Today’s business teams are more distributed and diverse than ever before. Not only do companies have field-based workers and technicians to consider, but they also need to manage remote and hybrid employees working in a variety of different environments. Not to mention some team members can have large geographical distances between them thanks to the boom in remote work environments. For years, business leaders have struggled to employ tips for business beginners and effectively manage employees as consistently and efficiently as in-house teams. Fortunately, the modern age of digital transformation, combined with an influx of new technology is making it easier to keep employees aligned and connected. Today, we’re looking at the top essential tools every business should consider investing in if they’re working with distributed staff members.
Collaboration
Collaboration tools and platforms, such as Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and Zoom have quickly emerged as one of the most essential parts of any technology stack. These all-in-one solutions typically include a variety of different resources, all ideal for bringing staff members together. They might feature audio and video conferencing systems, platforms for sharing files and documents, and integrated chat tools for fast-paced communications. What’s more, many of these solutions can integrate with a wide range of other systems, from cloud-based telephony tools to project management apps and time tracking services. Additionally, these tools can be downloaded to mobile devices and laptops alike so that employees and employers can both have more freedom and flexibility while still being able to remain productive and engaged.
Fleet Management Tools
Although fleet management tools might seem like a niche investment for some business owners, they’re extremely valuable to any company with their own vehicles and drivers to monitor. Every business with a vehicle fleet, whether they’re managing cars or trucks can use fleet management tools to monitor both their employees and assets in real-time. Fleet management software makes it easy to track the health of vehicles and any potential issues they might be facing in real-time, reducing unexpected downtime and delays. The right software can also help companies to make intelligent data-driven decisions about how to reduce fuel costs, improve efficiency, or minimize safety risks for field workers.
Project Management Tools
Finally, project management tools ensure every business leader, supervisor, or manager can keep track of projects in real-time, assign tasks to the right team member, and preserve high levels of productivity. Solutions like Asana and Trello make it easy to assign specific tasks to individual employees or groups, complete with deadlines and attached files or documents.
Some solutions even come with integrated time-tracking features, so business leaders can monitor how much time a staff member spends on a specific task. Plus, there are project management apps that can integrate with fleet management, collaboration, and communication tools too.
Employee Onboarding Tools
With these digital platforms HR departments are empowered to complete and facilitate smooth onboarding processes for new hires in remote environments. In today’s world it has become more common than ever for many to work and reside in totally different cities, states, and even countries. Thanks to remote work, this is possible, and thanks to employee onboarding software solutions, HR can seamlessly follow the same in-person processes, remotely. Traditional onboarding tasks such as tax documents, retirement, health insurance, and training modules can all be completed and viewed online under one main software application. Additionally your staff can participate in ice breaker events or meet and greets with their team members through these onboarding tools to allow even the freshest of faces to feel like they are in the mix with your existing staff.
Empowering Distributed Teams
Distributed teams are not going anywhere. Yes, a heavy emphasis on remote work was born from the global pandemic, but even companies who are trying to push for bringing back in-person staff are existing in hybrid situations at best. As a manager and/or business owner you should embrace this innovation and instead of resisting it or even waiting it out assuming things will go back to normal use these facts as fuel to remain adaptable and on-trend with the competition.
Although it can be harder to manage, motivate, and engage distributed employees than your in-house staff members, there are various tools available to help business leaders achieve their goals. With the software solutions above, you can ensure you’re synchronizing your team members wherever they are, contributing to better productivity, efficiency, and even reduced operating costs. With just a few basic upgrades to your digital strategy, you can ensure employees outside of the office preserve high performance standards, and consistently contribute to positive ROI for your company.
About the Author/s
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
