Before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work tools and technology were becoming essential for teams across offices and time zones. In 2019, 4.7 million US workers worked from home at least half the time, with 62% occasionally working remotely.
Due to the pandemic, more companies are moving to work-from-home arrangements. Managers need remote work tools to streamline operations and keep up with constantly changing projects, campaigns, and initiatives.
Custom web portal development can maximize the teleworking experience for geographically dispersed teams.
Many remote work collaboration tools and apps offer customized web portal development services. Some of these tools require a monthly or annual subscription fee for advanced features and multiple user accounts.
We'll look at the best remote work tools for managers in a post-pandemic world. We'll also discuss remote collaboration tools for managing projects and ensuring teamwork regardless of location.
Remote Collaboration Tools
Slack
Slack is widely recognized as a top application for distributed teams. Slack is the “virtual office” for many companies prioritizing remote work, such as Zapier, Buffer, and Help Scout, allowing instant feedback and communication between individuals and teams.
Slack's ability to integrate with third-party apps that generate reports on a business activity like new email subscribers and product reviews stands out. Bots can also make the platform more entertaining and interactive for staff members.
The remote Buffer team uses Slack, Zoom, Buffer, Dropbox Paper, and Trello as part of their technology stack. They even use the HeyTaco! Integration in Slack to have some lighthearted fun recognizing each other's efforts throughout the day.
On the other hand, Zapier relies on Slack to relay timely updates to team members during brainstorming sessions.
Signing up for Design Club gives you access to a Slack channel and a weekly video call to get feedback from your Zapier peers and stakeholders in real time or asynchronously.
Slack is a must-have for distributed teams that want to communicate, collaborate, and manage projects effectively.
Zoom
The days of shoddy video conferencing software causing problems for telecommuters are over. A few short years ago, frozen screens and audio problems were commonplace.
Zoom's meteoric rise from 2014's 30,000 users to 2017's over 700,000 is proof of the company's revolutionary impact on the video conferencing industry.
Zoom's features have made it the platform of choice for distributed teams thanks to its facilitation of virtual communication and collaboration.
The People Ops Manager at Help Scout, Leah Knobler, is delighted with the software and has said that virtual meetings involving as many as 65 people, like the company's all-hands meetings, run smoothly and efficiently every time.
Zoom is also used for Help Scout's informal hangouts, called “Troop Talks,” in which participants share their experiences in response to various prompts.
InVision
In the world of design programs, InVision is without peers. Why are remote teams like Trello, Treehouse, and Help Scout enthusiastic about its 4.5/5 rating on G2 Crowd and Capterra and 8.5/10 rating on TrustRadius?
Throughout the design process—from initial wireframing to final presentations—InVision keeps distributed teams in sync. It's an all-inclusive set of design tools that facilitates real-time teamwork, feedback tracking, and stakeholder presentations.
Help Scout co-founder and current CEO Nick Francis gushes, “InVision is an absolute game-changer.” To quote the designer, “The little details are executed flawlessly, and it keeps our remote team in sync throughout the entire design process.”
Treehouse's Product Designer Jeremy Jantz agreed, saying, “InVision helps our distributed design team stay in sync.
With this method, we can efficiently and effectively demonstrate interactions, track feedback from all team members, and facilitate asynchronous design discussions. We've tried a lot of rapid prototyping tools, and this one is the best by far.
The Freehand digital whiteboard by InVision is an invaluable resource for in-the-moment teamwork. As a crucial part of the design process, it enables designers to do things like wireframing, planning, presenting, and receiving feedback from team members and stakeholders.
Remote Communication Tools
Remote work tools have become essential for geographically distributed teams due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What website development solutions help teams achieve goals from anywhere, creating a productive and engaging workplace? Let’s figure it out!
Say goodbye to dull and unreliable video conferencing software with Zoom, the ultimate solution for remote teams.
Zoom has everything you need to communicate and collaborate with your team, all in one platform. Not only can you conduct virtual meetings with 100 participants, but you can also record and store meetings for later reference.
Features:
- Video conferencing with in-conference chat
- Screen sharing for seamless collaboration
- Call recording for easy playback
- Ideal for larger conferences, webinars, or meetings.
And here are some of the pros and cons:
- Pros: With Zoom, you can create custom meeting links, host webinars, and hold more extensive talks with ease.
- Cons: Some users have reported occasional glitches in recording and playback and low video and audio quality.
- Cost: Get started for free, or choose from different subscription plans ranging from $14.99 to $19.99 monthly.
Microsoft Teams
Are you seeking a communication tool that works seamlessly with your Microsoft products? Look no further than Microsoft Teams, the perfect solution for any business that needs one central messaging app.
With Teams, you can chat, create channels, and schedule meetings, all while staying connected to other Microsoft tools.
Features:
- Workflow simplification thanks to compatibility with other Microsoft programs
- Chat and messaging for real-time communication
- Audio calling and meeting scheduling with Outlook integration.
Best For Companies and startups primarily use Microsoft products and need one central messaging app.
- Pros: Users love how Microsoft Teams integrates with MS 360, making it easy to keep everything connected.
- Cons: However, Microsoft Teams can be challenging to use alongside tools not by Microsoft, such as Google Docs.
- Cost: Free to sign-up and use.
Google Meet
Say hello to your new go-to instant messaging and video conferencing app with Google Hangouts. With its easy-to-use interface and seamless integration with other Google apps, Hangouts is a popular choice for personal and professional communication.
Features:
- Messaging and video calls for instant communication
- Google application integrations for easy access to your favorite apps.
Best For All team sizes, in-house or remote.
- Pros: Hangouts integrates with most Google apps to access your Gmail inbox. Plus, installing the app on your phone for on-the-go communication is easy.
- Cons: Hangouts is best suited for casual conversations and is not designed for more formal meetings.
- Cost: Free to sign-up and use.
Conclusion
Managers need the right tools to manage changing projects and initiatives with seamless communication and collaboration.
Remote work collaboration tools and apps offer custom web portal development to enhance teleworking.
Managers seeking website development solutions post-pandemic should use Slack, Zoom, and InVision for virtual communication, teamwork, feedback tracking, and stakeholder presentations.
However, Zoom and Microsoft Teams combine video conferencing, real-time messaging, and audio calling.