What Are the Best Remote Work Tools for Employees?

Sixteen percent of companies across the globe run their operations completely remotely, or as a virtual company while 62% of employees work remotely for a few days each week.

This growing transition towards flexible work across industries is the effect of globalization and technological advancements, enabling companies to thrive virtually.

Hiring freelancers and remote workers can be highly advantageous and lucrative. Though it does come with its share of challenges, managing a remote global workforce can be simplified with the right management tools. These can make it easier to handle payments, comply with local regulations when making contracts, and ensure the smooth functioning of an organization.

Everything you need to know about remote work tools has been covered below!

Communication and collaboration are crucial for a remote team to flourish. With the right tools in their arsenal, employees can work productively, adopt a successful remote work culture, and perform to the best of their abilities.

Here are some important remote work tools to consider for a remote workforce:

Screen-sharing Software

Screen-sharing software can be an add-on to communication apps but they can also be standalone solutions. Similar to in-person meetings, remote employees often have to share presentations with each other. Screen-sharing tools enable them to present files from PowerPoint and Google Slides for a more impactful message that’s easier to recall.

In addition to presentations, screen-sharing software comes in handy when remote workers want to share certain processes such as how certain tools work and how to go about accomplishing their tasks.

When looking for screen-sharing tools, prioritize those that offer minimal to zero delays between the source and recipients’ screens. This can make sharing easier and the experience more fluid.

To-do Lists That Can Be Assigned To Different Employees

To-do lists are an important part of anyone’s workday because employees can use them to ensure that all tasks assigned to them are completed. They can also note down upcoming tasks so they don’t forget about them later.

A to-do list app lets employees know what is expected of them during a given workday. A collaborative to-do list promotes better management as managers can assign and reassign jobs through it and even communicate which tasks are high-priority and need to be done as soon as possible.

Screen-recording Tools

People who work remotely often come from different time zones and may have different work schedules. To share their screens and lectures that utilize a presentation, they can record their screens with or without audio. Screen-recording tools let employees capture video and audio inputs on their monitors so that they can be played back at a later time.

This is useful for creating reference materials that employees and even customers can access according to their preferred times.

Communication Apps With Message and Calling Features

Communication apps are the most important tools for remote teams. They allow employees to work cohesively and collaborate on tasks easily and effectively.

Instant messaging as well as voice and video call features are the major functionalities to look for when considering communication apps.

Instant messages allow employees to communicate at a moment’s notice since they don’t require them to schedule calls and set aside a common time. For quick questions and matters that can be resolved easily, the ability to send an instant message is a must.

Voice and video calls are helpful for one-on-one meetings and quick conversations, but they can also be used for general meetings that have several attendees. Good software will have additional features that are useful for group meetings such as the ability to “raise a hand” for questions, a chat box for non-urgent feedback during meetings, and the capability to share images, documents, and one’s screen for presentations and other visual demonstrations.

Shared Cloud Storage

Cloud storage allows multiple individuals to access documents and files in a shared folder from any device and location. This allows employees to collaborate with ease as they can share all kinds of materials they need to complete different projects. They can create and work on a cloud-based file and leave it so others can add their inputs.

Shared cloud storage offers an instant solution as any changes made to its contents are instantly reflected across all devices and users. This allows employees to remain updated on changes and progress in real-time which is extremely important for remote work.

Project Management Software

Think of project management software as upgraded and more comprehensive to-do lists. Project management software is oriented towards the completion of a major accomplishment. It also allows users to break down such projects into smaller milestones and tasks which they can then farm out to different remote workers.

This type of tool provides a visual timeline of the major milestones and their requisite tasks as they progress in a project. It maps out dependencies and lets employees check off tasks that have been done, enter notes, and request assistance if necessary.

Automation Tools

Automation remote work tools can reduce the workload of employees and make their jobs easier. They can be a highly effective solution for increasing work quality, avoiding manual errors, promoting productivity, and optimizing resources.

Customer support, social media scheduling, link building, time management, and other areas are the usual tasks that are wholly or partially automated. Visit jamsscheduler.com to learn more about workload automation software.

Text expansion tools that autocomplete phrases or automated data insertion tools can also be impactful. The few minutes they save your employees can quickly amount to a lot.

Focus Apps

Working remotely is extremely beneficial as employees can create the perfect work environment so that they can be at their productive best. However, remote work can also entail distractions which can hinder productivity and efficiency.

To ensure that employees aren’t constantly interrupted or distracted, companies can encourage them to use focus apps. There are several types of focus apps available. Some block unnecessary notifications and applications for a fixed period. Others use the Pomodoro strategy to encourage a healthy balance of work and relaxation.

Security Tools

Whether you have company-issued equipment or ask your employees to use their own, security tools are a must. Most of the work will be performed online through a cloud-based system or software. While this offers a lot of benefits with regard to convenience, accessibility, and collaboration, it also poses certain security risks.

Remote workers usually store work-related documents, information, and other files on their laptops or smartphones which can be hacked by malicious third parties without the right security measures.

Encryption tools, password managers, two-factor authentication, and other security protocols can protect your company and your employees’ data.

This is a very important remote work tool and mustn’t be ignored so ensure that you have a robust security system and that it’s constantly updated against the latest digital threats.

Note-Taking Apps

Note-taking apps are extremely beneficial for all kinds of work. This is especially true for research-intensive and creative projects where remote employees need to quickly take notes or use web-clipping features to stay on top of things.

These can also be helpful during meetings so employees can jot down important pointers and easily organize their notes without writing things down manually.

Online Office Suites

Office suites have gradually transitioned from software packages that are meant to be installed onto personal devices to online apps. These allow users to easily share files with each other, add inline comments, and make edits in real-time. All the information on a shared document or file is also updated instantly across all users on the platform who have access to the file.

Online office suites make it easy and convenient for users to create files, share folders, edit and share information, and leave comments for other users without requiring additional software. This makes remote work more efficient and effective while improving accessibility and collaboration.

Best Practices When Providing Employees With Tools for Remote Work

In your daily operations and as your business grows, you’ll come to rely on remote work tools more and more. However, giving your employees remote work tools doesn’t just mean giving them a link to download and telling them to use it.

Here are some best practices to employ when you’re introducing a new remote work tool.

Create a shared repository that employees can access where all instruction manuals, guides, and relevant how-to videos are stored. If employees have additional questions about a tool, you can easily refer them to the folder.
Consider holding a meeting for all employees who will be using the tool. You can show them the basics of how to use it, the protocols you’ll be employing, and give them an opportunity to ask questions. Some companies offering paid services may even be willing to host a learning session for your employees.
Endorse a point-of-contact that they can reach out to whenever they have clarifications about the new app.

It’s important to provide learning opportunities for any new tool if you want your employees to make the most out of it. After all, a lot of tools cost money to use so the proper training can help you get what you paid for.

Before You Go: Tools Can Also Make the Lives of Remote Managers Easier

There are indeed countless technology solutions out there for remote workers. But there are also certain tools that are designed for managers and business owners who handle remote employees.

Work suite can make your life easier on three fronts:

Our Freelancer Management System can make recruiting, onboarding, managing, and paying your freelancers much easier with its centralized and easy-to-use platform.
Pay apps enables you to automate many of your invoicing and payment processes. It also lets you use flexible and globally accepted payment solutions.
Say goodbye to your compliance and identity verification woes with Global Shield. Our solutions can help with ID verification, assist you with compliant and legal contracts, and offer you a measure of protection from any employment misclassification issues.

Search online to learn more.