Best Remote Team Management Software

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.

The Challenges of Remote Working

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.

Recommended Remote Team Management Software

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:

Team Communication: Microsoft Teams

When you have employees working remotely, they need a way to directly contact their coworkers. That’s what team communication software is for. This type of software allows for seamless communication that is even faster than walking over to a coworker’s desk. Better yet, the software allows for group messaging, which puts an end to the long email chains that are hard to follow. Team communication apps also allow for web conferencing, which is required for any remote team. After all, some topics are easier to explain by talking rather than writing. Finally, if you get a reliable team communication platform like Microsoft Teams, you can take advantage of the various third-party integrations that come with it. Coworkers can work on documents together, schedule meetings, and even update project management apps without leaving the platform. Read our Microsoft Teams review.

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Work Management: Podio

It’s already hard enough to manage projects when everyone works in the same office, but how do you do it when you have employees all around the world? No matter how small or how big your company is, you’ll always need a work management platform when working online. It makes it easier for everyone to be on the same page while working on multiple projects. Project management tools also give you the ability to assign tasks to specific people, track their development, and even create dependency arrays. Better yet, the best platforms on the market, like Podio, come with several third-party integrations that improve internal information flow. For instance, you can integrate Podio with a time tracking app to know how much time an employee is spending on a particular task. Read our Podio review.

Digital Payroll: Zenefits

Another important aspect of managing a remote team is figuring out how to send paychecks every month. Mailing an important document to employees on the other side of the world isn’t a reliable solution, after all. In this case, digital payroll is the way to go, as it automatically sends monthly payslips via email, allowing you to focus on more important things. This perk is just one of the many features that online payroll software provides. For instance, you can set hourly rates, overtime, days off, health insurance, and anything else that impacts salaries, leaving the platform to do all the calculations for you. More advanced tools like Zenefits can even cover international workers by considering foreign laws and tax policies. Read our Zenefits review.

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Team Password Security: Keeper Security for Business

Anyone who has worked in a remote team will know how difficult it is to stay on top of all the different accounts and credentials. In fact, sharing a password is far more complicated than it sounds since it’s a huge security risk. That’s why you need technology to help your team. Password managers use the best online security to allow teams to generate strong passwords, store various kinds of credentials, and share them safely between team members. Many password managers are made with remote teams in mind, like Keeper Security for Business. Not only does Keeper Security for Business allow you to share a variety of credentials securely, but it also lets you give different levels of security access to users. You can try the software first through its free 14-day trial. Read our Keeper review.

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Internal Communication: RingCentral

It’s impossible to manage a remote team without streamlining communication. But getting in touch with team members working from home is no easy feat, and setting up phone lines for everyone is a daunting and expensive task. Fortunately, we can count on virtual phone systems to help us out. By deploying a phone system over the internet, everyone can enjoy crystal-clear calls without installing a landline or splashing out on hefty phone bills. Among all the options on the market, RingCentral really stands out thanks to its comprehensive set of features and affordable prices. Better yet, the service includes phone, video, and messaging on just one platform and offers countless third-party integrations. This way, your team can communicate with each other without the hassle of jumping from one platform to another. Read our RingCentral review.

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Onboarding and Training: Trainual

Imagine being able to direct a new remote hire to an app where they would find everything they needed to know about their new role. From the company’s communication guidelines policy to the story of the company itself, Trainual helps you build a clean and user-friendly company manual. The software is set up so that everyone in the company documents their expertise and responsibilities by writing and recording ‘Steps’ via useful templates, which even come with instructions. But the help doesn’t end there, as Trainual provides numerous tutorials, webinars, and FAQ sections to help you wrap your head around its terminology and organization. Additionally, admins can assign regular readthroughs and tests to check all team members have understood and assimilated all the information. Although Trainual requires a significant time investment at the beginning, your new company playbook will provide your remote team with everything they need at their fingertips. Read our Trainual Review.

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International Recruitment: Oyster

Running and managing a company of remote workers has both its disadvantages and advantages . While face-to-face interviews and bustling team meetings may be sacrificed, the pool of potential employees is increased tenfold. Commuting becomes a thing of the past, which means you’re no longer limited to hiring within a 30-mile radius of the office. Essentially, you can afford to be selective with who joins the team. But the downside is that global recruitment can be a tangle of employment and tax laws that vary from country to country. Fortunately, Oyster HR takes care of the everything to do with hiring and onboarding international remote workers, from local benefits to liability insurance and payroll. A team of HR specialists accompany new employees from the moment they’re hired right up until they’re completely settled into their new work environment. Furthermore, Oyster’s user-friendly platform groups all the information there is to know about worldwide recruitment in one place. Read our Oyster review.

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Tips for Managing Remote Workers

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.

Additional Advice for Remote Team Management

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.