If you’re hoping to maintain productivity while #WFH, you’ll need to beef up the technologies you’re using. For those not used to working from home, it might not be easy to know where to start. Here are five technologies remote workers should consider to stay on top of their work:
1. Videoconferencing Service
Face-to-face meetings are the backbone of many businesses; removing them altogether isn’t an option. Platforms like Zoom, StarLeaf, BlueJeans, and LifeSize make it easy to stay in touch with co-workers or clients across distances. While video chats might not have the same feel as in-person meetings, they still provide facial cues, expressions, and that face-to-face interaction we all crave.
2. Camera
To avoid looking blurry or pixelated try using an enterprise-grade webcam. These cameras will help you appear clearer and sharper to collaborators. It's also important to practice good staging. Put a light behind the camera, have the camera at your eye level and have no clutter behind you.
3. Headset
Now that you have a video conferencing solution its time to make sure you have a proper headset to match. Your video quality might be great but without a proper headset collaborators will be able to hear whatever is happening around you. Chances are you will be using it often so make sure that it's something that you like to wear and are comfortable using.
4. Instant Communication Tool
As helpful as video chats are, not every problem requires face-to-face interaction. Working from home, you’ll need to textually communicate with your co-workers. While email may be the go-to, constantly refreshing your inbox and formatting your messages can be a tedious time drain.
Instant chat tools like Skype for business/Teams and Cisco Spark let you simulate the ease of in-office communication over the web. With the ability to communicate privately or in groups, you can ensure that whoever needs to see your message will do so instantaneously.
5. Project Management Platform
Most businesses use some kind of project management platform. These, however, take on new levels of importance as workers head home. Without the ability to check in regularly in-person, staying on top of different plans and products can quickly become unwieldy.
Whether you use Microsoft Teams or Slack or something else entirely, make sure everything you’re working on is clearly documented on your chosen platform. Laying down a project management plan for your work early on is crucial for ensuring that things don’t veer off track. Regularly provide updates on how your projects are coming along, and encourage your co-workers to do the same — this can help cut down on unnecessary meetings.
If you have any additional questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact us. We will have one of our experts get back to you as soon as possible. Looking for something else? Use our Advanced Search tool to find it.
