Large and small businesses are continuing to embrace the remote work culture. Thanks to technological innovation, employees have the flexibility and ability to get the same job done wherever in the world they are.
Working remotely is not just about having a fast Internet connection. It also requires the right team, the right leadership, and most importantly, the communication between them.
So the challenge is, how do you manage the engagement and performance of someone who is not in the same workspace as you? It ultimately requires a variety of online tools that help track your team’s progress. Doing everything manually is mind-numbingly impossible.
Here are the top 6 remote work management and team collaboration software that your business should consider to boost productivity and communication.
Online Tools to Manage Remote Employees
1. Asana
Asana is an easy to use task management tool that allows you to document your tasks and achievements daily. Remote leaders shouldn’t be left guessing or assuming on how their team is doing. So, Asana allows the managers to keep an eye on the big picture to know what is happening daily.
Using different boards and workflows such as the classic ‘ To-do,’ ‘Doing,’ and ‘Done,’ team members gain visibility and can track the progress of projects in real-time. Team members can also create tasks and assign them to specific team members.
This tool saves you the hassle of replying to never-ending e-mail threads. It also compensates for the need for daily check-in meetings.
2. Slack
Slack offers a solution to communication difficulties for teams that manage remote employees. The platform blends personal and professional conversations in a less formal environment.
Via instant messaging, you can have real-time one-to-one chats, group chats, and even break off into multiple channels for different purposes such as general, random, marketing, engineering, etc. These channels foster a better bond amongst colleagues.
Additionally, your conversations can be organized in threads. Your messages won’t get in the way of the main topic and projects. So, everything will be able to move swiftly.
Slack even offers apps for iOS and Andriod so that you can access information from literally anywhere. On top of that, you will receive notifications whenever someone mentions you in a comment.
It’s as close as you’ll get to a virtual office.
3. 1Password
Thanks to 1Password, you won’t have to memorize passwords to numerous accounts. You also won’t have to share passwords of these collaborative sites insecurely via chat or e-mail.
All you need to do is share the master password to your team’s 1password account, and all the employees (whether remote or not) will be able to login with just one click without fail.
1Password records your username and password. It will also keep all of your login information and private documents 100% secure and confidential.
This tool is affordable, secure, and easy to use.
4. Dropbox
Sharing large files over e-mail simply doesn’t work. Dropbox is a virtual storage system that allows you to easily sync data as well as share and collaborate on projects from any device regardless of the physical location.
Whether its a PowerPoint or a PhotoShop file, it works wonders when you need to submit projects remotely. The platform offers reliable, safe, and fast access with robust administrative controls. So, you can protect your organization and system inside out.
5. Google Drive
Google Drive is a much better alternative to Microsoft Office if you manage remote employees. It is a cloud storage platform where you can store all your files, documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in a secure and centralized location.
Google Drive files and documents can be synced across devices, and anyone in the team can create, upload, and share them with other team members.
Google Drive comes with its own set of powerful office tools, and you can track edits made by team members in real-time. You can also read comments and tag people in them.
With Google Drive, we would also recommend using Google Hangouts. The collaborative and easy to use interface can accommodate up to 15 people for a free group video call with each of them having the ability to share their screens and/or files. Perfect for teams scattered across the globe.
6. Zoom
Zoom is a high-quality video conference platform. It can host up to 100 participants (amazing, I know) in a video call. So, it’s perfect for virtual meetings, webinars, conferences, and voice sharing. It’s almost like a live event!
It’s precisely what you need to keep communication alive in a remote setting. You can record your sessions for future replays, and you can even share screens. It’s easy to set up, manage, and use.
The tools listed above serve different purposes, but they are each important to maximize productivity and establish a collaborative workflow if you manage remote employees. No matter what your business is, the above list has the potential to take your remote team to the next level.
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