Basic Tools Required To Work Remotely
Working remotely has become the need of the hour. Having said that, keeping the option open for working remotely leverages the business to bring the best talent onboard, irrespective of the geographical location.
Various surveys have shown that the flexibility of working remotely helps in maintaining the work life balance. However, all this is accompanied with few challenges as well like scheduling because of different time zones, connecting with the team, sharing of data and information, etc. To overcome these challenges, you must have unique tools to tackle them. Listed below are some of the tools that are good to have to stay connected:
Internet Connectivity: Remote work is primarily dependent on internet access. You must have a stable internet connection that you can afford. Along with having a wi-fi connection, you must have a mobile hotspot.
Mobile hotspots are generally used for internet connection required on the go. It also works as a backup plan in case the power or internet connection goes out. One can also use their mobile phone as a hotspot. Keep the track of the data used to stay alert of exhausting your mobile data as per the plan. Also, keep in mind that using a hotspot from your phone will drain the phone’s battery much faster.
Team Chat Apps: Working remotely does not mean working in a silo. You will be required to work with the team that might be located at a different location. Connecting with them through various means is the need of good team work. Apps like Slack help you connect with your colleagues asynchronously. Setting up time for a phone or a video call might not be required and possible all the time. You can use emails as well for the same, however, you cannot have normal human conversation through it.
Video Conferencing: Working remotely might disengage the employee affecting the growth of the employee and the organization. Video conferencing is the tool that provides facetime and a sense of human connection by looking and interacting with colleagues. Video conferencing is one of the most versatile collaboration tools.
Having large group meetings, imparting training, conducting interviews, and much more can be successfully done through an effective web conferencing tool from Adobe Connect.
Shared Documents: Technology facilitates and enables us to work efficiently without the location and time zone constraints. Sharing documents and the possibility of working on the same document by multiple users is a required tool. The documents are available to the team members to access and edit on a real time basis. Shared documents like Google Docs are incredibly useful for online collaboration.
Cloud Storage: One of the critical collaboration tools that one must have. It provides you with access from all kinds of devices anytime, anywhere. These apps are very simple to use. You just can keep your files in the shared folder and any changes made to it will be instantly accessible to you and your team members.
Project Management Software: This is a good to have tool if you do have a team. Compiling a to do list and following it can be done manually or with the help of an online calendar. For defining the work flow with more complex time management and to assess the progress of the project, this tool works wonders. You fetch and analyse the complex data in presentable and easy to understand format through the dashboard ready reports. Keeping a track of the project and the team members is made easy with effective project management software. Managing multiple projects becomes much easier with the automated reports generated with the help of PMS.
Conclusion: The list of collaboration tools is extensive. Based on the needs, you can opt for some or all the tools mentioned above to ensure that the employees stay connected, engaged and work effectively.
