Remote work has been around for a long time, but recently, it has begun to make up a significant percentage of the overall workforce. In fact, 26% of all U.S. employees work remotely in some capacity, highlighting just how important remote work has become.
With the shift towards remote work, technological advancements have been necessary to ensure that productive working environments are available to the workforce from anywhere. In this article, we will cover some of the many tech tools that make remote work accessible and possible.
Meetings are an essential part of any work environment. They’re the place for direct communication, shared ideas, and important brainstorming. While physically away from the office and your coworkers, having meetings is just as, if not more important. However, without the physical meeting space, it can be more difficult to plan out a time that works for everyone and virtually round up the team.
Due to challenges like this, using a meeting scheduler can be an effective tool while working remotely. With access to your schedule and availability, your team can easily establish meetings that work for them and ensure no scheduling conflicts occur. Since everything else about your workspace has gone digital, using tech to update your schedule is a logical next step.
They also represent a foundational change in business-client relationships, eliminating the need for traveling for meetings, helping keep an open communication line, and allowing for a stronger relationship overall. Meeting remotely with clients from the office is a technological leap that has changed the business world for the better.
The document sharing aspect of these solutions eliminates the need for physical data transfer via USB, outside of data backup, meaning that remote or not, you can easily access all of your work and work shared with you by your co-workers. This technology easily enables remote and hybrid work, as coalescing all work data into a digital library allows for digital-based work.
These tools allow for your group to communicate in a private setting exclusive to your team and company, outside of personal phone numbers. Having a centralized messaging system simplifies the method of communication for everyone, allowing conversations, questions, and even simple polls to be easily held on a day to day basis.
These platforms, alongside video conferencing, have helped nurture the online workspace to truly resemble the in-person experience. No longer are the break room conversations exclusive to those in the office!
These tools help provide the oversight of a project lead without their needing their presence 24/7. Establishing your plan through these tools means you can monitor your team remotely, and they can work meaningfully remotely on any pending projects.
Working remotely might not mark the end of the future of working, but the tech created to make it a viable option have impacted the business world forever. Only time will tell how remote work will continue to influence the future of business.
With the shift towards remote work, technological advancements have been necessary to ensure that productive working environments are available to the workforce from anywhere. In this article, we will cover some of the many tech tools that make remote work accessible and possible.
1. Schedules can be digitized
Meetings are an essential part of any work environment. They’re the place for direct communication, shared ideas, and important brainstorming. While physically away from the office and your coworkers, having meetings is just as, if not more important. However, without the physical meeting space, it can be more difficult to plan out a time that works for everyone and virtually round up the team.
Due to challenges like this, using a meeting scheduler can be an effective tool while working remotely. With access to your schedule and availability, your team can easily establish meetings that work for them and ensure no scheduling conflicts occur. Since everything else about your workspace has gone digital, using tech to update your schedule is a logical next step.
2. Conference rooms aren’t just locations
Whether you decide to digitize your schedule or keep it old school, determining the medium of your meeting is the next bridge to cross. Fortunately, the answer is simple - video conferencing software. Since the pandemic, tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become necessities in the remote workspace. These allow you to easily host meetings, share screens, and play with a variety of tools that elevate your meeting beyond a simple video call.They also represent a foundational change in business-client relationships, eliminating the need for traveling for meetings, helping keep an open communication line, and allowing for a stronger relationship overall. Meeting remotely with clients from the office is a technological leap that has changed the business world for the better.
3. Documents can be collaborated on simultaneously
While meetings can help inspire collaboration, working with your team can be difficult to coordinate when you are in a remote setting. Luckily, document sharing and collaboration solutions, such as Google Drive and Dropbox, allow you and your team to remotely share your work, contribute simultaneously, and seamlessly shift between multiple devices. This technology is an essential reason as to why remote work has become accessible.The document sharing aspect of these solutions eliminates the need for physical data transfer via USB, outside of data backup, meaning that remote or not, you can easily access all of your work and work shared with you by your co-workers. This technology easily enables remote and hybrid work, as coalescing all work data into a digital library allows for digital-based work.
4. Digital conversation is possible
Outside of meetings, communication with your co-workers and team remains an important aspect of the workflow and general productivity. Email might work for effective one-on-one situations, but can often fall short for group communication. This is where team chat tools shine.These tools allow for your group to communicate in a private setting exclusive to your team and company, outside of personal phone numbers. Having a centralized messaging system simplifies the method of communication for everyone, allowing conversations, questions, and even simple polls to be easily held on a day to day basis.
These platforms, alongside video conferencing, have helped nurture the online workspace to truly resemble the in-person experience. No longer are the break room conversations exclusive to those in the office!
5. Workflows can be coordinated online
Project management tools, such as Trello, Hive and Asana, are really the cherry on top for all the aforementioned tech tools, as they work to integrate a variety of these tools to establish workflows that really work. Workflows can help you avoid common issues while maintaining productivity. Organize your work into phases, establish priorities on specific documents, and communicate the overall plan to your whole team. These platforms create order to your collaboration, and organize the process into a singular digital solution.These tools help provide the oversight of a project lead without their needing their presence 24/7. Establishing your plan through these tools means you can monitor your team remotely, and they can work meaningfully remotely on any pending projects.
Revel in the tech revolution
Even if you don’t plan to work remotely yourself, familiarizing yourself with technology that makes it possible can only be beneficial. Not only does it help you stay ahead of the curve by learning important skills before they are needed, but it also provides you the skills to work remotely if suddenly necessary. The tools themselves are also great, helping even a totally in-person office up their overall productivity.Working remotely might not mark the end of the future of working, but the tech created to make it a viable option have impacted the business world forever. Only time will tell how remote work will continue to influence the future of business.