The era of remote work has begun.

 

It all started with the global pandemic that startled the world in 2020. One and a half years later, remote working has become the new normal in several industries. According to a study conducted by Forbes, 74% of professionals expect remote work to become a standard now.

 

And for many, the kind of comfort, safety, and flexibility that a work-from-home setup brings is unmatched. When employees are comfortable and at ease, their productivity and efficiency levels tend to increase, and they suffer less from stress and burnout.

 

Moreover, we live in an age of incredibly advanced technology, where setting up a professional workstation at home has become easier than ever. Thanks to cloud technology and the internet, your teams can collaborate in real-time, no matter where they are in the world. 

 

Remote Work Challenges

 

Still, it’s not all good news. Remote work comes with its own set of challenges and struggles. Your employees will need a reliable Internet connection, video conferencing applications, considerable storage space on their devices, and access to the same tools and technologies they’d be able to use if they were in an office.

 

So, as an employer, you must empower your employees with the right set of remote work tools so that they can excel in such a work environment without struggling. For example, having efficient cloud-based tools is particularly important as they enable you to securely share confidential documents with your team, provide robust scalability, and track everything that’s going on in your organization.

 

Let’s walk you through some of the remote work tools that will make working from home easier and more productive for your employees.

 

1. Video Conferencing Tools

 

Nothing can beat the experience of having in-person meetings with your team, but video conferencing has emerged as the next best solution. When all your employees are working from different locations, video conferencing solutions help them stay connected. 

 

Having a high-quality video conferencing tool is vital when your employees are working away from the office on complex projects. It allows you to have face-to-face meetings remotely, discuss challenges and strategies, conduct interviews, and simply get on with all your work as you would do in your office. 

 

Here are some of the best video conferencing tools:

 

• Zoom
• Skype
• Microsoft Teams
• GoToMeeting

 

2.Desktop Virtualization Tools

 

Not every employee will be able to install or leverage the same solutions you have on your office computers. And you may not want them to. Accessing your systems remotely can open you up to security risks, especially if your employees don’t have standard internet security tools installed on their devices.

 

Desktop virtualization tools allow your employees to connect company computers with their computers while working from different locations. In practice, they can provide all your employees with the same computing experience no matter where they are in the world. They reduce their computing load while improving the overall efficiency, and remove the need for your employees to download and install critical software on their home devices.

 

Such tools enable you to streamline your company’s processes, enhance connectivity, boost flexibility and reliability, and reduce unnecessary costs as well.

 

Here’s a list of some great desktop virtualization tools to get you started:

 

• Amazon Workspace
• Azure Virtual Desktop
• Cisco Virtualization Experience Infrastructure
• Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops

 

3 . Cloud storage Tools

 

With the growing number of security breaches and cyber-attacks, online safety has become a big concern for every organization. However, when your employees work remotely, virtually sharing crucial documents and files becomes necessary.

 

That’s where cloud storage tools come into the picture. They enable your employees to share confidential documents, files, reports, and assets securely with one another. Another benefit of using cloud storage is you can easily access important files from anywhere in the world if you have an internet connection. 

 

Such tools also provide an excellent backup for your local storage. They also ensure your employees won’t run out of storage space on their devices and they prevent your assets from falling into the wrong hands.

 

Some of the most popular Cloud storage tools are: 

 

• Google Drive
• Microsoft OneDrive
• Dropbox Business
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)

 

4. Task and Project Management Tools

 

In the office, you can track tasks on a whiteboard or a physical task list if you want. But even then, project management software can make your projects more manageable. As such, task and project management tools play a vital role in the remote work environment. 

 

When you have ten different people working from ten different locations on a common project, tracking everyone’s progress must be streamlined and standardized. With the right set of task and project management tools, you can track progress remotely and get a 360-degree view of your team’s progress. 

 

They also enable you to easily assign work to team members, set deadlines, organize your projects, provide easier access to important files and documents, and more.

 

Here are a few of the most popular task and project management tools: 

 

• Asana
• Zoho Projects
• Basecamp
• Monday.com

 

5. Time Tracking Tools

 

Another valuable set of remote work tools are time tracking applications and software. 

 

These are essential to ensure that your team members stay focused on their job while working remotely. They also ensure your employees don’t end up working over their standard capacity. 

 

With the help of time tracking tools, you can keep a record of time spent on specific projects. You can measure the number of hours each employee dedicates to a project, too. This is a great solution for contracted employees, as it enables you to compensate them accordingly and maintain a reliable record of their work. 

 

Here are a few of the most prominent time tracking tools:  

 

• Time Doctor
• Clockify
• Timely
• Toggl

 

6. Collaboration Tools

 

Lastly, you should consider adopting some collaboration tools. Many of the tools listed above have a collaboration component, but they may not offer the types of solutions you need to collaborate on creative projects or specific technology projects, such as software development. 

 

To create a harmonious virtual working atmosphere, employees must have a space to collaborate, talk about different things and share their thoughts and ideas. Effective collaboration plays a huge role in making each member of your remote workforce feel like they are a part of the team and community. 

 

Many of these tools are designed for specific needs and purposes like virtual collaboration, audiovisual collaboration, and more. They also promote the productivity and efficiency of employees.

 

Here are some of the top collaboration tools available:

 

• Slack
• Wrike
• Yammer
• Miro

 

Empower Your Remote Employees

 

Whether you’re engaged in remote work as a temporary measure or considering it as a permanent alternative, you need a strong suite of tools to empower your remote employees.

 

Providing your employees with a robust set of remote work tools helps them get the work done on time, eliminate inefficiencies, and ensure your operations run smoothly.

 

For more information about how to select, implement, and leverage remote work tools, contact us today at Uvation.