Embracing a remote workforce has many advantages from both employer and employee perspectives. Employers can take advantage of a more extensive talent pool, as well as reap the benefits of increased productivity evidenced in remote work. Remote workers also enjoy a better work life balance with less stress and higher job satisfaction rates. Remote work is also becoming much more common due to the powerful tools available on the market to keep teams connected without having to be in the same physical location. Here’s a closer look at some of the best business apps for remote workers.
Collaboration Tools
Without a shared, physical location to promote collaboration and interaction among team members, it’s easy for remote workers to feel isolated. Collaboration tools help remote workers stay connected and reduce the chance of miscommunication by keeping them constantly engaged via chat or video communication.
Slack
Slack is a group messaging app that helps your remote team members stay connected through private and group chat features. Message threads are stored and searchable, and this tool integrates with other business tools you may be using, including Google Drive and MailChimp.
Zoom
It is another remote team collaboration tool that, in addition to chat, offers voice and video meeting capabilities to help teams connect in more personal modes. Zoom reviewers on TrustRadius mention system reliability, video calling, and sharing tools as top features.
File Sharing Apps
Remote teams need to have file storage and sharing capabilities to best keep track of important business documents and maintain security and version control.
Google Drive
Google Drive is a widely used file sharing app that is easy to use and gives remote teams access to share and edit files. You can control who has access to your files, and designate permissions for others both inside and outside your organization.
Dropbox
It is another great option for sharing files, especially ones that are too large to efficiently share via email, such as photos. DropBox reviewers on TrustRadius praise the tool’s drag and drop feature, file organization and ease of use.
Remote Tech Assistance
One of the challenges of working remotely is that you don’t have an IT professional on-site to help when computer issues arise or you need help with your business technology.
TeamViewer
TeamViewer is a remote desktop tool that allows your IT professional to log into your computer, see the screen and functions, and remotely assess and help with any issues you may be experiencing. In addition to remote tech access, this app also offers a suite of collaboration tools including video conferencing and file sharing.
TrustRadius reviews of TeamViewer often highlight the flexibility and functionality of this solution, particularly in how well it works across different desktop and mobile devices and programs.
There are an array of business apps for remote workers on the market that are designed to support a growing remote workforce, and at times, this level of options might make it hard for you to know what’s best for your business. Using user reviews can help you research what other remote companies similar to yours are using successfully, and leverage them to guide your decision on what business apps will best support your remote work needs. Learn how your team can succeed while working remotely in our blog.
Jeni Rogers is a researcher and regular contributor to TrustRadius, where she shares her knowledge of the latest trends in B2B news and software.
