Picking the right tool to use when working remotely: 5 things to keep in mind

Mastering the ability to work from home effectively to ensure you’re as engaged, productive and connected to your colleagues as ever relies heavily on having the right tool at hand. Thanks to advancements in technology, there are plenty of digital solutions out there to help you and your teammates work together seamlessly no matter where you are. But with an abundance of softwares to pick from, how do you know which one is the right tool for you? Here are some guiding questions to ask yourself when considering your options.

1. Is it an all-in-one solution?

Imagine the physical workplace — it is home to a huge array of tools you need to use on a daily basis with your teams, ranging from the whiteboard to the meeting rooms to the file cabinets. It would only be effective and efficient to find a digital alternative that replicates these functions in one hub. Opt for tools that offer these features all in one place to create a more streamlined work experience for you and your teammates where you don’t need to log into one app for a video call, another one to share documents and another one to assign tasks. With everyone and everything you need collected into one, you’ll seamlessly integrate into that virtual workspace.

2. Is it compatible with various platforms?

Everyone in your team has their own working style and preferred device, whether it be a Windows desktop or an iPhone. Find a virtual workspace that is flexible enough to be used on any device or model people prefer in order to avoid any usage barriers or unfriendly user experiences your teammates might encounter. Mobile-friendly solutions are especially key to keep in mind here, as research shows that 70% of today’s employees keep their smartphones within “eye-contact” at all times. With that in mind, it’s best if they can also access their work on the device they use most often.

3. Can you start using it immediately?

There’s nothing worse than committing to a tool that no one understands how to use and requires long hours of onboarding and training before teams can finally get onboard. To avoid this, keep an eye out for features that feel familiar to you. When features replicate those of consumer apps that you and your teammates are already using in your personal life, the entire experience will be much more intuitive and easy for you to pick up. On top of that, check other barriers - can you download it immediately and start using it as you please? Is there a certain amount of team members you require to use it? Does the price you pay make sense for the features you’re getting?

4. Does it have a variety of communication features?

Effective communications are the backbone to maintaining a productive and well-connected team while working remotely. With the right platform in place, teams can stay connected and still do their meetings, huddles, and casual catch-ups despite not being in one location. The key point here is to look for solutions that offer not only one way to reach each other, but a variety of ways ranging from video calls to surveys. This ensures you and your teams have an array of formats to choose from that best suits the discussion at hand and also prevents overload of one channel that can lead to information being missed. With these points in mind, you’ll help bring up the team’s morale and reduce the risk of colleagues feeling out of the loop or lonely.

5. Finally, does it allow you to work together in harmony?

Collaborating in real time is crucial for maintaining business continuity, but it can be challenging to do it seamlessly when you’re all dispersed. Look for solutions where you can share and co-edit documents together, which also come with task assignment features to properly delegate responsibilities and keep track of progress. Another important element is file and document sharing — without the ability to share physical paperwork with each other in person, you’ll need a centralized way to keep useful resources, company policies, training materials and more in one place that everyone can access.

Be sure to use these guiding questions to kick you off on your decision-making process when you are considering which work from home tool to opt in for. By checking off these criterias, you’ll easily be able to narrow down your options to one that can truly enable the virtual workspace your team needs to succeed from home.