What Your Boss Can TRACK About YOU with Microsoft Teams
Education
Introduction
Many of us now work remotely, utilizing tools like Microsoft Teams to stay connected and productive. Have you ever pondered what your boss can actually track about your working day? For instance, how many hours you actively spend working? In this article, we’ll delve into the types of information accessible to your administrator through Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Accessing Microsoft 365 Admin Center
To understand the tracking capabilities, one can log into the Microsoft 365 admin center. Within this central hub, admins have access to a wealth of reporting tools and analytics.
Navigating Teams Admin Center
Teams has its own dedicated admin center, which can be accessed easily. To explore the different reports available, navigate to the "Analytics and Reports" section. Here are some notable reports:
Apps Usage: A report highlighting the usage of different applications within Teams over the last 30 days. While it shows total active users for each app (both Microsoft and third-party), it does not specify which user utilized each application.
Call Reports: If your company has calling plans, admins can monitor the number of minutes users spend on calls as well as associated costs.
Device Usage: Information on what devices (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, etc.) users are employing to access Teams.
Teams User Activity
When running the Teams user activity report, admins gain insight into individual contributions within Teams, including:
Message Activity: It shows total messages sent, replies, urgent messages, reactions, mentions, and organized meetings per user.
Meeting and Call History: By selecting a specific member, an admin can view details such as the number of meetings attended, calls made, call durations, and participants involved.
Broader Microsoft 365 Reporting
While Teams reports focus on user activity, other Microsoft 365 reports can provide a comprehensive insight into overall productivity patterns.
Productivity Score: This report reflects organizational scores but does not provide individual user specifics.
Usage Reports: These reports show how employees are utilizing Microsoft 365 services, including active user counts per service. While these reports can give a general idea of productivity, they do not detail which users are involved.
Additionally, there is an organizational overview that reveals which services your organization is utilizing, but personalized insights are limited. However, last activity timestamps can be shown for individual users across various applications, including email, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams.
Conclusion
As a manager working with remote teams, focusing on assigning clear tasks and objectives, such as utilizing tools like Planner, can foster accountability and productivity without micromanaging or stressing over individual working hours.
If you're curious about how to maximize task management with Planner, check out our recommended video for a complete introduction.
We hope you found this article useful. Remember, maintaining transparency and fostering a culture of trust and accountability in remote work is essential.
Keywords
- Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft 365 admin center
- Apps usage
- Call reports
- Device usage
- Teams user activity
- Productivity score
- Usage reports
FAQ
Q1: What types of reports can managers access in Microsoft Teams?
A1: Managers can access reports on apps usage, call minutes, device usage, and user activity within Teams.
Q2: Can managers see individual user activity in Microsoft Teams?
A2: Yes, managers can view detailed reports about individual user activity, including messages sent, meetings attended, and call histories.
Q3: Is productivity tracking limited to Teams?
A3: While Teams offers detailed tracking, the Microsoft 365 admin center includes broader reporting on other services without individual user specifics.
Q4: How can managers effectively assign tasks to remote teams?
A4: Utilizing tools like Planner to assign tasks and objectives is more effective than micromanaging individual working hours.
