COVID-19 forced many businesses to rapidly switch to a remote working model. Though the pandemic has lost some of its stings, many people continue to work remotely – at least some of the time – as their employers have discovered how effective this arrangement can be.
The future of business is headed in a hybrid direction, and this future is made possible by advancements in technology that make working from anywhere easy. To ensure your remote workers have everything they need to succeed, consider supporting them with the following tech upgrades:
1. Virtual Offices
If the bulk of your work is done online anyway, allowing your staff to work from home does away with the overheads associated with having a physical office space. Of course, you’ll still need a professional address for your business and a hub from which your team can collaborate. You can expect all this and more if you do a little research and get a virtual office that fits within your budget. The best virtual office packages are designed to give your business a professional look, with a dedicated phone number and an answering service to ensure your clients receive the high level of service they expect.
2. Communication Tools
When your team is spread far and wide, communication can suffer. Luckily, many great tools exist to make talking and collaborating a breeze, no matter where your people work. Slack is a great tool for chatting and sharing files. You can chat privately or in groups, and there’s a Slack app for every operating system, so everyone can take part no matter what device they use. Other communication tools that make remote work easy include Troop Messenger and Soapbox.
3. Project Management
Project management can be difficult with your staff working from home, so you must find a project management tool that fits your needs. Some popular options for assigning work, scheduling due dates, and ensuring productivity include Basecamp, Trello, and Asana. These online management tools vary in the features they include as well as in price, so try a few to determine which one works best for you and your staff.
4. File Sharing
When your employees work from home, you can expect a whole lot of file sharing to occur. Two of your biggest concerns here should be security and timeliness. Thankfully, there are several file-sharing tools you can use, with many businesses trusting Google Drive, Dropbox, and WeTransfer to transmit their documents quickly and securely.
5. Productivity
One of the greatest concerns for those managing a remote team is productivity – or a lack thereof. It can be difficult to stay motivated without someone constantly looking over your shoulder, and the goings-on in the household can be distracting.
Encourage your staff to keep their productivity up by using tools like Todolist, Be Focused, and Toggl.
6. Scheduling
Monitoring availability and scheduling your staff can be somewhat challenging when they work remotely, especially if they live in different time zones. You can make scheduling less complicated by using a tool that lets you book appointments and manage availability without hassle. A few of these tools include Doodle, Calendly, and TimeZone.
There are a lot of reasons why you should consider a remote work model – at least in part – especially since technology is making it easier than ever to support and manage a remote team. As a new, post-pandemic world looms on the horizon, many business owners are planning to dig in and continue the work-from-home trend. If you’re jumping on the bandwagon, consider implementing the tools listed above to ensure your team has everything they need to be successful in their roles.
Jason is the Marketing Manager at a local advertising company in Australia. He moved to Australia 10 years back for his passion for advertising. Jason recently joined BFA as a volunteer writer and contributes by sharing his valuable experience and knowledge.
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