As we have learned, telework and remote work collaboration offer undeniable perks to businesses. Although reduced overhead and improved worker satisfaction are great advantages for any company, telework also introduces a lot of challenges. Most remote workers feel isolated. They can’t connect with their team as easily as they would like. They also experience burnout.
The good news is that there are ways you can address these challenges and keep your team connected. With the right remote collaboration tools, your team can work smarter, faster and improve communication. What technology do you need? Let’s discuss five tools that improve collaboration so your remote workforce can thrive.
We all know about the tremendous rise in popularity of video chat software. In April 2020, Zoom saw over a 60 percent increase in their consumers’ spending. The reason why is simple. Zoom, Slack and Google Hangouts offer face-to-face interactions that increase engagement. Remote workers initiate team collaboration instant meetings, screen-share important resources, record valuable information for future use and stay informed in chat rooms.
With video conferencing software, teams can host teleconference meetings quickly and effectively. They can invite unlimited participants. People can stream from pretty much any type of device. This allows employees to foster teamwork and collaboration. Whether you’re hosting a companywide meeting, one-on-ones, training course, client meeting, or virtual event, live video chat technology facilitates a creative work environment that brings teams closer together from anywhere.
Internal emails are no longer a thing. All in-house messaging can now be performed with communication tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack. Remote workers can have private conversation threads, organize group chats or align projects into specific group channels. They can also take advantage of integrated file sharing, easy search features and video conferencing capabilities that make working on projects easier.
Although chat rooms are often seen as a workplace distraction, this is a misperception. Team communication tools allow teams to assemble in one place, organize their workflows and get across the information they need quickly and clearly. Team communication solutions speed up work on projects and make certain everyone is on the same page.
To get your team working together from anywhere, you need a workflow management tool that can help you coordinate projects, prioritize tasks and streamline operations. With a project management tool like Jira, Trello, Basecamp, Monday or Wrike, you have access to in-depth planning features, project tracking applications and a clear visual presentation of task flows. There are also tools to assess employee productivity, get status updates on projects and more.
Remote collaboration and workflow tools help your employees set priorities, meet deadlines and share resources. These applications also provide managers with transparency around productivity and the statuses of projects. With the right workflow management tools, your remote team can enjoy their flexible work schedule and still have the guidance they need for assignments.
For complete collaboration solutions, Microsoft 365 checks off all the boxes, especially for remote work. With a multi-purpose application, remote workforces can use the same applications they have used their entire career on a cloud-based platform. They can work on projects together, share worksheets instantly, reduce overlap, miscommunication and other issues that impact productivity.
Microsoft 365 allows teams to work smarter and faster in a shared workspace. Companies can coordinate everything they need, including internal and client-facing meetings with shared calendars. Teams can also collaborate seamlessly with access to team chat messaging sessions, video conferencing meetings and shared worksheets.
With the right people, processes and technology, you can collaborate at your best and make remote work easier. If you are interested in learning more work from home collaboration tips, download our Ultimate Guide to Empower Your Remote Workforce.