The term remote working has already taken over a large part of the world's workforce. With people working away from their offices more than ever, almost everyone can benefit from the ability to work remotely.
One reason for this shift towards independence and self-reliance is that people were tired of being stuck in traffic on their way to work. They find themselves longing for a more comfortable life where they can just log onto their computer and get to work - without leaving their home.
Another reason is that globalization has made it possible for people who live in different regions to come together and develop innovative ideas that would not have been possible to create in a traditional work environment.
The most defining reason for remote work is the global pandemic that has taken over the world over the last few years.
With all of this in mind, remote working is becoming more and more attractive for employees and companies. This is why there has been a rise in software solutions that make it possible to manage teams and projects with no geographical barriers whatsoever.
This article will look at the best remote work software developed in recent years.
Whether you are building a profitable lifestyle business or running a multi-million dollar business, this software will help you take your business to the next level, whether large or small. Let's dive deep into this topic.
The Best Remote Work Software Right Now
Here is a list of the best remote work software to consider for your business:
Zoom
Best For Holding Online Meetings With All Stakeholders
Zoom allows the hybrid workforce to do video conferencing at its best. Zoom works on all devices and provides HD screens, up to 16 participants in a conference, password protection, and the ability to save your meetings for later viewing. It also works well in a noisy environment with no complaints of echoes.
Zoom is transparent regarding pricing, making it easy for business owners to decide. They have a calculator where you can input your estimated number of users and the size of each meeting and get the price in return.
Zoom's unified platform enables organizations of all shapes and sizes to connect people from across the globe with teams that work remotely and in person.
Thanks to its compatibility with Mac, PC, and mobile devices, the Zoom platform allows projects to go wherever you go.
Key Features
Pricing
There are four pricing plans for Zoom:
Hive
Best For Those Wanting To Have Clarity On Team Schedules
Hive not only gives you a better sense of your past actions and projects, but it also helps you stay on top of them.
With this platform, you will remain up to speed on future deadlines and current projects, thanks to the intuitive dashboards.
You will also be able to create a schedule and progress reports to ensure all deadlines are met without any problems.
If you're working on numerous assignments, a Portfolio view allows you to keep track of everything in one spot.
Multi-step projects can be challenging to manage, especially if you have many moving parts. Hive's workflow tools help keep everything on track and running smoothly no matter where your teammates are.
Simple procedures make it easy for remote teams to organize projects even when extensive approvals are needed. With powerful features like document sharing, approvals, and real-time updates, remote teams can get the job done without ever stepping foot in an office.
Timesheets and time tracking are also included, so you'll know how much time is spent on each assignment.
Key Features
Pricing
Hive offers these pricing plans:
Friday
Best For Collaborative Work In Remote Teams
It's wonderful to connect, align, and create a great culture from anywhere on Friday.
With this platform, you can tame the usual chaos and get your whole team on the same page even across different locations.
You will get the chance to create a plan, brainstorm ideas, and exchange pleasantries while maintaining a collaborative environment.
Create a fun, dynamic workplace that your team will enjoy while using different platforms.
Friday is an online community for those who think the workplace is no longer necessary to produce excellent results.
Every team member is more engaged, and there are fewer, better meetings.
You’ll be able to learn more about your team members and build a rapport, especially if you're only meeting people digitally over a long period of time.
Key Features
Pricing
With a free version that provides unlimited access to core features, the paid plans are as follows:
Slack
Best For Having Communication Bubbles With Different Team Members
Slack allows you to organize your work life to get more done. The key features are the emphasis on chat rooms and direct messages. You can also integrate all of your apps in one chat room, so everyone knows what's going on in real-time.
Slack is perfect for organizing conversations around projects between multiple employees and outside collaborators. Using what is known as 'channels,’ Slack allows you to manage your work-life into different topics.
So, if developers collaborate on an update for a project or salespeople send updates on new clients, the relevant information is all in one place without sending texts back and forth.
Another useful feature of Slack is its direct messages. Instead of blasting out information everywhere, you can whisper directly to the person you need and cut out time spent on unnecessary emails and transcription errors.
Take control of your time and work when, where, and how you want. Set your preferences for notifications so that you don't miss out on essential communications from across the company.
Key Features
Pricing
Slack offers a free trial that is the best way to try this platform. After that, these are the paid plans:
Asana
Best For Making It Easy For All Workers To Understand What’s Happening
Instead of being interrupted by small tasks, you'll be able to use Asana to focus on significant concepts.
Asana keeps teams on task, from the little things to the broad picture, by organizing work in a way that allows them to understand what to complete, why it's essential, and how they'll accomplish it.
Stay connected with updates from your team, including messages and comments.
Keep deadlines organized with task lists that streamline the work process and provide status reports.
Bring your staff's projects together in one common area. Create the project view that suits your needs, and collaborate from wherever you are.
Define each stage of work to determine what's essential and where things are stuck.
You can also use timelines to monitor project progress and monitor due dates.
Key Features
Pricing
A free basic version is ideal for those just getting on track with managing their projects.
When it comes to paid plans, Asana's costs are as follows:
Both of these plans bill annually.
Clickup
Best For Having The Right Productivity Tools In This Day And Age
Clickup is the software suite for today’s teams that includes all productivity tools needed to get work done.
Team members can plan projects together, share files, track progress, and send messages.
Documents, tasks, goals, chat, and more are all in one place, available on all of your devices.
You can tackle any project from multiple angles because 20+ real-time views change to match your requirements.
Update workflows move due dates around on a calendar and much more on a list view.
Instantly import your workflows from any other platform. You can even create a custom import flow to ensure the process is streamlined.
Whether you need to pull in tasks from Google Calendar or Basecamp, import templates for recurring work, or build your custom integration, ClickUp will make it happen.
Key Features
Pricing
ClickUp can be used with a free forever plan, though this is ideal for personal use.
When it comes to businesses, these are the recommended plans:
What Is Remote Work Software?
Remote work tools and software allow people to accomplish a specific task even when not in the same location.
A remote work software is a special kind of software that allows users to perform a specific task or set of functions from afar, whether halfway around the world or right across the street from where they sit at their computer.
In today's modern business environment, job growth in areas with flexible hours and increased employee freedom are things that employees seek.
This is partly due to people living further away from town centers where large offices are, and living costs being high in major metropolitan areas.
Remote work software is becoming more popular because it allows people to have the freedom to create their schedules and allows employees to maintain a better balance between their personal life and professional life. This kind of software doesn't replace face-to-face interactions with coworkers or clients. Instead, it builds on them for a more collaborative relationship that technology can strengthen.
The Benefits Of Having A Remote Team
Sometimes called distributed teams, remote workers can now work from home, coffee shops, or even another country. This means that employees can choose where they want to work as long as they have the right tools for working remotely.
Employees who enjoy working from a specific location will likely be more productive and stay with the company longer because of the extra time they get to spend at their favorite place of business.
Remote workers also save money on transportation, gas, and wardrobe expenses. With a flexible schedule, employees can make up for missed hours by coming in early or staying late.
Working remotely gets rid of most distractions caused by noisy co-workers. It allows team members to individually decide which atmosphere is best suited for maximum productivity.
Features To Consider When Choosing Remote Team Tools
If you want to manage projects successfully, your remote employees need specific features and tools to make the most out of working remotely.
The following features are some of the most important ones to consider.
Online Project Management System
The first feature to consider is an online project management system. Project management tools allow you to manage tasks and deadlines, share files, send messages to the whole team, attach meeting notes, and much more.
You can also create a virtual workspace that allows your remote workers to communicate their working tasks. This helps them stay up-to-date with the latest project developments and work towards a common goal.
Another benefit of using project management tools is that it allows each team member to stay on top of their workload without having to bug them for updates. It also allows you to monitor when employees start working on tasks, how many hours they spend working on them, and when they are completed.
Online project management systems also allow you to prioritize tasks so that any deadlines for essential projects don't slip by unnoticed.
Productivity Management Software
A productivity management software is another must-have for remote teams.
It lets you see when and how long each employee spends on each task and if they use any internet collaboration tools with co-workers.
This feature is beneficial for project and time management and can even help your employees manage their own time by setting priorities on which tasks are the most important ones to get done first.
Using this kind of software also helps you identify problems before they become too big and enables you to solve them quickly without affecting the rest of the team's workflow.
A project management tool is also a good choice for remote teams because it will allow you to keep track of all the project's tasks on one screen without switching between different applications.
It can also facilitate more effective communication among employees, managers, and co-workers located in different locations.
Collaboration Tools
These include document editing software such as Google Docs or Microsoft Office Online, which allows you to share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with your team members to review them at their convenience, which increases productivity.
Online chat platforms like Slack or Skype are other great collaboration tools for keeping in touch with your employees when they aren't working together in person.
A Focus On Team Communication
Using these tools to communicate with each other can help build a sense of togetherness within your remote workforce and help them work more cohesively as a unit.
Virtual collaboration tools allow you to stay in touch, coordinate tasks, and share files from whatever location you are located in without the need for being physically present at the office.
This increases productivity because it allows employees to work around their schedules while improving their overall motivation because they feel like they have more control over their plans.
Technical Support
While multiple team members are working remotely, there will be times when questions need to be asked or problems need to be solved. This is why you need to have a reliable technical support team in place that can assist your employees when they need help with anything.
An excellent technical support team knows how your business runs and can provide the kind of assistance that will allow your workers to continue carrying out their tasks without any interruptions or slowdowns.
A virtual support system also helps solve issues quickly because employees don't need to wait until the end of the day (or week) for their managers' responses.
This is especially important if critical projects are involved because it allows access to information whenever needed, minimizing unnecessary delays. A remote team needs a certain level of trust to work freely without constant supervision.
A robust technical support system available whenever and wherever your employees may need it will optimize productivity, especially for anyone working from home or on the go.
File-Sharing Abilities
File sharing is one of the crucial features to have when managing remote workers.
Your team members may need to access documents or presentations to get work done, so it's helpful to have a system in place where files can be easily accessed whenever required.
Using file-sharing software allows employees to share data without emailing large attachments back and forth, saving them time and lowering the risk of losing important information.
This is why you must choose a file-sharing platform that will allow your workers to upload, download, edit, collaborate on, and comment on various files in real-time. Some of the best file-sharing software to use for this purpose include Google Drive, Dropbox, and Hightail.
Integrations With Other Software
When you manage a virtual team, there are tons of various software you have to use daily.
Because of this, it's helpful if the software that your company uses for scheduling meetings and tasks can be integrated with file-sharing platforms so your employees can access both simultaneously without the need to switch from one platform to another during their workday.
This is an efficient feature that helps save time because most remote workers aren't always located near computers with all the software they need, so accessing everything from their phones is very convenient. Integrating multiple tools within a virtual workplace not only saves time but ensures that nothing will ever get left behind.
Remote team management is made more accessible when integration is kept in mind.
Timesheet Functionalities
The right remote work tool should provide employee monitoring software with a timesheet function to track various hours spent on different projects.
You‘ll see who is doing what, which gives you a better sense of work completion.
If you have remote workers, it's essential to have the ability to do this, so everyone will know exactly where their time went during the day and their progress towards certain milestones - all without having many questions about it.
By providing employees with helpful monitoring software, you'll also encourage them to take ownership of their roles and grow within your company by giving them access to key information about their performance.
Pricing Plans
Before signing up for any service, make sure to compare different options to get the best deal. It's not only about money at this point - sometimes paying less means giving up some of the most valuable features that are necessary for efficient remote work, so it all depends on what exactly you need.
A free trial is also essential in remote working software because it gives you a chance to use the service and see what it's like before committing.
By finding the right virtual workplace that can provide you with all of these resources, you can ensure that your remote team members get their tasks done more efficiently at a price point that makes sense to your company.
Conclusion
A modern process management platform will integrate all the features you need for efficient work.
With a virtual workplace like this, your remote employees will always know what they're supposed to be doing and how things are going, while you'll have an easier time dealing with everything remotely yourself.
Take into consideration some of these essential characteristics mentioned above while choosing a work platform for your company. It won't only make life easier for everyone involved, but it will ensure that your business can run more efficiently than ever before.
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