just thin slivers of plastic or PVC that gives you access to the office.
Certain analytics, or specific data that points to specific facts, can actually be derived from the information on an employee's access card. This data, recorded by the existing ID system of a company, can actually answer a lot of questions regarding an employee's behavior, habits, and even unknown activities while at work.
Employee habits
Access cards that record an employee's entry and exit can reveal quite a few bit about that employee. An example would be how long an employee spends in a particular area of the office, such as the smoking lounge or pantry. Multiple visits to the smoking lounge or the pantry could mean that the employee is highly stressed and takes it out by smoking or eating a lot, assuming that this is not a habit they had already displayed early on.
Frequented areas
Frequented areas in the office could also reveal more about an employee than just bad habits. An employee who frequents the supply room could be a wasteful employee, not caring enough to conserve or maximize on the supplies already issued to them. Their proximity card could also indicate if they have a tendency to spend a lot of time in other departments, which could later be checked as being justified or otherwise.
True diligence
Being diligent and efficient at work is more than just getting to work on time and accomplishing what needs to be done. Being diligent necessarily means that one can accomplish what is needed of them within the acceptable time frame. In many instances, employees would like nothing more than to clock in additional hours of overtime, if only to earn a bit more on their paycheck. Management should really take a closer look at cases where an employee tends to stay at work longer, whether they charge it to overtime or not. Staying longer at work would automatically add to the office power consumption, not to mention the fact that unless security is really tight, there is always the opportunity for theft or corporate espionage.
Employee time management
An employee's ability to manage his or her time well, or inability to do so, can also be seen by the data related to their access cards. An employee who is seen to be away longer than they are in their own office cannot be expected to finish what is needed of them, unless being away from their office is the nature of their work. Staying in the office, however, is also not a guarantee that one can finish all that is expected of them. A good example of great time management in this instance is when an employee comes to work on time, logs in the appropriate hours and is recorded to be where the employee is supposed to be during those hours, and turns in satisfactory or better work on or ahead of schedule.
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