Although managing a remote workforce can seem tough, using the right tools for remote work makes it incredibly easy. In this article, we’ll share with you our top 5 tools for working remotely so that you and your team members can maximize productivity and succeed, no matter where you are in the world.
SmartSheet
One program that we use here at Glass of Learning is SmartSheet- it’s a powerful project management software that helps you visually plan, control, and schedule projects and tasks. There are many ways to use SmartSheet including individual tracking – keeping track of your own tasks, and team tracking – delegating different tasks to team members. This software shows dependencies so it is clear what needs to be completed and in what sequence.
Smartsheet has a relatively simple design which makes it easy for anyone to learn, especially if you have Microsoft Excel experience. This project management software works well for tracking project status between team members and organizing tasks that require collaboration. Team members receive prompts of upcoming deliverables which helps keep projects on track.
Clockify
As your team is working remotely, do you ever wonder what they may be focused on? We use Clockify to track team time on projects. This helps us to keep projects in line and keeps the team on track. It is free and an easy way to track your time. With the information recorded, you are able to do an analysis on time spent on projects to identify standards to achieve, where you may be struggling and capacity that can be shared with other team members.
Slack
Slack offers real-time messaging between teams- It works perfectly for remote teams that need to have an open line of communication at all times, and comes with neat features like:
- Different channels so teams can divide into groups and keep conversations organized
- The ability to share files with one another
- Archived messages with search feature
- Voice and video call features
Being able to communicate with remote workers is the key to your business’ success. By using Slack, you and your team can be on the same page at all times, without having to deal with cluttered inboxes full of internal conversations that are difficult to find when you need them.
Dropbox
Working together in different places has never been so easy- Dropbox is an amazing platform for those that need a simple place to store, share, and view documents with team members. Used as a more comprehensive file sharing and storage tool than Slack, which is mainly for messaging team members, Dropbox has it all.
For starters, share all types of formatted documents like word, excel spreadsheets, and even PowerPoint presentations all from one convenient location.
In addition, you can grant people access to certain Dropbox folders and documents and allow them to view or edit them as you wish, or set time limits that the folder will be available. Plus, Dropbox lets team members collaborate on a document and make real-time changes, as well as leave comments.
With this neat remote working tool, you can save any file types such as images, recordings, or videos, organize work according to team or project using folders, and access files from any device. Be sure to set up a filing protocol so that the team know how to sort, file and find what they need.
Zoom
Need an easy way to host remote meetings for your business? Then we highly recommend you check out Zoom. This is a powerful meeting software as well as an effective learning platform. This interactive video conferencing tool makes getting your remote team together for a meeting an easy and hassle-free process.
Zoom comes with HD quality audio and video and allows you to share your screens with others. This is great if you are teaching someone how to use a new online tool or want to display a document for the team.
What’s more, Zoom also lets people in the meeting chat in real-time. Anytime someone has a question but doesn’t want to interrupt the team member talking, all they have to do is type it out using the chat feature for all to see and refer to after the conversation breaks.
This valuable remote working tool also comes with features such as:
- Speaker view, gallery view and join as attendee view only options.
- Annotation and screen sharing functionality.
- Instant or scheduled meeting setups, and more.
- There is also a new immersive view in Zoom that provides some fun backgrounds for your team to become a part of. Update your Zoom app to see this.
We have all taken part in many remote team meetings. However, there are many nuances to Zoom that are only discovered through trial and error. If you’re looking to learn the details of Zoom techniques, we have a Zoom Tips & Hints Resource available for download.
These are some of the best remote working tools that we use and would recommend for anyone’s journey to succeeding with virtual work. With all these tools in your arsenal, it is likely that you will succeed when it comes to maintaining productivity and ensuring success with remote work.
