Working remotely is becoming a new norm. According to OWL
labs, though, 44% of companies do not allow remote work. Many cite fears of
unproductivity. Interestingly, a Stanford study revealed that people
working from home are more productive, take fewer breaks, and less time off.
Even though the practice is not fully endorsed, over the years, business
support for remote work has gained momentum. The Coronavirus pandemic has even
pushed many businesses to adopt remote work!
If you have joined the trend, you need to invest in the
right tech to make your remote workplace a success. We have crafted a simple
guide covering some of the technology that will help upscale your remote
workplace.
Teleconferencing Tools
The one thing you want to achieve with remote working is
having real-time conversations. Remember it should be business as usual. Your
employees should be able to communicate just as they do face to face. They need
to do presentations, discuss proposals, close deals, etc. All this can only
happen if your workers have tools that aid this. The good part is most teleconferencing tools are free. You get to use tools
like Google Hangouts, Facetime, Zoom, Skype, Uber conference free. These
tools will help you enhance the free flow of information and feedback,
maintaining remote workforce engagement.
HR Tools
HR management in a remote workplace isn’t business as usual.
You need to hire and manage a team distributed around. For example, the biggest
challenge is to make your new remote employee(s) feel part of the organization.
You need to train them and allow old employees to also work with them. In this
case, you will need a platform designed for employee onboarding to
foster learning, retention, productivity, and growth. You will also need the
right tech tools to help you source the right talent, manage your payroll and
pretty much every other HR function
Project Management Tools
The fear most employers have about remote work is the
inability of employees to complete assigned tasks. Well, thanks to technology,
some of the project management tools will ensure your employees stay on task. For
example, Trello is a website and an app that creates a real-time
bulletin board. It allows the user to move actions, i.e., completed tasks to
those to be done from one category to another. This helps reduce piling up
tasks. Another great tool in Asana provides a virtual to-do list. It
tracks the day to day tasks and notifies employees when it’s time to review a
project. With these tools, tasks get done remotely.
Communication Tools
You will also need tools that aid faster communication among
your employees. Slow and ineffective communication hinders productivity. Think
about it, waiting for a single mail for hours can be so frustrating and
time-consuming. Incorporating messaging platforms like Rivers that
straddle between email and instant messaging is a smart move. The app is so
easy and fosters real-time conversation. GroupMe is also another
great messaging platform for sharing photos, videos, and links among different
groups. It is ideal when you have a large team.
Cloud Computing
The essence of remote working is to reduce costs and what
better way to do than investing in cloud computing. It is an all-round
system with so many benefits, especially to young entrepreneurs who don’t have
much money to spend on expenses. Talk of access to automatic updates, reduced
IT costs, business efficiency, enhanced security and compliance, and so much
more.
Security Tools
If you think about it, this should
come first. Your employees use their mobile phones and computers to access
these tools and to perform their tasks. Additionally, all these investments on
tech will only make sense if your employees can access them and do it safely.
You will need to encrypt your data and prevent cyber threats by installing tools like a VPN. With a
VPN installed, your employees can access sensitive company data without anyone
prying.
The other tool you will need is antivirus software. Since
your engagements are virtual, your employees risk picking up viruses and
malicious activities that can wreak havoc on your business. Good antivirus
software will search for threats, monitor all program behavior, and remove any
malware as quickly as possible. This way, you can stay safe and protect your
company’s data.
Final Thoughts
As we have seen in the current situation, businesses that invest in remote work technologies are likely to succeed in case of disruptions. They also get the added advantage of hiring and retaining the best talent, especially among the upcoming generation that prefers remote work options. But, remote workplaces aren’t all rosy. You need the right online team management tools to give you a streamlined workflow. Remember, you must give employees the right training. You should also set standard practices for them. This is very important if you are looking for effectiveness and security.
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