It can be overwhelming ensuring your team are on track and have everything they need to help your business succeed. So, to make things a little easier, here’s 7 ways to help manage your remote team.
Trello
We use this one for our own team management, and so can highly recommend it. This free web-based tool uses cards which can be pinned to and moved around a board, between columns identifying different stages of your projects, to organise them, and allowing for as many boards, columns, and cards as you desire. By clicking on a card you can view details and whose working on it, keep track of progress, and manage projected due dates.
Hangouts
Great for hosting team meetings online. Your team will require a Gmail account, but you can access Hangouts via both computer and mobile. Where Hangouts trumps something like Skype, for instance, is that you can record your Hangout to watch back later via it’s ‘Air’ feature, which also enables to keep your Hangout private. You can also share your screen with others in your Hangout, allowing for project collaboration.
HipChat
Set up a privately hosted group chat with your remote team with HipChat. Unlike Hangouts, you can save your conversation, allowing everyone to contribute, and upload documents as and when. You can also start a video chat, which can be accessed from either your computer or mobile device. Designed specifically for business use, HipChat includes SSL security features.
Asana
Asana is a cloud platform also available as a free version, and that provides an overview of your business’s projects. As long as your employees have a wifi connection, they are able to log in to Asana wherever they are. Using three panels, the dashboard gives access to all relevant information and tasks, as well as who’s assigned to what and when it’s due. You can also attach files from your computer, Google Drive, and Dropbox to individual tasks.
Yammer
Yammer is like a social network, with a similar dashboard to Facebook, but for your business. As long as your team have an email address from your company’s domain, they can join and collaborate. You can also allow non-employees into the app, enabling you to communicate with customers, for example, otherwise you can keep everything private. Yammer utilises a newsfeed, private messages and notifications, and you can like posts and create groups.
Freshbooks
A cloud based accounting software tool, Freshbooks keeps your remote team in the loop with access to information on various projects. You can create custom invoices and estimate forms using your database of companies, products, and contacts, and then post or email your invoices to customers. You can also track how much time you are spending on each project, as well as your expenses, uploading a photo of your receipt.
15Five
15Five is an app for your remote team to write reports each week, updating you on anything, including achievements, problems, ideas, or general thoughts on their current work and position. The app effectively takes on what a human resources department would do, but without all the expense.
Conclusion
With an array of advanced tools available, managing your team can be a lot less daunting a task. We recommend choosing one tool that you feel suits your business best and seeing what it can do for you.
Want to know more about us? If you further information on how we can help your company grow through technology, please contact us today or call us on 0208 133 8210.
