For the systematic functioning of teams as well as companies, these tools are designed to achieve the desired success. From platforms that allow you to hold meetings or conferences to those that help with instantly communicating with peers, there is something out there for every need. The selection of these tools is based on the company’s preferences as well as their uses.
In this blog, we walk you through the ins and outs of virtual communication, the must-have tools for remote teams and some best practices to maximize productivity in remote teams.
How Digital Tools Help in Improving Team Communication
Digital tools play a significant role in the improvement of team communication, especially for virtual teams. These tools help team members connect with each other. Whether using real time messaging apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams or video conferencing applications such as Google Meet or Zoom, one-on-one communication helps team members resolve issues or communicate with team members more effectively and quickly.
Must-Have Virtual Communication Tools for Remote Teams
Remote working is heavily reliant on digital tools for day-to-day operations and success. They come in handy for the online team almost every working hour, addressing various issues. While there are several tools that help improve team communication, here are some must-haves for every remote team:
Real-Time Messaging Tools
Real-time messaging tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams ensure that virtual teams are connected with each other in real time. These messaging tools allow for the formation of a proper channel or group to discuss issues that involve multiple team members. These real time messaging tools enhance the communication between virtual teams and increase productivity.
Video Conferencing Tools
Frequent face-to-face video communication and regular virtual meetings are both essential for virtual teams. Video conferencing tools allow remote team members to get together to discuss updates, targets, progress reports, solve issues that may come up, or even participate in weekly or monthly.
Email and Calendar Integration
Email and calendar integration is essential, especially for virtual teams relying on messaging tools for official communication. These integrations provide structure to team communications and streamline the scheduling of virtual meetings and conferences, ensuring seamless coordination and efficient collaboration among team members.
Gmail and Google Calendar are two widely used tools for virtual communication and collaboration. These tools facilitate efficient work, communication, and scheduling. Team members can share calendars with their virtual team to effectively coordinate meetings, minimizing scheduling conflicts.
Cloud-based storage
Google Drive is one of the most widely used cloud-based storage systems that enables team members to securely store, access, and share files from anywhere, enabling seamless collaboration regardless of geographical location. This promotes real-time updates and version control, ensuring that team members are working with the most current information.
Task Automation
There are a lot of mundane or repetitive tasks that employees often have to perform. With the help of task automation tools such as Zapier and Microsoft Power Automate, employees can automate certain tasks and reduce their workload. This helps team members to focus on the work that really requires their attention. With task automation notifications and alerts, employees stay updated on the changes made and deadlines, improving overall virtual team communication.
Feedback and Survey Tools
With the help of tools like Slack Polly and Microsoft Forms, teams can collect anonymous feedback from team members for the overall improvement of management, operations, and productivity. This anonymous feedback also encourages the members to share their honest opinions without feeling intimidated or hesitant.
Surveys and polls help teams gather information, gauge the team’s sentiments, and identify areas for further improvement.
Virtual Collaboration and Video Conferencing Tools
Online meeting tools for virtual collaboration are pivotal for remote teams. Virtual meeting tools enable teams to connect instantly, no matter where in the world they are, and continue with their daily tasks with minimal hurdles. It allows for seamless communication and does away with silos. These tools are not just important but crucial for the proper functioning of a virtual team. Here are some of the important virtual communication tools a remote company should invest in:
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is an integrated communication tool and collaborative platform of Microsoft 365 that includes instant messaging chats, the sharing of documents and files, as well as audio and video calls. This is a very handy tool for connecting and communicating with team members and ensuring seamless interaction with them, whether it is to share documents virtually or connect with the team through virtual meetings.
Google Meet
There are several key features of Google Meet that make it a preferred application for professionals, such as video conferencing, integration with Gmail as well as Google Calendar, captions and subtitles, live captions as well as subtitles, screen sharing, and recording. Google Meet is integrated with Google Workspace. Its integration with other Google apps is very simple and easy to use, while Google Meet is also scalable for large conferences.
Slack Huddle
This is another app used by companies to secure interactions between employees. This app is used for instant messaging as well as virtual meetings between team members, whether audio calls or video calls, both of which are easily accessible to users. Though this tool is not available for free, companies or individuals have to pay to access Slack Huddle. There is an array of third-party apps that are also integrated with Slack, which makes it an ideal tool for communication for companies.
Zoom
Zoom is a widely used application for both small meetings and large conferences because a large number of people can connect through the app or even the website. This app allows high-quality audio and video meetings between team members, where they can also share their screens with each other. Break-out rooms are also available, which are effective for team members. Both paid and non-paid versions of the app are available.
Skype
Skype is a Microsoft tool that allows high-quality audio and video calls, including instant messaging. This tool is very handy for collaboration with the members of a virtual team. This integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft apps, which makes it an ideal choice for professionals who rely on the Microsoft suite.
Cisco WebEx
Cisco WebEx provides integrated tools for video conferences, online events, or webinars. This tool is known for its enterprise-grade security features and integration capabilities, making it a reliable choice for professionals who prefer a highly secured tool.
Airmeet
Airmeet is a widely used virtual event platform and a trusted video conferencing tool, catering to a range of events from small virtual meetings to large-scale hybrid events. It enables users to forge deeper and more meaningful connections.
With its user-friendly navigation, dynamic 360-degree engagement features, real-time analytics, branding components, and lead generation capabilities, Airmeet stands out as a versatile virtual event platform.
Virtual Collaboration ideas
Virtual collaboration is essential for remote teams, especially when team members are distributed across the globe. Bringing the team together on the same platform to learn from and grow with each other is as important as achieving daily goals. There are several ways to collaborate virtually with team members, like:
Online Workshops and Training Sessions
Conducting online workshops and training sessions ensures that team members are learning and growing, upskilling their existing skills as well as developing new ones. Through workshops and training sessions, team members collaborate together to learn and grow as a team.
Virtual Brainstorming Sessions
Through the use of collaborative tools, team members come together on the same platform and brainstorm new ideas, methods, insights, and solutions, as well as challenges faced while working on a project as a team virtually.
Digital Whiteboard Collaboration
Digital whiteboard tools allow team members to collaborate together on a virtual platform and explore new ideas and project plans for further collaboration. This also ensures that team members have a clear idea of how to proceed with future projects.
Virtual Book Clubs or Learning Circles
An interesting way to enhance virtual collaboration is to have a virtual book club where team members can read a book related to their field or personal development. Meanwhile, it also creates learning circles to share insights as well as industry trends.
Pros of Remote Work and Virtual Collaboration
In today’s world, companies across the world are showing increasing interest in remote work and virtual setups. Remote work brings a lot of freedom and flexibility to job seekers and to companies due to cost savings as well as the possibility of hiring talent beyond the reach of a few miles.
There are several reasons why remote work is gaining popularity among employees as well as employers. Let’s take a quick look at some:
Flexibility and Work-Life Balance
There is an increasing global awareness about the importance of work-life balance. Without it, life becomes chaotic, and chaos makes it impossible to bring your best to work and to your life.
Remote work provides that work-life balance for team members. Remote work and virtual communication provide an opportunity for employees and team members to work according to their preferred time. It allows you to prioritize commitments and deliver at work while at the same time being present for other important things in life.
Traditional setbacks like working specific hours, commuting to workplaces, etc. do not exist in remote work setups. Flexibility and work life balance are the biggest reasons for the success of remote work and virtual communication.
Cost Savings for Employees and Employers
Working with a remote team reduces travel costs, whether you use public transportation or any other form of transportation. An online team saves a lot of time and money while doing away with travel fatigue. It makes sense for employees to prefer working in virtual teams over working in an office cubicle.
On the other hand, employers also save tons by allowing their teams to operate from home. Real estate is becoming more expensive with each passing day, and finding the right location for a full-fledged office may cost a fortune, not to mention the operating costs.
The rent of the office is not the only cost that employers need to manage but also the whole system that teams operate on, including the cost of ergonomic furniture, tech infrastructure, electricity, water, and so much more! This is another major reason for the popularity of remote work among employees and employers.
Increased Productivity and Focus
When a virtual team connects online for work, they are usually working from their office setup at home. This is typically an advantage, as they have the luxury of working in a familiar space that involves minimal distractions or resistance – think traffic, commutes, delays, and whatnot! This convenience helps them get started with work with no stress or distractions. It might even take them less time to accomplish something that would otherwise take them longer in an office setting.
Access to a Global Talent Pool
One of the advantages of remote working is that employers can hire talent from all over the world, breaking the notion of hiring local candidates. Virtual teams get to hire a diverse range of employees, which brings in different perspectives and a fresh outlook on things. Other team members also learn a new set of skills or understand a completely different perspective than what they would typically encounter. Technology has empowered companies to find the perfect candidate for a certain role, with no restrictions on location, time zones, or other factors.
Business Continuity and Resilience:
One of the biggest takeaways from the Covid-19 pandemic for the business world is how important it is to invest in business continuity. While businesses can operate from anywhere in the world with the right tech infrastructure in place, the same is not the case in the office scenario. And over the last few years, there has been a definite refinement in the way remote businesses function to maximize operational success – targeting sensitive issues like protection and access to data, centralizing documents to avoid mishaps in case of emergencies, user authentication, etc. All of these have made businesses more resilient than before, speaking to the efficacy of remote work.
Best Practices for Maximizing Productivity in Remote/Virtual Setup
Remote work has several benefits but it does come with its own set of challenges. And considering that it is still a relatively new concept compared to traditional office setups, there is merit in discussing some best practices. This is to enable companies to increase the productivity of their remote teams while keeping them engaged.
Remote team members, typically, do not get to interact much with each other beyond work-related discussion, which limits communication, trust, and a bond between them. To help you overcome this hurdle, we have listed out some best practices:
Establishing Clear Communication Channels
Team leaders must ensure that there is a clear communication channel for employees to connect and interact with each other. The channel must maintain the professionalism expected from remote members. There should be clear guidelines walking them through which platform to use for what purposes.
For example, what tool should I use for messaging and which virtual communication tools can be used for online meetings, whether voice meetings or video meetings?
Each employee should be aware of the platforms and how to use them for smooth and effective online meetings.
Regular Virtual Meetings
Regular virtual meetings with all team members bring the team together. These virtual meetings improve communication among team members, and they can be conducted daily or weekly for check-ins and for follow-up. This helps teams stay up to date with the progress and proceed accordingly, breaking silos that could appear due to a lack of transparency.
Documented Processes and Guidelines
Onboarding remote employees can be a challenge for companies. This is why it is crucial for team leaders to document processes and guidelines for new team members to follow. Use virtual communication tools to share these documents with all employees, especially new ones. It is the responsibility of team leaders to ensure that team members have easy access to these documents. Meanwhile, team leaders may also regularly update the documents and guidelines and ensure that everyone is notified of the updates.
Flexible Work Arrangement
To reap the most benefit from remote work, flexible working hours are a must. Allowing virtual teams to work according to timelines and time zones that are suitable for them ensures increased productivity. However, the team leaders must ensure all team members are informed about virtual team meetings and are present for them. Team leaders should also give employees the space to express their desired timeline to boost productivity and quality of work.
Encourage Team Building and Social Interactions
In online teams, team members are not working from an office cubicle; therefore, there is zero interaction between team members. To work together smoothly and in sync, virtual teams must interact with each other and build a bond. Team building activities bring team members together on the same platform with the intention of spending a few minutes playing a game or engaging in light-hearted banter. These activities encourage and bring the team members together and strengthen their bond. Team members should be encouraged to celebrate each other’s successes and milestones on a common platform to boost their morale and motivation.
Conclusion
Digital tools have revolutionized communication in both the professional and personal spheres, offering unprecedented convenience and efficiency. With the rise of remote and hybrid work cultures, the demand for these tools has surged, enabling teams to connect virtually across the globe.
Instant messaging tools, emails, cloud-based storage, workflow automations, feedback, and survey tools play a crucial role in day-to-day team conversations. These tools enable seamless workflow and structured collaboration in remote work cultures and virtual setups.
These digital tools offer numerous benefits, including enhanced communication, collaboration, and more. From small team gatherings to large-scale conferences, online meeting and video conferencing tools like Airmeet play a vital role in facilitating global networking opportunities and driving marketing initiatives.
