People are working remotely now more than ever before. Flexible working was already on the rise before the pandemic hit, but COVID-19 has caused companies in all industries to shift to remote work where possible. So if you’re making a move to flexible or remote working, you’re not alone, and there’s never been a better time to do it.
There are now so many different tools for remote teams, all designed to make the transition as smooth as possible for businesses and employees alike. The remote working tools you use can play an important role in how well your workforce adapts to this new style of working.
The right tools for remote teams will make your life easier — they won’t plague you with technological troubles or limited features. They’ll allow you to stay connected with your team, make remote collaboration as easy as a walk in the park, and they’ll give you valuable insights into employee performance.
1: Slack: The Best Tool for Staying in Touch
The key to a successful remote team is communication, and Slack is one of the best tools for helping remote teams stay connected.
Offering the ability to message colleagues in different channels, Slack makes it easy to communicate important information to a specific group of people — such as those working on a certain project or task or those from a specific department.
You can also share files, direct message individuals, and quickly audio or video call colleagues from within Slack.
Another great feature is the ability to update your status. Your team members can use their status to communicate whether or not they’re available to talk, what they’re working on, or if they’re taking a break. This makes it possible for team members to close the virtual office door so they can put their head down and focus on work or fling it open to welcome discussion and collaboration.
2: Zoom: Your Virtual Conference Room
While Slack is a great tool for facilitating daily communication, Zoom is the best remote tool for holding team meetings. This video conferencing software makes it possible for your whole team (up to 100 people) to get together for meetings.
With Zoom’s gallery view option, you can see up to 49 team members’ faces at any one time. This makes your remote workforce feel more like a close-knit team, with everyone’s happy faces in view. It really is like stepping into a virtual conference room.
In the office, meetings often involve presenting materials or going through PowerPoint presentations, and Zoom has made that possible in video conferences too. Participants can share their screens during meetings to demonstrate ideas and present information in a visual way.
3: Google Drive: Store, Organize and Collaborate on Files
From company policies to documents containing completed work to spreadsheets detailing important information, most companies will have hundreds of files that employees may need to access.
For remote teams, in particular, being able to access, store, and collaborate on files without difficulty is hugely important. Employees may work different schedules, especially if you have team members in different time zones. So they need to be able to access files any time, from any location.
Google Drive makes it possible to store all of your company’s files in cloud storage. You can then control access to whole folders or individual files by granting individuals, groups of employees, or your entire team permission to view or edit.
Google Drive integrates seamlessly with other G-Suite applications such as Google Docs and Google Sheets, making collaboration easier than ever. Multiple team members can edit files at any one time, and it’s easy to add comments and feedback to a colleague’s work.
4: World Time Buddy: Remote Working Software for Global Teams
If your team is spread out around the world, organizing meetings can be a challenge. But it’s a challenge that World Time Buddy solves for you.
You can add the locations of team members, and the application will find times when time zones overlap so that no employees are invited to 3 am meetings.
5: Handdy Timesheets: The Best Remote Working Software for Monitoring Productivity
Often, business owners’ biggest concern when embracing flexible working is that they won’t be able to keep an eye on employee productivity. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
There is remote working software designed specifically for monitoring productivity — Handdy Timesheets.
With this software, you can track how many hours each day and week employees are working, and you can see how productive they are throughout the day. Handdy Timesheets come with valuable features like keystroke monitoring, screenshot capture, and URL and application tracking. You can see visual proof of employee activity and get insights into how they’re spending their day.
This software solution works with or without internet, and it can be installed on any PC, so you’ll always be able to keep track of how employees are working.
As well as giving you insight into employee productivity and time management, Handdy Timesheets can help you boost your team’s productivity. With employees aware that their activity is monitored, they’re more likely to strive for higher levels of productivity and performance.
Handdy Timesheets is one of the best tools for remote teams, helping you make sure your workforce is just as productive (if not more!) when working remotely as when they’re in the office. You can try this software for free or gain premium access for as little as $1 per month!
