Top Tools That Help You Improve Remote Worker Productivity
Running a hybrid or fully remote workforce where every employee is engaged, motivated and able to be productive is an achievable goal. Here, Barnaby Lashbrooke, CEO and founder, Time Etc, discusses a few types of tools that improve remote employee productivity.
Enough time has now passed for us to be able to confidently assert that the remote working revolution sparked by the pandemic was not just a flash in the pan. According to the latest CNBC Momentive workforce happiness index (May 2022), 23% of U.S. workers are now hybrid — splitting their workweek between home and the office — while 11% are now fully remote. This is compared to just 6% of employees who worked from home before the pandemic, according to the NCCI. Spotify, Reddit, Airbnb, Dropbox and Hubspot are among the best-known companies that now allow employees to work at least some of the time remotely.
The fact that many job hunters are actively seeking remote roles proves the policy’s popularity. Almost half (48%) of the 1,700 employees surveyed by the SHRM Research Institute said they would “definitely” seek a remote position for their next job. And an analysis from LinkedIn shows that, during February 2022, remote jobs attracted 50% of all job applications, despite making up less than 20% of all jobs posted.
It is clear that employers who embrace the shift to hybrid or fully remote work are more attractive to job seekers, which is no minor consideration amid the ongoing Great Resignation. But there are other rewards, too. Consider one 2021 study of more than 30,000 employees in the U.S., which found that just one day working remotely could boost productivity by 4.8%.
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But that is not to say productivity gains will always occur automatically or necessarily remain long-term. And, without vigilance, working from home can spawn some bad working habits. These include longer hours – 48.5 minutes more per day, and too many meetings, with remote employees spending more than a quarter (25%) more of their time in meetings per month.
It is up to employers to take a proactive approach to help employees manage their time and workloads efficiently if they want to reap the benefits of improved productivity among staff. Fortunately, there are a number of tech solutions that can help.
Here are some of the best tools to improve remote worker productivity:
1. Calendar apps
Arguably the best tool for time management is one that most people are guaranteed to have already: a calendar app. When used efficiently, it is a brilliant way to plan what needs to get done in the week or month ahead.
The idea is simple: every task on a to-do list should be assigned a time slot on the calendar, making sure not to cram too many items in (advocates of the 1-3-5 rule suggest we can only accomplish one big thing, three medium things and five small things per day). Being able to visualize your week ahead in this way immediately helps make workloads more manageable. And it means that each day, employees will stay focused and be accountable for the goals they set.
Staff can also make their calendars visible to other members of their teams so that those working from their own homes can check in an instant what other people are working on at that moment, improving collaboration.
2. Online timers and reminders
So you have blocked out an entire afternoon on your calendar to get stuck into a task that requires some deep concentration and focus. But after an hour or so, your attention has started to wander, and you realize you have been reading the same sentence over and over while thinking about what to make for lunch.
It is an experience many employees will be able to relate to and one that can be exacerbated by working from home. Without colleagues around to suggest a quick coffee or catch up, combining bursts of hard work with regular breaks throughout the working day can be tricky.
Online timer tools can help with this by reminding employees to take frequent pauses. The Pomofocus timer, which operates by the Pomodoro Technique, scheduling a five-minute break to follow every solid 25-minute period of uninterrupted work, is a popular choice.
There are even apps that will encourage you to drink enough water throughout the day (such as Waterful) or to get up and stretch your legs frequently (such as Stand Up!), both useful interventions for desk-bound workers.
If employers are serious about supporting staff to avoid burnout, which is just as much a risk for remote workers as office staff, these are good options to consider.
3. Virtual workspace software
One of the hardest things about having employees working from different locations is keeping everyone on the same page when it comes to team projects, particularly those that involve large numbers of people. That is why it is so important to employ some form of project management software that acts as a single, centralized place where progress is tracked, and any updates are announced.
There are now many options to choose from, each with its own distinctive features. For example, Notion is praised for being highly customizable, while Basecamp has a useful group chat function that could eliminate the need for other channels, such as Slack.
For employees, not only do these kinds of software make communication simple, they make it easier to be productive by making it clear what work needs to be prioritized.
4. Video conferencing tools & equipment
It might seem like an obvious entry to this list, but video conferencing tools are crucial to ensuring teams with members scattered in different locations can hold meetings effectively. While a number of companies dominate the market, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, it may be worth considering some of the many offerings out there in case they are more suitable for your needs (for example, HubSpot Meetings is free for those who only need a very simple scheduler and calendar app, while WebEx is particularly useful for very large companies).
Yet employers should be very wary of slipping into a culture where video meetings become too common, considering the mounting evidence around ‘Zoom fatigue’ and its links to burnout, plus the fact that 60% of workers believe work meetings to be a distraction.
A good solution is as simple as implementing ‘no meeting days’: one study found companies that held two of these in a week saw productivity soar by 71%.
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5. Transcribing software
For those times when meetings are unavoidable, can they be held as quickly as possible, with as few people involved as required? If there is a risk, others will need to know what was discussed, then consider recording the meeting and using transcribing software to make sure what was said is both searchable and viewable at a glance. Not only will the record be accurate and saved in an easily accessible place, but it will also save one worker from having to waste time writing up notes or summarizing key points.
Otter.ai is an example of a popular provider which allows notes to be annotated and shared in teams as a follow-up.
6. Wellbeing and mindfulness apps
It goes without saying that people who know how to manage their stress levels and look after their mental health will make more engaged, more productive employees.
While these areas might once have seemed outside the scope of employers, companies are now recognizing, even embracing, their responsibilities towards holistic staff wellbeing. Firms who are really committed to this goal should look at giving employees access to wellbeing apps such as Mindful, Calm or Beeja, which use techniques drawn from practices like mindfulness and meditation to reduce stress and anxiety.
What tools are you using to improve remote employee productivity? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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