The concept of work from home or remote productivity is not new. That is when COVID-19 hit us, many of us decided to adopt this approach. With the social distancing norms in place, it makes sense for employers to encourage their employees to work from home. However, there is one criticism to it- people believe that work from home doesn’t guarantee the same results as compared to working from the office. With the lack of vigilance, motivation, and proper communication, an employee may not function well.
That’s why people turn towards the tech tools to maintain productivity and stay connected with their teammates.
Best Remote Working Tools in 2020
Below is the list of 6 apps, which will assist you in every possible way. Let’s take a look at it.
Slack
It is a messaging app that is ideal for team communication. Small teams can use this app for free to interact with one another. There are different channels through which people can join and leave at their own convenience. Apart from this, you can place video/voice calls and share important files without any trouble. The app also offers a ‘Screen Share’ option, where you can show your work to others and build a strong collaboration. Slack is available for all platforms- iOS, Android, and Windows.
Notion
It is designed as a multi-functional app, which offers various components like calendars, databases, wikis, among others. You can take the help of these components and design your own systems for note-taking, project management, knowledge management, etc. Since 2016, the app has managed to add a lot of users to its list of ‘Happy Customers’. As far as pricing is concerned, it’s free for individuals but the teams have to pay a minimum of $8/month per user.
Zoom
Communication has to be on the toes when you work from home. With so many video calling apps like facetime, skype, etc. Zoom, in particular, is designed to fulfill this requirement. The app allows its users to place group video calls (for free) with up to 100 participants at once. It takes care of all your formal meetings and is the ideal platform for it. Apart from this, you can share files, conduct webinars, and even message one another (if the need arises).
Toggl
This app is quite useful for freelancers. Toggl helps its users to measure the amount of time spent to complete a particular task. Freelancers can keep a track of it and bill accordingly. Users can also view the Toggl reports, which will guide them on their productivity and profitability level. Toggl is supported by all the platforms- iOS, Android and Windows. Its subscription starts from $18/month per user.
Spark
Every mail notification is a distraction, more so if it’s a trashy mail. Spark is a useful app, which allows its users to prioritize emails into different categories. For example, important and not important. You can snooze the ‘Not Important’ mail notifications and check it later. Apart from this, you can schedule emails, get reminders for ‘Important’ mails, set smart notifications, among others. Very small teams can grab this app for free. For big teams, the subscription starts from $6.39/month per user.
Tips to Improve your remote work productivity
Tech tools alone are not enough to give you a smooth work from home experience. Sometimes, a person itself needs to follow a few tips to stay productive. Let’s discuss them in detail.
Make a schedule
Working from the office teaches us to live by a schedule. We know when to wake up, eat, and leave from the office. On the other hand, remote working makes us relaxed, untidy, and random. This is not good for productivity. That’s why it is necessary to draft a strict schedule and abide by it. Move by the clock, which will help you to stay focussed and productive.
Have a proper workspace
Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean that you can jump on to a sofa or bed and start working. After a while, you will feel sleepy. So, just like the office, make a proper setup that should consist of a table and chair. Have all the necessities around you, which will help you to stay focussed on your work.
Stay away from distractions
One of the popular cons of working from home is ‘Distractions’. With pets, children, and partners hovering around you, a person is bound to be distracted. To maintain your productivity, you have to limit all distractions. For example, make a ‘No disturb’ policy when you are working or wear noise-cancelling headphones to stay away from all the chit-chat.
Be patient
When your entire team works from home, it takes a moment to adjust with each others’ timelines. In the 1st few weeks, you may not get the desired results. But there is no need to get frustrated with it. You have to be patient.
Every working individual values productivity and the above tech tools and tips will make sure to steer you towards your course.