Before 2019, if you told someone that you were working remotely, it wasn’t even considered a real job. The concept of working remotely outside of the office was almost unknown and not accepted. However, the ongoing pandemic has forced companies around the world to switch to remote working overnight, which has been quite difficult.

For many companies this was something completely new. Still, the transition was easy as remote working, while rare, was already a successful work module for some companies that have mastered virtual management through online apps and tools.

Fast forward to 2021, where even multi-billion dollar companies like Apple and Microsoft have switched to a hybrid work model and proven that employees can be productive outside of the office with the help of some accessible and easy-to-use apps and software.

We currently have hundreds of remote working tools available to us, but how do you know which one is right for your business? Some of the critical factors to consider when searching online

Easy access

The most important thing when choosing an online team management tool is accessibility. Every employee should be able to access the software from anywhere in the world. Fortunately, thanks to Software as a Service (SaaS) models, most remote work applications are cloud-based and easy to download. In addition, most of these apps are also available on mobile phones.

effectiveness

Before investing in a remote working tool, understand why you need one. What purpose will it serve – communication or monitoring or projects? Employees will only find a tool useful if it effectively supports their work.

User friendly design

While not everyone in your office is a technical professional, everyone must be fluent in these online management tools to use them effectively. So, you need to choose software that is easy for everyone to become comfortable with and that doesn’t require too much training to get used to.

costs

It goes without saying that money is a key decision-making factor, especially with small businesses and start-ups. So it’s worth investing in software that will improve the quality of your remote work, but it’s also important to make sure it doesn’t burn a big hole in your pocket.

Managing employees is not an easy task, especially in a remote setup, whether in a large company or a small business. Therefore, with a suitable communication system between employees and a way to monitor the status of each project, you can keep track of things better. There will also be better transparency between you and your co-workers and more accountability.

If you take the time to research and select the tools to improve working conditions for you and your employees from home, you will be more productive and an overall positive work environment even in a remote setup.

Depending on your work style, strategies, and level of reliance on your company’s online tools, we’ve broken down the best tools available into different categories to make your search easier.

For project management

A stable project management system helps to save time when sending follow-up emails, to maintain transparency and to keep everyone involved in the project up to date during the entire duration of the project.

Wrike

Wrike is an easily accessible project management tool that lets you streamline your projects, adjust workflows, set schedules and deadlines, and prioritize tasks based on importance. They have both free and paid plans that offer different services. Their plans start at $ 9.90 per month.

Proofhub

Proofhub is used by management who want everything to be processed in one software. They enable smooth communication within teams and also with customers. Other features include online editing, proofreading, chat to provide feedback, and centralized project management from anywhere in the world. They have a free trial to try the app and plans starting at $ 89.

Instagant

It’s a powerful, intuitive, and very visual management tool that you can use to plan, schedule, and monitor the progress of your projects. Instagantt lets you create subtasks, custom templates for individual projects, and a way to acknowledge milestones and other notifications.

If your business relies heavily on meeting deadlines on time, you will find this tool very effective. They have a seven-day trial and plans that start for just $ 5 a month.

For team communication

Relaxed

Slack is becoming the most preferred communication tool for businesses because of its convenience and ease of use. Slack allows you to create different channels for different teams and offers one-on-one chat options to avoid unnecessary messaging of messages.

Slack can also be integrated with third-party software like Salesforce Chatter and Google Drive, making it easier to access files. They have a free plan that is good enough, but you can also go for their premium plans, which start at $ 5 per month.

Krisp

Krisp is a powerful communication tool that helps eliminate background noise during meetings and calls to avoid distractions. This helps ensure that communication is clear on both sides and saves time troubleshooting communication errors that employees encounter during meetings.

If your business relies heavily on spoken communication between team members, this is the perfect tool for you. They have a free plan and paid premium plans that start at $ 3 per month.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a handy communication tool that lets you send messages and hold video conferences, including group calls and one-on-one chats. It’s a great way to ensure your team is connected at all times. Microsoft Teams is free software and also available with premium features such as Microsoft Office from $ 9.99 per month.

Zooming

One platform that likely became the most popular during the ongoing pandemic is Zoom. In March 2020, Zoom was seeing over 200 million meeting attendees daily, and the number has grown in the later months. It’s great software, especially for large teams, as it enables video conferencing with up to 1,000 participants, making it ideal for webinars and company-wide meetings. Additionally, the fact that it is a free and efficient tool makes it such a success with businesses.

For sharing documents

Google Drive

Google Drive has been around for many years and has proven to be highly efficient software for sharing documents, photos, and videos. Your data retention policies are very secure and you don’t have to worry about the security of your information. You also have complete control over who can access and make changes to your documents. Drive is free up to 15GB, and various plans start at $ 8 to expand your storage.

Dropbox

Dropbox lets you centralize content, making team collaboration easier than ever. You can also save files and share them with your team later, which makes working remotely more convenient. Free trial plans are available, and premium plans start at $ 20 per month.

Microsoft One drive

Microsoft One Drive is handy for remote teams as it is easily accessible from any device, whether it’s a PC, cell phone or tablet. You can also download files and access them offline. Additionally, they have premium plans with 1TB of storage starting at $ 9.99 per month.

For time management

Time camp

TimeCamp helps synchronize teams and projects and keep them up to date on what phase of the project each team member is in, saving managers time dealing with each individual employee. For teams that rely on time sheets for each individual project, TimeCamp is a very resourceful tool. Your career plans start at $ 10 a month.

Switch

It’s an easy-to-use remote team tool with real-time tracking so you can see what individual employees are working on and make sure they stay productive. Toggl is compatible with all systems, and their premium plans start at $ 20 per month.

Time doctor

Time Doctor is time tracking software used for productivity management, project management, time tracking, and more. Companies large and small use it to ensure maximum efficiency and productivity for all team members and to make them more responsible for their daily activities. It can generate weekly and monthly time reports and generate pay slips accordingly.

For planning meetings

10to8

10to8 is a brilliant remote working tool that allows you to schedule all of your appointments online and run your business smoothly from a remote setup. This handy tool makes sharing updates, ideas and other project-related information a breeze. It also enables you to communicate with customers and easily plan bookings and appointments. They have a premium plan that can hold up to 100 appointments per month from $ 9.

For app integration and collaboration

Zapier

This digital software allows you to connect multiple apps to seamlessly integrate apps and automate tasks. Connected to over 2,000 tools, they help automate everyday tasks and save business owners time and personnel. It’s easy-to-use software with a sophisticated dashboard that allows you to keep track of different projects at the same time. They have both free and paid plans starting at $ 19.99 per month.

Running a remote team doesn’t have to be an intimidating or time-consuming task.

The optimal use of the technologies and online tools available to us can help an office to work more efficiently and systematically.

The switch to the home office module has been positive for many companies and has even shown a productivity increase of 7%, whether with remote employees or freelance virtual assistants. We hope you found this article informative and that you have used these remote worker productivity tools to improve the quality of your workforce management.

If you’re switching to a remote work module and want to hire a Wishup virtual assistant, click here for a free consultation or email us [email protected]