Many individuals are attracted to remote positions because of the ability to work from anywhere at any time. While this type of job certainly has its benefits, for managers and leaders, keeping individuals connected and ensuring communication lines are open and effective can be a challenge. Luckily, a variety of tools and resources are available to connect your entire team—regardless of members’ time zones or locations.
Chatting Options
If your team members aim to work simultaneously, a chatting application may be ideal. This will allow employees to discuss projects, ask questions, provide feedback, and more in real time. No one will have to wait for answers to emails or phone calls. In addition, a chat tool will help keep your inbox clutter-free — a benefit any manager loves.
Dozens of chatting applications are available, so take the time to search through some of the best. A few to consider include:
If you need applications with full video conferencing capabilities, consider the following:
Text Messaging
If your remote team members are spread across different time zones, you may struggle to get their attention when you need them immediately — particularly if they work odd hours and are frequently away from their desks. While emails and phone calls are always an option, text messaging can be invaluable. Here’s why:
- Text messaging is the most widely used smartphone app.
- 90% of all sent text messages are read within 3 minutes.
- The average email response time is 90 minutes vs. 90 seconds for text messages.
- Text messages have a 98% open rate.
- 95% of American adults own cell phones, 77% of which are smartphones.
Through text messaging, you can reach your team members quickly and easily. In addition, compared to emails, employees will more likely receive the information you send, and you will more likely receive responses.
Team Collaboration
If your remote team works together on specific projects or you need a more streamlined option for collaborating, sharing documents, tracking tasks and projects, passing on information, etc., consider a project management system. Dozens of these applications are available — some specific to industries, sizes of teams, types of work, etc. Carefully decide which features will be most important and effective for you and your team. A few applications to consider include:
Before choosing just any communication tool, do your research. Be sure to choose an application that has the features and capabilities to keep you and your team connected and in communication, as well as to ensure your workflow is streamlined and organized.
About HiringThing
HiringThing is a fully remote company, and we’ve crafted our own work environment. Gain some insight into what makes us tick by reading our remote work manifesto. Or, check out our open positions.
