Productive remote work: 8 useful tools

Remote work is becoming more and more popular not only because of the threat conditions (COVID-19 pandemic) but also due to the spread of the digital nomad lifestyle in the last few years. The development of technology made it possible for many service companies to offer their employees benefits in the form of remote work from home or from any other corner of the world.

Ensuring effective remote work is possible thanks to various types of tools that allow for the maintenance of communication between team members as well as task planning. They are useful not only for employers who can manage and monitor tasks but also for employees, so they can plan their workday more efficiently.

Communication

Slack

Slack is one of the most popular messengers around the world. In addition to talking to one contractor, the tool also allows you to create channels in which all team members can participate. The biggest advantage of Slack is the availability of numerous integrations and applications that allow you to add selected functionalities. Among other things, the tool can be combined with Asana for easier task management or with GitHub for effective version control.

Zoom

Video conferencing is an integral part of remote work. Especially when all team members work outside the office. Zoom is a great tool for online conferences in which up to 100 people can participate (in the free version). One of the basic functions is also screen sharing.

Telegram

Over the past few years, Telegram has gained great popularity as a secure messenger. However, it can be used not only for private purposes. Thanks to message encryption, Telegram is a useful tool for communication within the team during the project realization. Due to the fact that messages can contain information about clients or projects, companies often decide to use a messenger that provides a higher level of security.

Productivity and project management

Todoist

Planning is one of the most important aspects of remote work. Todoist is an intuitive tool whose main function is managing tasks. In addition, Todoist facilitates teamwork thanks to the ability to delegate tasks and share projects.

Trello

Trello is also a task planning tool, which, unlike Todoist, allows you to organize tasks in the form of a board rather than a list. Thanks to this, all tasks, including deadlines and assigned persons, are visible in one view. Each board can be assigned to a selected project or team, making task management much easier.

Asana

Asana is a tool that combines project management with task planning. Asana offers a wide range of functionalities, including monitoring project progress and individual tasks, analyzing team productivity and calendar management. The tool has the most benefits for teams that are involved in a few projects at once.

Time management

HubStaff

The skillful time management in remote work is quite a difficult task. Therefore, tools that allow you to monitor working time is a useful tool not only for the employer but also for the employees themselves. HubStaff allows you to collect data on applications and programs that are used by employees. Such a tool helps to increase the efficiency of work and improve the performance of tasks.

TimeCamp

TimeCamp is a similar tool. In addition to monitoring working time, it divides applications and programs into categories, so that the time spent productively in the report is marked differently than, e.g. social media. However, the employer has the option of editing categories and can change which software or websites are considered unproductive.