9 Best Remote Workforce Management Software and Tools

The way people work is changing drastically. More companies are offering some employees the option to work from home. This is not a new phenomenon. Research from Gartner (Global workplace analytics) reported that remote work grew by 216% from 2005 to 2019. It is interesting to note that this was before the pandemic. It is safe to say COVID simply accelerated migration from conventional offices to cloud offices.

According to research findings by Ladder, 95% of professional jobs in North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America) will be online by the end of 2022. Most companies are preparing for this shift by training employees and tailoring work cultures to suit remote working environments. Organizations must adopt effective remote workforce management techniques and tools, To improve productivity and promote efficiency.

Introduction About Remote Workforce Management

This refers to the practice of managing remote workers using a set of digital tools and human resource skills.

Tips to help you effectively manage remote workers

• Set clear work guidelines and goals
• Employees should know and understand what is expected of them.
• This is the only way to accurately judge the performance of different workers.
• Adopt tools and technology that streamline operations.
• Teams should have spaces where they can interact and collaborate on tasks. Don’t allow your workers to be scattered all over the internet.
• Make arrangements to check in on employees from time to time
• This can be through occasional group meetings or one-time calls.
• Open up different channels of communication within remote working environments

Employees should always feel and know you listen to their concerns and suggestions. Effective communication greatly impacts performance and boosts employee confidence.

Some of the top-quality remote management software and tools available today

There are vital tools and software companies must invest in to effectively manage remote employees. This includes communication tools used for video conferencing, sending messages or emails, secure data storage, etc. such tools provide a perfect online office.

Top-Rated Remote Workforce Management Software

Google Meet

Video conferencing enables employers to have face-to-face interactions with employees. This boosts confidence and creates a sense of belonging so that people don’t feel lonely. Google meet can be freely accessed by anyone with a Gmail account. Meeting links are shared with respective people and they can join through a web browser or by calling using the mobile app.

It is simple to use even for non-tech people. Google Meet can accommodate more than 250 people depending on the package. People who don’t use Google products will not find any difficulty joining meetings. Google Meet supports most web browsers.

Participants who are not comfortable with video calls have the option to turn off their cameras. All microphones are automatically muted whenever 5 or more people are in a meeting. Attendees can keep track of time by turning on the meeting timer feature. Important announcements and burning questions can be typed in the chat box without interrupting the presenter. The free starter pack gives you access to the most vital features.

Slack

Collaboration is one of the main things that builds team spirit and increases productivity in remote working situations. Slack is a simple tool that facilitates cooperation between people working remotely. The company registers for an account and invites employees to join through links automatically sent to their emails. They will be required to create a profile (upload a picture or avatar and write a short bio).

Employees are then added to channels depending on their roles or teams. A general channel may be created where all remote workers are included. It is also possible to make calls within the platform, however, free subscribers are only allowed two people per call. Small and medium organizations may not require access to premium features. But if you decide it is right for you, it costs $8 per month.

Basecamp

This is an all-in-one project management and collaboration tool. It has features like message boards for posting general announcements. Assignments can be posted for everyone to see. This gives members of the team the ability to track how colleagues are progressing.

It enables you to set up a calendar and a to-do list. You can upload files and share them with colleagues on the platform. One unique feature of basecamp is that it enables you to give clients access to your workspace.  This enables them to monitor the progress of the project in real time. The basecamp starter package is free. To get access to premium features, you’ll be required to $99 per month.

Google Drive

This is one of the most popular cloud storage and content-sharing platforms in the world. It provides more than storage services. Gmail users don’t need a separate account to use it. Google Drive is integrated with collaboration tools like Google Sheets, Google Slides, and google docs. Teams can remotely share files and collaborate on documents. The free version gives you 15 GB of storage space. You may pay $1.99 per month for premium features and more storage space.

Dropbox

It is one of the first cloud storage and file sharing service provider. Several features have been added over the years, to facilitate remote collaboration for small and large teams. Dropbox has a free plan and different premium packages that start at $12.5 per month.

Scoro

If you are looking for a complete project management tool, this is a top-quality contender. Track your projects from start to finish from one location. Different aspects of a project like tasks, meetings, and work schedules are easy to track with Scoro. It also provides a set of financial management tools that helps you to track sales, schedule invoices, and send invoice notifications.

Fleep

Did you try out slack but discovered it offers more than you need, Fleep may be a simpler alternative. It simplifies communication between teams. People outside the organization can be invited to join conversations through invitation links automatically sent to their emails. One of the downsides of the Fleep is that it has no video call feature. You can sign up for the free version and only upgrade if you think it is worth it. The premium package starts at $5 per month.

Workflow

It is one of the few project management tools that offer quality financial management solutions. Workflow can be integrated with accounting tools like Cash flow, Quick books online, Fresh books, Xero, etc. workflow also integrates with cloud storage platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox. Projects and payments can be scheduled within the platform.

Paymo

Large teams of remote workers can be difficult to manage. You need a tool that can help you track tasks, and work time, and also bill clients when necessitated. Projects can be planned and tasks assigned to respective people. And it lets you track the progress of different tasks.

Conclusion

Managing employees remotely can be quite challenging. But if you have the right set of tools, operations can be streamlined for maximum productivity.