5 software for your remote work team

Good communication and an efficient work process have always been a part of any job. There have to be tools or processes available that systemically structure how the work plays out. In the office environment, this is done by actual meetings in the office, direct communication between colleagues and emailing. The remote work environment functions a lot differently. When working remotely, there is a need for different software that allow for meetings to happen, work processes and results to be monitored and that gives tools to manage communication and work operations.

Slack

Slack is one of the best online communication tools for remote work in the professional world. It offers the possibility to communicate with specific people one on one or in rooms which are group conversations. For those that like and use Facebook Messenger, Slack will be perfect since it is the work synonym of Facebook. It is also a flexible app because it supports asynchronous work. It means that when working in channels you can access all the information at any given time comfortable for you. Finally, the app is inclusive. Everyone in the company can access the same searchable and shared information. Employees stay connected and channels give an opportunity to make decisions faster and manage the working process better. However, remember that since it is an online communication app, the number of conversations or groups may become overwhelming and could pose a distraction to work so be mindful of that.

Trello

Trello is a productivity and work management app that tracks team projects, highlights tasks and monitors the whole process until completion. It is based on the principles of Kanban that uses project boards to organize the workflow tasks and have an overview of the whole project. The main components of trello are boards, cards and lists. It starts from boards which focus on a project, the lists in each board indicate the progress of the project and individual cards in lists have information about specific tasks. This tool is great for remote team management because it separates the tasks in stages and allows for asynchronous communication through individual commenting. The app is free from the start with paid plans starting at $10.

Zoom

Probably everyone has tried or at least heard of the virtual meeting software Zoom since the pandemic started in 2020. The popularity of the software surged when the COVID-19 crisis happened. From the start it became one of the leading platforms for online meetings and gained its ground in many companies. Zoom allows you to create virtual meeting rooms for people to communicate through video and audio, you can also share your screen, share files and use text chat while being in the meeting publicly or privately. Zoom platform can be used on the computer desktop or as a mobile app and signing up is free.

Firstbase

This software is relatively new and helps companies set up their workers to do work from anywhere setting up, managing and retrieving the physical equipment. It includes automated onboarding (employees choose the products they want), equipment tracking with the touch of a button, efficient and fast offboarding giving the possibility to retrieve everything and reuse for the future, simple expense management. Firstbase software spins around the remote work revolution and since remote work will not disappear, invites people to seek better experiences for employees and higher quality of life using it.

Crystal

Crystal is an interesting software that helps fix the problem of colleagues not understanding each other in their job or not being acquainted with the personality of the employee. It uses machine learning to predict the DISC (dominant, influential, conscientious and steady) profile through personality tests. It is a great way to find out the personalities of individual employees and how you work together. You can take a free personality test when you sign up on the software and this way you understand the styles of people that you work with in a remote team. Crystal also gives an opportunity to see these results on Gmail and LinkedIn.

Software is an important and integral part of remote work. It helps employees effectively manage their tasks, communicate and overall replace things that should be done in the office. For managers, software means a way of creating a strong and collaborative remote team that knows everything they are doing and stay updated with their colleagues. We wrote a recent article about 5 software that would be great for a remote work team (link to the article is here).

Having read the article, which software do you personally think would make or makes your job the most efficient and time-saving?

Slack
Crystal
Zoom
Firstbase
Trello