Nearly every business worldwide has experienced a massive shift in its mode of operation. The COVID-19 pandemic has made remote work a standard for many.
An Owl Labs survey found that many workers would prefer going remote long after the pandemic.
What’s interesting is that employers are enjoying a massive boost in productivity, thanks to this new trend.
According to a Mercer survey, 90% of respondents saw improved performance since moving employees to the work-from-home model. In addition, 82% of them welcome the idea of embracing a flexible working arrangement to keep productivity high.
While remote work certainly helps with performance, it requires the right tools.
Anything from employee engagement to team management can also impact the output of remote workers. All the same, using the best tools available is the best way to get off to the right start.
You might ask, “How can I track employee productivity remotely?” Well, here are some remote working apps you should consider. We have organized them for maximum productivity, project management, communication and collaboration, and word processing.
The Best Remote Working Apps
1. Todoist: For Productivity
Todoist is an app that was designed to help you focus. You can raise the productivity of remote employees by getting them to keep to scheduled tasks, and this is where the app excels.
With filters, labels, and other features, you can use Todoist to do more than create to-do lists. The activity board is tailor-made to address the full spectrum of workplace needs.
Todoist is also useful for teams. With this tool, your employees can cultivate a habit of listing out daily tasks and completing them as scheduled.
The subscription plans available on Todoist are not costly. You can pay as low as $4 per month for teams, and features like priority support and shared team with the Pro and Business plans.
2. Traqq: For Productivity and Workforce Monitoring
Traqq is a remote working app that team managers rely on to monitor telecommuting staff and prepare payrolls. As well as being one of the top free time tracking apps around, it also gives you a whole range of other monitoring features. You can use it to track the websites visited, apps used, and activity levels.
As much as it monitors apps and websites your employees visit, it doesn’t invade their privacy. Screenshots are blurred out and the program stops tracking once it’s turned off. The feature allows you and your workers to understand what’s eating into working hours, giving them an idea of what they should spend less time on.
The tool is also location-agnostic. This means your remote workers can use it regardless of where they are telecommuting from.
3. Trello: For Project Management
Trello has become synonymous with project management. The app essentially gives you a wide board to assign tasks to your employees, monitor, and manage them. Your employees can easily post what projects they have completed and which they are yet to do.
With Trello, the keyword is organization. The app helps you manage every task and little detail in the workplace and your remote employees. It is also a suitable tool to stimulate a collaborative routine among your workers.
Trello is also reasonably priced and offers a variety of options ranging between $5 and $17.5 per month.
4. Basecamp: For Project Management
Basecamp is one of the more popular remote working apps for project management. It is also one of the oldest, so it has a solid track record. Besides task allocation and monitoring, it lets you manage workflow due to its integration with apps like Slack and Google Meet.
Basecamp is essentially an elaborate—but digital—office table. You can see employees that are working on tasks and those who aren’t. What’s more, it is not limited to one or ten team members.
The pricing structure for Basecamp varies based on the plan you want and storage space.
5. Microsoft Teams: For Video Conferencing
Microsoft Teams is a simple chat-based app that was designed particularly for teams. Its primary function is video conferencing. So, you can use it to keep an eye on your employees from time to time. However, it has more features that generally help you manage workflows effortlessly and keep your workers engaged.
Microsoft Teams is especially useful for large-scale businesses with team leaders. You can convey instructions to up to 20 of these team leaders and have them do the same to their team members. Everything is live and there is an option for mobile devices.
There is also a range of pricing plans. These include the Free plan, the Business Basic plan, Business Standard plan, etc. Costs vary with each plan.
6. Google Meet: For Video Conferencing
Google Meet is a trendy, easy-to-use, and lightweight tool for video conferencing. Due to the massive Google ecosystem, the app is everywhere. Even so, its features and value are not less than the more purpose-specific apps for remote work.
Google Meet lets you organize live meetings with up to 100 employees. Because it is chat-based, there are a number of features that you use to engage your workers. A popular one is hand-raising. Another is a community of users which lets you get quick answers to inquiries or complaints.
The free-tier option for Google Meet is probably the best out there. However, you will get far more value from the paid subscription plans, varying from $6 for business starters to $18 per month for enterprises.
7. Google Docs: For Office Work and Word Processing
Writing is a constant in every workplace. You can easily meet this need by using Google Docs. One of the biggest advantages it brings to remote work is easy online collaboration. This app is appropriate for employees and teams with multiple writing tasks.
Google Docs is part of the Google office suite, most of which are for free. So, your employees working remotely can write reports and create slideshows and spreadsheets. The options for sharing are also useful, as multiple people can work on the same document at the same time.
With Google Docs, you also get easy access to Grammarly. So, you and your employees can easily proofread and improve the quality of your writing. Also, Google Docs is free, which makes it one of the best apps for remote workers for new and small-scale businesses.
Conclusion
With these remote working apps, you no longer need to slap your forehead asking, “How can I track employee productivity remotely?” You can join the employers and team managers experiencing exponential growth in workforce engagement and productivity.