Best Software for Managing Remote Workers

This article addresses founders, MDs, project managers, and anyone with managerial authority over teams. Managing remote workers has presented a series of challenges for companies that were previously office-based. As the trending work model is set to remain hybrid, we aim to assist you in improving the processes involving remote staff.

Starting in 2020, even historically office-based businesses were compelled to continue their operations remotely. This has revealed a significant flaw regarding flexibility and communication within many companies. Simply put, as they had not anticipated the possibility of operating without a physical office, they were ill-equipped to adapt to such an overnight change.

Companies that were predominantly office-based but occasionally outsourced their workforce found themselves in a better position. However, even they discovered that their processes needed significant adjustments. Similar to other business elements, such as marketing or the sales process, this is yet another area organisations need to optimise, particularly now that the novelty factor has worn off. 

Hybrid is the Way Forward

If you have never outsourced your workforce, chances are you’re under the impression that remote working is something that will disappear entirely once the pandemic is over. However, many signs, ranging from employee satisfaction surveys to staff productivity growth, indicate that the work model of the future is hybrid. This means that even when companies are allowed to return to the office at full capacity, it wouldn’t make sense for many to do so. We strongly encourage you to pursue the hybrid route - and this is why we are happy to bring to your attention five solutions that will assist in this transition.

1. Timesheet Portal

Despite its revealing name, our solution’s functionality extends far beyond merely tracking the time of remote workers. Timesheet Portal is designed to facilitate numerous pay and billing operations that can become quite complex when managing remote staff. Furthermore, it acts as a collaboration tool by providing centralised document storage that allows for easy document sharing and tracked editing.

We also engage with areas such as holiday management and the expenses approval process, alleviating yet another administrative concern for you. Whether you wish to establish a hybrid office and seek ways to align your staff, or if you’re adopting a fully remote workplace, Timesheet Portal is replete with features to address your needs. Best of all, rather than being a pre-packaged solution, it provides you with the flexibility to create your own functionality package. 

2. Basecamp

Powerful in its simplicity, Basecamp is a project management tool designed to enhance communication between management and remote workers. It helps streamline remote work through interactive checklists, straightforward file sharing, and discussion board-style communication channels. However, it is worth noting that, unlike the majority of project management solutions, Basecamp focuses on daily task tracking rather than providing an overview of the entire project.

The permission management feature makes this tool suitable for both internal and external uses. For example, you can invite both remote workers and clients to a project created in Basecamp. While it can serve as a channel for your staff and clients to communicate directly, you can also create elements of the project (such as discussions, checklists, etc.) that, although within the same project, will only be visible to you and your workers. 

3. YouTrack

This solution is designed for agile teams and encompasses a wide range of project management tools that are not only compatible with outsourced workforce management but are specifically built to support it. Its most prominent feature is the extensive customisation options available for building workflows and even setting the tone for team communication.

Whether you work solely with remote workers or are trying to sync them with your on-site employees, YouTrack is a tool from which you’ll greatly benefit. From in-depth reporting to an intuitive in-app search option, it provides a centralised platform that is easily accessible from anywhere in the world. Additionally, for teams consisting of fewer than 10 users, the software is completely free. 

 4. EmailAnalytics

As the name suggests, EmailAnalytics is a productivity tracking tool designed to present your team’s email activity statistics in a visual, easily digestible format. The reports include data such as average response times, the number of emails sent and received throughout the day, and many others. Additionally, it features a comparison tool, enabling team managers to assess their team’s performance against others.

It is a very convenient and easy-to-adopt tool for managing external workers, as it provides data that you can use to enhance email productivity. It can also reveal that email may not be the best communication channel within your team, indicating that you will have identified a gap and can now address it. In fact, if email proves to be inefficient, the next solution on the list serves as an ideal alternative.

5. Slack

You have most likely heard of or used Slack by now. This business-oriented instant messaging software is one of the most popular internal communication tools, both in-office and when managing outsourced workers. From messaging to video calls and file sharing, Slack serves as an exceptionally convenient communication channel.

Additionally, it integrates with a wide range of other solutions: project management tools, marketing tools, CRMs, and many more. This ensures that you receive notifications via an automated IM if something requiring your attention occurs within another tool, rather than hoping you'll discover it in time. Furthermore, Slack is available for free, making it a highly favourable solution for small companies and startups. 

Summary

The world has recently been compelled to adapt to remote working. Consequently, new challenges have emerged, as well as a range of solutions to address them. The market is saturated with software designed to enhance and optimise communication with your outsourced workforce, which can make navigation quite challenging.

At Timesheet Portal, we believe there is no such thing as a bad solution—only a bad fit. When building a digital toolbox aimed at managing remote workers, use your team’s working style as a guide. As a secondary metric, consider the goals you are aiming to achieve. A combination of these two criteria will undoubtedly assist you in finding a set of digital tools you’ll be able to rely on for years to come.

Do we seem like a good fit? Book a demo to see what we can offer.