The rise of telecommuting and remote work policies has been accelerated by the needs of travelers, prompting businesses and companies worldwide to adopt smart and practical tools to facilitate work while on the move. Adapting to this new way of working has been swift, driven by the necessity of the situation. While some individuals may initially struggle with this transition, it has become evident over time that not only has employee performance and productivity significantly improved, but companies are also realizing substantial cost savings in areas such as office space, supplies, and utilities.
Nevertheless, the primary challenge remains managing insubordinate employees who exhibit obstreperous behavior while working remotely and meeting goals and deadlines. To address this challenge and enhance collaborative efforts, it's essential to leverage various digital collaboration tools. Thus, maximizing the benefits of these tools while traveling is crucial for maintaining productivity and achieving project objectives.
10 Essential Tools to Manage a Remote Team While Working
We have handpicked tools based on their utility. They will cover communication, team collaboration, time management, file sharing, taking important notes, and so on. Let’s explore!
- Slack.
- GoToMeeting.
- Asana.
- Google Meet.
- Dropbox.
- Basecamp.
- Timely.
- Google Drive.
- Buffer.
- Hackpad.
Slack
For quick and simple communication, consider Slack a necessity while working remotely. Since you can no longer pop on your teammate’s desk and give instruction or ask a question, you need a replacement for those quick interactions. That’s where Slack comes handy!
You have the liberty to set it up on your phone, desktop, or tablet. You can send direct chats to your team members. It also allows you to create channels for team collaboration. The tool comes with handy features and you can snooze your notification when you need focus.
Fast, customizable, adaptable, and easy to use!
GoToMeeting
You also need a replacement for those quick in-person meetings. For that, GoToMeeting is a reliable meeting tool. This online meeting tool is feature-rich and comes loaded with value-added extras.
Collaboration is made easy with audio and video meetings. GoToMeeting can launch video conferencing sessions right on your browser. You can also use it as an app on any of your devices.
Asana
A straightforward, cloud-based communicative tool that saves you from the hassle of skimming through convoluted and endless email threads! Asana allows you to manage tasks conveniently. It also supports features like project archives, conversation tracking, and so on.
Asana is a powerful software for project management. You can keep your business projects and team assignments organized. If you have a small team and a small business setup, Asana is a handy fix for you.
The tool is free for up to 15 people and you can still manage unlimited tasks and projects. It also offers team conversations and file upload functionality.
Google Meet
Encountering problems with the design, content, or project delivery will occur in telecommuting as it used to in the office. Therefore, an effective video chat tool is vital to resolve these issues.
Face-to-face meetings are a staple of the office environment. But working remotely doesn’t mean it cannot happen. There are projects, tasks, deadlines, and issues, which can only be discussed in a face-to-face meeting. Therefore, Google Meet is here to save the day!
The market is swamped with video-chat tools such as Zoom, Skype, and so on. But Google Meet, previously known as Google Hangouts Meet, stands out because it is free and allows a whopping number of participants simultaneously.
Moreover, the said tool connects to your Google Calendar directly. Since video conferencing tools are in high demand, Google has managed to improve the said platform impressively.
Dropbox
It can be a hassle to share large files via email. And since your team is managing all the work from home, there will be a good number of files to share. Therefore, you need a proper file-sharing tool like Dropbox to collaborate and sync files.
Dropbox will allow you to organize your work effectively especially if you work with remote teams and freelancers. They will submit projects effortlessly to Dropbox. Also, a good number of users can access files and folders.
Basecamp
When multiple teams are involved, you need an effective collaborative tool to track projects. Basecamp is just the right pick to share ideas, set up tasks, discuss projects, and check off completed tasks. The assignments are structured and the ability to search through them is quite useful.
You get to build nest assignment, large projects, and extensive goals with this tool. You can also hand off the assignments to the designated team members. Keeping track of the state of the projects is also easy.
Timely
Time tracking and time management are pivotal for the success of your projects and meeting your goals according to the set timelines. With Timely, you can use a time tracking method in order to keep tabs on how different employees are spending their time.
For managers, it is particularly beneficial to get to know an average day for their employees look like. It can also help to boost employee productivity. You can monitor the time the workers take to complete their tasks.
If this tool runs in the background of all your employees’ systems, you will be able to maintain a handy digital log of all the projects. You can also set completion goals and prioritize projects. Timely comes with a professional plan where you can manage all your team members.
Google Drive
According to a report, an average worker makes around eight searches to find the right info and documents to complete a task. The said process can become more frustrating when it comes to remote workers. Because they can’t just go to your managers’ desk to ask anything and have to rely on written instructions.
To avoid the hassle of identifying a document or a file, a tool like Google Drive is a convenient fix. It helps you create files and facilitates collaboration in real-time. You can add comments, see other team members’ edits, and work simultaneously on the same document.
It is free to use and all you need is a valid Gmail account. The number of collaborators is unlimited.
Buffer
Marketing is a prime need of every business. While working remotely, varied schedules can delay your marketing efforts. to stay on top of your content marketing game, a tool like Buffer is a great way to schedule your posts in advance and set times of when to post them.
Hackpad
You need to take notes during all those audio and video meetings. Hackpad lets you do that. Pretty often, you have creative ideas amid brainstorming sessions. Note those down on Hackpad and give access to your team to share, comment, and collaborate effectively.
To conclude, all these tools are highly effective and facilitate your remote working process immensely. And they are relevant to all different businesses and work setups, for instance, IT staffing companies, digital marketing setups, and so on.
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