COVID-19 has affected how we live, work, and communicate for the coming years, businesses are now forced to accept remote work opportunities as the new standard.
While it's not complicated, remote work is still not a simple process. All sizes of businesses need to get used to working remotely and choose the technologies that will work best for their procedures and workflows.
Remote work is advantageous for both large and small businesses since it lowers the expense of office upkeep and opens doors to new marketplaces and expertise.
In software development projects, remote team members' major concerns are interaction and resource accessibility.
Even while technology and internet connectivity have made working remotely viable in the first place, challenges such as time zone disparities, language problems, and general misunderstanding always occur. Today, we present a list of a few remote working solutions and technology stacks for businesses of all sizes.
Let's Begin!
Main reasons for remote work
As has long been recognized, there are several benefits for remote employees. Here are the very finest advantages of working from home.
Better Work-Life Balance
Many remote employment opportunities also provide schedule flexibility, allowing employees to begin and stop their workday whenever they choose, provided their task is finished and produces positive results.
Working from home makes it simpler to juggle various responsibilities, like picking up the kids from school, running errands, going to an early morning online exercise class, and being at home for contractors.
Less Commute Stress
It takes approximately an hour every day to travel to and from work in the United States, with the average one-way commute being 27.1 minutes, and it adds up. According to the Auto Insurance Center, commuters spend nearly 100 hours traveling to and from work and 41 hours in traffic. The travel times for some "severe" commuters can be up to 90 minutes round-trip.
Location Independence
One of the many noteworthy advantages of telecommuting is choosing from a wider variety of career options that are not location-based. Job searchers in rural and small-town areas who may not find much local employment will find this extremely beneficial.
Fully remote employees could move and have nomadic lifestyles while maintaining fulfilling careers before the epidemic since they had no fixed place of employment. Even though a fully nomadic existence is now on hold as borders start to open up, it is still unquestionably advantageous.
Additionally, remote employment is a terrific method to avoid expensive real estate and mortgages, particularly for professions (like technology) that formerly required relocating to a place with a high cost of living. You can pursue a profession you love without residing close to a large city with remote work.
Improved Inclusivity
Employing people from diverse socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds with unique perspectives is made possible by remote work, allowing businesses to embrace diversity and inclusion. This is difficult to do when hiring is limited to a particular area that not everyone wants to live in or can afford.
Companies also decide to encourage diversity, community, and family by hiring workers who can work remotely from where they feel the most at home and supported.
With the help of telecommuting jobs, persons who would find it difficult to land a stable job on-site, such as caretakers or people with disabilities who require a flexible schedule, can pursue their professional objectives without worrying about making the trip to and from work. Additionally, it allows employees to travel to medical appointments and other healthcare-related activities as needed.
Money Savings
Half-time remote workers can save a lot of money annually. Your spending on gas, auto upkeep, travel, parking, a business outfit, lunches out, and more may be cut back on or eliminated. Savings like this build-up and put more money in your pocket.
The savings apply to everyone, not just employees. There will be huge long-term cost reductions when more and more businesses, like Twitter, Square, Shopify, and Facebook, to mention just a few, let workers continue working remotely after the outbreak.
Positive Environmental Impact
Before the epidemic, there were 3.9 million workers who worked from home at least half the time, which resulted in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 600,000 automobiles for a whole year. For people who work from home at least some time, an astounding 7.8 billion car miles are saved annually, along with 3 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses (GHG) and $980 million in oil savings.
Telecommuters also have the same potential influence on pollution levels as establishing a 91 million tree forest by using less paper and keeping an eye on their lights, heating, and air conditioning.
Impact on Sustainability
Working remotely promotes a range of sustainability projects, including those addressing climate change, sustainable cities, responsible consumerism, economic development, and decreased inequality.
Getting people to commute less frequently is one of the easiest and most affordable methods for businesses and employees to lessen their carbon footprint and combat climate change. Being able to witness the outcomes personally may be a motivator for everyone engaged in working remotely. The globe observed noticeably decreased pollution, congestion, and traffic throughout the pandemic response.
A Customizable Office
One great perk of remote work is the ability to set up a cozy home office. You can build up your home office and personalize it in any way you want, whether you merely want a more ergonomic design or have health conditions requiring specialized office equipment.
Increased Productivity and Performance
When employees telecommute, there are typically fewer interruptions, fewer workplace politics, calmer offices, and fewer (or more productive) meetings. Remote working provides several advantages for both individuals and companies. When you factor in the lack of a commute, remote workers often have more time and fewer distractions, which results in higher productivity.
A Happier, Healthier Work Life
Without the interruptions and politics that come with an office job, coworker and management relationships can improve in addition to one's health and well-being. According to a survey, 72% of companies claim that remote work significantly influences employee retention. Simply put, when workers have remote work possibilities, they are more likely to stay with their company.
Best Tools for Remote Work
Let's look at the tools for managing remote teams that will make it easier to keep workers active and developing professionally.
Project Management Tools
A particularly risky approach taken by some teams is to attempt to manage everything via emails. To assist virtual teams in better organizing their files and activities and make their work more efficient, project management systems provide a solution.
Trello
It's not simple to lead a team. It might be more difficult to manage a remote workforce without proper tools.
Trello is a straightforward online application that can be used for the team project and individual task management. It enables you to delegate tasks to specific team members or groups, monitor the status of the work, and notify individuals of critical deadlines.
Trello's mobile app is easy to use, which makes it ideal for mobile remote workers.
Trello facilitates project management by
- Creating effective task cards and boards for task and project organization.
- You can customize each card by adding checklists, deadlines, and attachments.
- Gives you the ability to offload laborious activities with built-in automation.
Asana
Project and task management are crucial to finishing and delivering projects on schedule. Asana organizes your team's work in a common area. Your team can interact, keep tabs on the project status, see project milestones, and exchange files in Asana. As a result, all pertinent project files are kept in a single, well-organized area.
Project and task management is made easier with Asana by:
- Enabling you to alter project views following your team's working method.
- Using rules to automate mundane jobs
- Providing more than 200 connectors to link all of your software.
Jira
Jira is a reasonably priced project management program designed with software development teams in mind. It is one of the most well-known project management software available, particularly for Agile teams. Jira was created by Atlassian, also the firm that created it. Jira has a tonne of functionality, which should automatically place it among our top project management tools. Continue reading our Jira review to find out whether that is the case.
- Jira is primarily intended for software development. It's probably not for you if you're not interested in information technology.
- Jira most likely offers the most affordable mid-range plan available. It is far less expensive than what the competition provides at just $7 per user monthly.
- Jira is the ideal choice for a small, inexperienced software firm because of how simple it is to use and how wonderful the free plan is.
Redbooth
Redbooth is a solution for task and project management that offers a central location for effective collaboration for tasks, conversations, HD meetings, and file sharing. Redbooth helps departments and project teams at thousands of businesses do their work because it is flexible and easy to use. Redbooth provides real-time video conferencing, task management, collaboration, file sharing, time tracking, Gantt charts, Outlook integration, reporting, and task management.
Redbooth can be linked with several programs, including Outlook, Box Enterprise, Google Apps, and Evernote, to provide teams access to extra functions like file and document sharing with coworkers. Redbooth is accessible on the web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android and supports several languages, including English, French, German, and Spanish. The privately held business was established in 2008 and had its headquarters in Palo Alto, California.
Team collaboration and communication
Working with teams across borders is becoming more commonplace as the number of dispersed businesses increases. Communication problems will likely arise when the teams are not in a room together.
Slack
Slack is a popular chat and remote work platform. A virtual environment promotes teamwork and allows for real-time commenting and idea sharing among coworkers to keep things moving quickly. With the help of a remote collaboration tool, you can keep all of your team's communications in one location wherever you are. Teams can utilize Slack channels for quick chat and teamwork when working remotely. Having everything your team communicates in one location will simplify managing remote workers. You can get comprehensive functionality using Slack's completely native applications for iOS and Android.
Gitlab
Gitlab is suggested if you are an engineer or a programmer. Thanks to Github, engineering teams can work remotely on code in an orderly manner. It's similar to version control but has additional tools and capabilities to help developers create apps and streamline deployments.
They provide one of the most thorough how-to manuals on working remotely that you will find, and the whole firm is also remote. We on Friday are avid fans and have contributed in the past.
Cloud Storage Tools
Cloud storage is an excellent tool for file sharing, especially when papers and multimedia assets are too large to distribute over email.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a cutting-edge workspace with various capabilities for managing distant employees because sharing huge files through email doesn't work out well. Syncing, sharing, and working together on documents is simple for remote workers. For remote collaborators, this cloud storage system's API is helpful. Powerpoint, Photoshop, and Sketch files can all be shared with anyone using this.
Google Drive
Google Drive is a platform for cloud storage that allows you to save all your information in a single, safe location. Documents, spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations can be stored and shared by remote employees. Weekly metrics reporting is possible with it. Additionally, Google Drive files can be synchronized between devices, allowing users to access and edit them from any location.
Productivity Tools
Among remote employees, productivity is a key factor. A key component of managing remote team members is ensuring that everyone works as productively as possible.
Basecamp
Basecamp is a well-liked option among managers, teams, independent contractors, and agencies because of its straightforward functionality, simple aesthetic, and graceful usage. It is a software program for team collaboration and project management that enables effective client communication and project management.
It provides various features and tools for idea sharing, planning dialogues, and keeping everyone on the same page throughout the project. At the same time, you are subject to restrictions like the absence of time monitoring, the inability to archive subjects, the absence of subtasks, the absence of a formal team structure, the availability of only external integrations, etc. Organizations and teams, particularly those expanding, are searching for the finest Basecamp alternatives precisely because of these restrictions.
Well, no tool is perfect. Ultimately, whether a tool is best for your business will depend on your unique demands. So, if Basecamp sounds like a reasonable option to you, give it a try.
Video calls and screen sharing
Here's the list of the best video calls and screen-sharing tools.
Zoom
Zoom is a group calling software with outstanding video quality. It has a simple price, is quite reasonable, and is simple to use. You have the option to record any call with a full-length video throughout remote meetings and video chats. For group chats, you can let teams share your screen. Other Zoom products include voice sharing, meetings, video webinars, Zoom rooms, and corporate IM.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams enables users to collaborate on documents, chat, and video conferences. You can set up different "teams" where participants can assign tasks, write posts, exchange documents, and leave comments. Microsoft Teams is only appropriate for businesses who already use Microsoft products for their other work since it offers you accessibility to all of the company's important applications in one location.
Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts allows you to communicate with other Google users or make voice/video conversations. Both its native mobile apps and the web are ways to access Hangouts. Users of Gmail can access Hangouts immediately from the bottom left of their email screen.
Screenflow Tools
You should check out Screenflow if you're seeking a high-fidelity screen-sharing solution with your virtual team. The Mac program Screenflow makes it simple to record your screen (as well as audio) and share it with teammates. A free trial is available, so you can check out the basic package ($129), which I highly suggest (it adds a watermark to your videos).
Additionally, it offers Dropbox file sharing, one-click publishing, and gif export, all of which are convenient.
I've talked about mockups and designs using it. You can also record team or company meetings. Because you can immediately share the results with your team, it's also an excellent tool for conducting remote user testing sessions.
Note-Taking
Here's a list of Note-Taking apps that will help you in your professional life.
Milanote
Milanote is a note-taking software geared at artists. Images, color swatches, directions, text, links with previews of respective websites, and emoticons are all shown on a pasteboard-like interface. You cannot write notes in your handwriting or do freehand illustrations. Your boards can be shared with collaborators so they can coedit them in real-time and make comments. You can also publish your boards for public viewing. It was a restricted, web-only release when Milanote initially went on sale. In addition to having a web clipper, it is now accessible on desktop and mobile devices. Since the initial release, the cost has also decreased. Though it still has a lot of space for growth, Milanote is useful software for creatives.
Miro
With Miro's online whiteboard, you and your team can work together on various projects even when you are geographically separated. You can utilize Miro during synchronous meetings if your team members are spread out across multiple time zones.
There are so many elements on the digital whiteboard that the options for work are unlimited. You can manage projects from the brainstorming stage up to the finished product. Utilizing Miro's whiteboard has advantages in that you can add resources, such as photographs and images, to your projects and interact with other applications to keep everything in one place.
With Miro, it's simple for you and your team to collaborate in real-time and exchange ideas.
Summary
We anticipate increasing remote working software created expressly to aid distributed teams as more teams switch to remote work due to COVID-19.
Technology has improved remarkably over the past several years, and we're eager to see what remote team collaboration and communication technologies will emerge in the future.
Selleo provides help and guidance for you to select the tools you need if you want to keep your team informed with daily stand-ups and a simple-to-use planner.
Contact us for more details.
