6 Essential Technology Tools for a Remote Workplace

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.