If are still undecided about remote working for your employees, then it might be that this article is for you. There are many benefits to remote working, including reduced office overheads, a better work-life balance for employees, and the opportunity to hire globally.
Thanks to many of today’s technologies, remote working can be made easier than ever before. If you are on the fence, then you might be swayed towards remote working after checking out the tech that we showcase here. Keep reading to learn more and consider the advantages for your business.
#1: Mobile hotspots
Many of your employees will have an internet connection at home already, but as you probably understand yourself, speed and reliability can sometimes be an issue. This is why mobile hotspots are invaluable. Some of them, such as this hotspot rental, are based around 5G technology, meaning your employees will benefit from a fast and strong connection, no matter where they are in the house. Of course, mobile hotspots can be used outside of the home too, so if your remote employees want to work elsewhere, they have the option to do so.
#2: Team chat applications
Phone calls and emails are two obvious communication methods for your employees but there are clear flaws. Phone calls can be expensive and emailing back and forth can be a slow and laborious process. There are better solutions, including these team chat applications. Free versions are available on most of these applications although paid options provide extra features that could prove invaluable.
No matter which application your business uses, the purposes for each are generally the same; to provide immediate chat functionalities for team members needing to collaborate. Of course, as remote working can sometimes be a lonely experience, the chat features on these apps can also be used as a means for people to stay in touch with each other socially.
#3: Video conferencing apps
These are another way for your employees to stay in touch with one another and you can have face-to-face meetings with your employees too. Your employees can also use these apps to have meetings with clients, although it’s worth reminding them to be mindful of these video conferencing fails when conducting meetings from home. Zoom and Skype are the technologies most commonly used although other video conferencing apps are available. Many of them allow for group chats as well as solo conversations, so they can be used for meetings both large and small.
#4: Password managers
Unfortunately, there are cyber risks associated with remote working. Security breaches are common and during the pandemic, hackers turned their attention to those working from home. Thankfully, there are ways to mitigate some of these risks using VPN and cloud backup technologies. You can also remind your employees to keep their firewalls and anti-virus software up to date with the latest security patches.
Another way to combat hackers is to use password managers. They reduce the need to remember a lot of different passwords as they can store all of your employees’ account passwords in an encrypted database. Provided the password for the database (and all passwords within) aren’t easily guessable, hackers will have a harder time gaining access to any of the business accounts that your employees access from home. These are some of the best password managers currently available so consider each in relation to your budget.
#5: Virtual office suites
It’s not easy being apart from your employees, especially when you need to collaborate with them on the projects that are key to your business. Thankfully, your life can be made easier with a virtual office suite, as you can share files, manage projects, use team chat options, benefit from video calling, share your computer screen, and more. It’s this collaboration that reduces the need for extra meetings as almost every task related to your business can be coordinated from one online base. To understand more, here is a list of the best virtual office software recommended for remote working.
#6: Website blockers
How can website blockers aid remote workers? Well, the answer is probably obvious. Remote workers can encounter a wide range of distractions, including family members, the television, and friendly neighbors popping by to say hello. Your employees will have to find their own ways to avoid these distractions but when it comes to that other common distraction, time-eating websites, you can encourage the use of website blockers.
What websites are we talking about? Facebook is probably a biggie but we are talking about any other non-work-related website that your employees have bookmarked. Work won’t get done if they get sucked into the virtual rabbit hole of the internet which is why website blockers are useful. Access can be removed for a set number of hours, meaning your employees will have more time to focus on the work they should be doing for you.
#7: Remote desktop software
Remote desktop apps can securely connect your employees to a computer at another location, such as one that is sat within your business premises. This is handy if they need to access certain information that they left behind on the computer at HQ. This type of software is also useful for screen sharing, so if you need to view your employee’s computer, or if they need IT help, remote access can be granted.
There are a number of remote tools available, including TeamViewer, Chrome Remote Desktop, and Apple Remote Desktop. They each have their own features so it’s worth shopping around for the apps that will be useful for your particular business needs and devices.
Finally
We have barely scratched the surface here, as there are a wide number of technologies available, including project management apps, screen recording tools, to-do list apps, and more. The takeaway is this, however. All of these technologies can be implemented by employers considering remote working for their employees.
So, if this is a possibility for your business, consider what we have suggested here. Then commit to further research to learn more about the different technologies both you and your employees can use when working outside of the office.
