How Best to Support Your Remote Workforce: COVID and Tech
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Do you need a rundown of what you can do to help your staff during this COVID-19 pandemic? Are you confused about which programs and tech are best to use for your company? Look no further, we have the answers you need!
Zoom calls are easy to set up, private, and secured with passcode protection
Finding Your Voice
Communication with your team can be a challenge when working from home. Sometimes, outdated conference calls just can’t get the job done, and if there are more than five people on a call noise and static can interfere with productivity. Video conferencing may not be anything new, but it sure is having its day in the sun. From iChat to Skype, the world has been exposed to video conferencing software for quite some time.
For professional video-conferencing, Apple’s FaceTime just doesn’t have the features it needs to be viable. Microsoft’s socially-based Skype has been sidelined lately for a more professional software: Zoom, the ultra-popular video conferencing software everyone is buzzing about.
Zoom calls are easy to set up, private and secured with passcode protection, and most importantly, free! Up to 100 people can conference for 40 minutes at a time with the free service, and larger companies can pay for even higher tiers. Unlike the early days of Skype, there is no need to befriend someone or get their number. With Zoom, a link and password to the conference can be sent out via email and used by personnel quickly and effectively.
Microsoft Teams makes a wonderful tool, especially in workforces already equipped with MS Office
Make It Personal
The biggest issue with working from home is the lack of interaction between team members. Large video conferences have their place, but they don’t scratch the itch of being truly heard and seen by your peer or superior. Thus, a way to communicate on an individual and private basis is needed. Luckily, there are a lot of options here. If your team is big on collaborating on specific projects, Google Drive and its suite of programs might be perfect for you. Free and well-integrated, these are easy collaboration tools designed for students but perfect for professionals. There is a built-in chat service for those involved on the team, and all you need are the emails of those involved.
If your team needs to closely follow progress on each aspect of a project, or organize everything in a productivity outline, Asana might be a great fit. A collaboration and planning software, Asana provides nearly everything you’ll need in a shared communication and calendar space. Your teams can chat privately or in groups, and it’s as secure as you choose to make it. Asana isn’t as free as Google’s suite, but it provides some key assets worth looking into. The ability to provide structural deadlines, similar to an online course, sets Asana apart in terms of management-based features. The organized user-interface is also extremely helpful.
Lastly, Microsoft Teams makes a wonderful tool, especially in workforces already equipped with MS Office, or those interested in investing in the Microsoft Office software suite. Teams is integrated with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., allowing quick and easy upload and download of major documents, spreadsheets, and presentations via OneDrive.
Cybersecurity is a key factor in working remotely
A Secure Environment
A key focus for many businesses is information security. With many employees working from home, the same type of security your business enjoyed on a shared network is no longer a reality.
In order to maintain the boundaries you require within your business in a work-from-home world, consider investing in a security solution program like Zscaler. Zscaler offers solutions to issues such as insecure remote access, the inability to monitor employee tech issues, and troubleshooting of network issues and private networks.
The New Normal
With many companies switching to a Work-From-Home model during these trying times, boosting productivity, maintaining employee morale, and securing your organization’s privacy have become top priorities. This year could mark a shift toward more employees working from home in the future, necessitating even more widespread adoption of these types of business tech solutions. Whether you’re a large agency looking to solve key issues, or a small startup scrambling to maintain your team over distance, how your business is conducted moving forward is likely to require new and innovative technology.
