Whether it’s by necessity or by choice, many companies are switching from overpriced offices to remote working. It’s easy to understand why – not only do companies save a lot on office costs and equipment, but employees are also able to live happier and more productive lives. However, setting up a remote business has its fair share of challenges and one of the most important to tackle is how to properly manage remote teams. To do this, it’s essential that managers have all the necessary tools in place. Fortunately, we live in an age where there’s a piece of software for everything, and you can run your business from the comfort of your home the same way you would at your office desk.
Although remote working offers many benefits, these are only achievable if you’re able to overcome its challenges. From ensuring good team coordination to tracking project progression and employee productivity, there’s a lot of work to be done. Fortunately, remote working solutions offer even more benefits than working in an office.
When you’re working as a team in an office, miscommunication is commonplace. Imagine a few coworkers discussing a project and making decisions while having lunch together. Soon you have the rest of the team completely out of the loop, which can set the project back. However, when you have a remote team management platform in place that allows for easy group communication and is backed up with the correct workplace policies, everyone will always be on the same page.
Another important aspect to keep in mind is employee motivation. Indeed, remote working offers a better work-life balance, but only if people know how to switch off at the end of the day. Unfortunately, many remote workers fall into the trap of working overtime, which can quickly lead to burnout. Simultaneously, you also need to be aware that working from home can be lonely for some, especially those living alone. So, it’s vital that you have strict policies regarding workload management and remote team building.
Managing a remote team is hard but having the right software for the job helps tremendously. Here are the main platforms you should consider for a smooth remote working experience:
With the rise of working from home, web conferencing software is now a key component of many businesses. It’s important to use conferencing software that’s reliable, which is why a lot of businesses turn to tried-and-tested companies with good reputations like Microsoft. Released in 2017 to replace Skype for Business Online and to compete with Slack, Microsoft Teams aims to combine online chats, calls, and conferencing to be the ultimate tool for workplace collaboration. As part of the larger Microsoft umbrella, Microsoft Teams has access to a huge number of integrations like OneNote, OneDrive, Outlook, and many more, all combining to create a comprehensive package. Users can test out the premium version of Microsoft Teams by signing up for a 30-day free trial, or by signing up for Microsoft Teams' free forever version.
Good payroll software should save you time so you can get more done in your day. Ideally, it should also be as simple to use as possible. Since 2013, San Francisco company Zenefits has aimed to do just that with its payroll solution. Now serving over ten thousand companies, Zenefits gains from the vast number of integrations it offers that not only streamline the payroll experience but can enhance just about every aspect of a business. For example, the comprehensive Zenefits mobile app allows employees to access every bit of payroll information they need, clock in and out, request holiday time, and so on. It also serves as an all-round work hub to keep everyone connected. The payroll software is also very reasonably priced, but it’s only available as a $6-per-month-per-employee add-on to any other Zenefits subscription. You can test it out first though: Zenefits provides a 14-day demo version so you can take a look at everything it has to offer.
Password managers have become an essential part of the security arsenal of many users and businesses due to the peace of mind they provide. Chicago-based veteran Keeper Security is one such service, specializing in highly secure digital vaults and password management since 2011.
Threats such as hacking and ransomware are out of the question with Keeper's 256-bit advanced encryption and (up to) 100-character password generator. It also offers a wide range of add-ons for additional protection, such as the platform’s dark web monitor, BreachWatch.
The cheapest plan for personal use starts at $1.67 per month with annual billing, which includes the impressive 50% discount served up to Best Reviews readers. While Keeper doesn’t provide a monthly plan and its free mobile app is limited, it does offer a 30-day free trial. This way, users are able to get a taster of the software without requiring to hand over their credit card information.
With over 20 years of experience, RingCentral is known for being ahead of the curve, providing a wide range of products, including online faxing and web conferencing software. RingCentral RingEX offers unlimited domestic calling and text messages, advanced call handling and phone management features, plus desktop and mobile apps to combine everything into one polished VoIP platform. Even better, it comes with a personal AI assistant that is a game-changer for anyone needing to take calls or follow up on clients.
It’s possible to see everything for yourself with the interactive demos, but testing its features is also possible via the 14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee available. To know more about what RingCentral has to offer, we recommend calling the company at +1 (888) 295-1724 for a custom quote.
Trainual is one of those products you don’t know is essential to your business until you start using it. The online service helps you build a comprehensive manual to educate and guide future and current employees on everything about your company. Trainual places great importance on teaching users how to make the most of it through instructions, templates, numerous video tutorials, and an extensive FAQ page. The biggest slog with Trainual is at the start, but thankfully the effort is shared between all team members. While building your company manual may require a considerable investment of time up-front from everyone, it will clearly save hours, if not days, later on. Plans start at $49 per month, and the company offers a free trial of seven days that provides access to all features.
There’s no question that remote work dominates today’s corporate world. For employers, this means the talent pool has grown as they expand their recruitment efforts to an international level. But this comes at a cost. As each new employee brings their country’s unique employment laws and stipulations with them, the reality of hiring globally can create an admin-induced headache. Fear not – Oyster has found the solution. Much to the relief of HR personnel, the service carries out the tiresome tasks of researching, understanding, and implementing each country’s tax and employment laws, and local benefits. This global HR software helps you hire and onboard contractors for $29 per contractor per month and full-time employees from $399 per person per month. Essentially, Oyster HR minimizes the stress and time associated with global onboarding, allowing your company to easily access the highest quality and most suitable candidates.
Many of the challenges remote teams face can be solved with one solution: effective communication. Team management software will help you track project development, as it automatically updates everyone involved in a specific project about task completion and any feedback given.
Although a tracking solution can help managers make sure employees are working their set number of hours, it’s better to focus more on outcomes than activity. A good thing about working remotely is that employees can work when they’re most productive, regardless of whether they’re a morning person or a night owl. Micromanagement never leads to a productive team, but it can have even worse consequences when working in a remote setting. So, if the employee is doing a good job and meeting deadlines, you don’t need to worry.
Keeping remote employees motivated isn’t as simple, though. For instance, loneliness has a huge impact on how people feel and how productive they are. Consequently, encourage remote social interactions, such as organizing regular online meetings to talk about things unrelated to work or have a group chat to share silly gifs and cute pet pictures.
Communication is indeed essential to effectively manage a remote team. But it isn’t enough. Going remote impacts most business processes, and you need to provide the necessary tools that allow employees to continue working at full speed. That’s why it’s necessary to have an online document sharing platform in place, strict policies regarding online security, and software to improve your team’s productivity.
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