On a work computer in the US, usually yes. Most states allow employers to monitor company devices and accounts. A few, such as New York, Connecticut and Delaware, require them to tell you first. Monitoring tools can see active time, apps, websites, keystrokes and screenshots. What none of them can see is whether your submittal answered the order. For a recruiter, that is the thing the job is actually judged on. This post is not legal advice. Check your state and your firm's policy.
What the law generally says
Company-owned devices and company accounts can generally be monitored. Some states require written notice. Notice is good practice everywhere. Personal devices and personal accounts are a different matter. Recording in private places is restricted. Your firm's handbook should say what is monitored. If it does not, ask.
What monitoring tools can see
- Which apps and websites were open, and for how long.
- Mouse and keyboard activity, often turned into an "activity score."
- Screenshots at intervals.
- Sometimes keystrokes and messages on company systems.
- Time logged in and idle time.
What they still cannot tell
Whether the submittal you sent at 2 p.m. matched the job order. Whether the candidate you confirmed will show up Monday. Whether the client you emailed will send the next order. The tools measure the screen. The job happens in the work.
A recruiter with a 100 percent activity score and three rejected submittals had a worse day than one with a 60 percent score and a placement that stuck. Any manager who looks at the work knows which one they want.
For recruiters: what to ask your firm
- What is monitored, and is it in writing?
- What am I judged on? If the answer is activity scores, ask whether first-submittal acceptance and placements that stick count too.
- Can I see what you see? Firms that monitor fairly show you your own data.
For owners: what monitoring costs you
Good recruiters do not stay on desks where the screen is watched and the work is not. It signals that nobody can tell good work from busy work. If the reason for monitoring is "how else do I know they're working?", the answer is: look at the submittals. Checked against the order, before they go out, every one.
Where M-Tracker fits
M-Tracker takes no screenshots, logs no keystrokes and scores no activity. It reads the work against the written order before the manager or client sees it: the submittal, the confirmation, the report. Then it says in plain words what matches and what is missing. The manager knows the work is right. The recruiter's screen is their own.
Try M-Tracker free14-day trial. No credit card. No employee surveillance.
Questions people ask
Can my boss watch my personal phone?
Generally not, unless it is on company systems or you agreed to a policy that covers it. Keep work on work devices.
Can I be fired for low activity scores?
In at-will states, employers can fire for most reasons. Whether they should judge recruiters on activity is another question, and most good firms do not.
Does monitoring improve productivity?
Studies disagree, and recruiters who feel watched tend to leave. Output measures, like placements that stick, are harder to game and easier to be proud of.
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
Copyright © 2020 – 2026 M-Tracker. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy