Hybrid workforces are now commonplace – they involve some team members working in the office while others work remotely.
This ensures that there are people always in the office while also allowing employees days at home to work around other commitments.
It can also cut commuting costs for employees and allow companies to rent out smaller offices, while still providing a space to still physically collaborate when necessary.
While hybrid working has many benefits, it can also have downsides and risks ranging from more strained communication to potential security concerns.
Fortunately, there are many pieces of technology that businesses can use to overcome these challenges.
Below are just some of the tech solutions that could be worth considering to make hybrid working more productive.
Cloud-based collaborative documents
Cloud-based collaborative document solutions like Google Docs are popular in hybrid teams.
They allow workers to access documents from different locations and even collaborate on documents together in real time.
Documents can be shared via links and access to certain documents can be restricted.
Such solutions can be used for everything from digital handbooks to reports.
Video conferencing and instant messaging software
Being able to communicate easily and clearly with your remote team members is essential, and this requires using the best software.
Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet are some of the top choices for video conferencing software – multiple workers from different locations can hold face-to-face meetings via video.
Slack is meanwhile a popular instant messaging tool that can replace messy email chains with simple instant message chats through which you can share links, files and even screenshots.
Real-time project management platforms
Software such as Asana can meanwhile allow you to distribute projects to remote workers and monitor their progress.
This allows you to check in on what employees are doing in different locations.
It also allows you to clearly outline what tasks need to be done in an organized manner.
Shared diary apps can also be used to see when workers may have meetings or phone calls scheduled throughout the day.
Boardroom audio visual solutions
Commercial audio visual solutions are no longer just being used in event venues but also in office boardrooms.
Setting up a screen and speakers in your boardroom can allow you to still communicate clearly with remote employees who are not in the room without having to huddle around a laptop.
A larger screen can also be beneficial if multiple remote employees need to be on the screen at once.
Desk booking software
Hot desking is a popular system in remote workplaces whereby certain workers book out desks for certain days.
This allows you to run a large workforce from a relatively small office, sharing desks instead of having to supply a desk for every worker.
Desk booking software makes it easy for employees to see when desks are booked in order to plan visits into the office.
Time tracking software
Time tracking software allows you to track the hours that your employees are working.
Each worker digitally clocks in and out to mark their shift.
For companies that pay hourly, this software can be vital for automatically calculating the pay of each employee, while also monitoring exactly how much work each employee is doing and when they are doing it to make sure remote workers aren’t shirking.
Virtual private networks
Finally, it’s important to consider security. Some of your remote workers could be connecting to public Wi-fi or private connections that offer low security.
Making it company policy for every employee to use a VPN can help to reduce the risk of data leaks by encrypting each worker’s connection.
Many security software programs have in-built VPNs but you can download separate VPN apps to use.
Hope you’ve found our article, Hybrid Hacks: 7 Tech Solutions For A Hybrid Workforce useful.
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