Building a WFH Toolkit: 25 Recommended Remote Work Tools
Do you have the tools you need to successfully work from home? Remote workers require different apps to stay connected to colleagues, access documents, create projects, assign tasks, collaborate, track progress, and more! If you’re a member of a distributed team, surely you know that remote collaboration relies on consistent internet access, strong team culture, and the right software. However, finding the best remote work tools can be quite a task – even for seasoned employees! But don’t fret! This post is for you! Below you’ll find 25 remote work apps you can add to your WFH toolkit.
In this post you’ll find:
- Project management Tools for Individuals & Teams
- Communication Apps for Distributed Teams
- Screen-Sharing Software Solutions
- To-Do List Tools to Make Remote Working Easier
- Security Tools to Handle Sensitive Data
Project Management Tools
When it comes to working remotely, project management is extremely important. After all, remote teams are rarely in the same room, so they must check in, track progress, and communicate changes throughout a project to successfully and seamlessly collaborate.
Do you and your team members need project management software that allows you to practice transparency and stay on the same page? Task management apps are some of the most essential tools one can keep in their remote work toolkit. But if you don’t know where to start, have no fear. Here are 5 note-worthy project management apps made for distributed teams:
- Asana – perfect for remote teams who rely on file sharing and project managers who want to create tasks in a few clicks.
- Trello – useful for visualizing project management and aggregating tasks in a dedicated space.
- Airtable – great for creating a custom project management tool for your team.
- GoodDay – excellent for handling multiple task management strategies.
- Jira – good for software developers looking for remote work tools to manage projects.
Communication Apps
It’s imperative to communicate with your team members, especially if your company works across multiple time zones and employs members with misaligned work schedules. So, what are the best remote work tools for communicating on virtual teams? It can be hard to settle on the right one. The good news is that we’re here to help!
Below, we’ve listed 5 robust chat apps remote workers can use to keep communication threads in the same place.
- Slack– useful for file sharing, instant messaging, automated reminders, and other internal communication conveniently housed in a centralized location.
- Microsoft Teams – perfect for big organizations and growing teams who already use Microsoft Office and other Microsoft products.
- Google Chat– excellent for virtual teams that rely on Google Workspace, Google Drive, or other elements of the G-suite.
- Tangle – good for communicating across different teams via voice chat, provides an alternative to text and video messages.
- Carrot – great for asynchronous communication, useful to track which team members received information, and provides an alternative to weekly meetings.
Screen-Sharing Software
When you work on a distributed team, sharing your screen is necessary during team meetings, 1-on-1 calls, and quick brainstorming sessions. After all, remote employees need to share ideas, charts, financial projections, and other reports during video calls, as a means of collaboration and information-sharing in the virtual workspace.
Have you been searching for video-conferencing apps that allow you to share your screen? Here are 5 recommended software solutions to take your video chat to the next level.
- Zoom – a well-known solution that is perfect for small meetings, large conference calls, or well-attended webinars.
- Slack – a reliable tool that enables voice chat, video meetings, and the ability to screen-share while video conferencing.
- GoTo Meeting – an excellent tool for small or large distributed teams looking for secure and encrypted video calls with the option to have screen recordings.
- TeamViewer – an intuitive software that allows company members to have remote access to an employee’s office computer.
- Mikogo – a great browser-based solution to screen-sharing, perfect for those wanting a collaboration tool that doesn’t require downloading software or purchasing complicated equipment.
To-Do List Tools
When working remotely, it may be necessary to implement the use of a to-do list to stay on top of everything. Unlike other task management applications, which are geared toward team collaboration; these tools are used by individual remote workers to stay focused on their priorities throughout the work day.
So, are you in need of an app to stay on track? Do you need a desktop application or one with mobile access? Below are 5 recommendations for tools you can use to make sure no task falls through the cracks:
- Microsoft To Do – a really good option for remote employees that use Microsoft teams and want to add task lists to their arsenal of remote work collaboration tools.
- Google Tasks – a perfect solution for Google workspace or Android users who want to seamlessly integrate other features of the “G-suite” into their task management workflow.
- Any.do – a reliable tool that easily integrates into Google and Outlook calendars, perfect for managing one’s professional or personal life.
- Things – a sleek, minimalist macOS app with robust features that include the ability to quickly create tasks, easy calendar integration, and the option to sync with your Apple products.
- alt options – use your project management tool as your to-do list, use a note-taking app or use a journal/planner to write out a physical list.
Security Tools
When you can work from anywhere, it’s important to keep things as secure as possible. To do so, you may need to expand your remote work toolkit to include items geared toward cybersecurity, encryption, and password protection.
Does your remote team need an app to help keep data from falling into the wrong hands? Do you want to work safer?Here are 5 security tools virtual workers can use to protect sensitive information.
- 1Password – a robust password management tool known for being secure and having an intuitive interface that most people can navigate with ease, making it excellent for a remote team.
- Authy – a two-factor authentication app that is available on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms.
- FileVault – a macOS encryption feature that can be used to prevent access to information on one’s computer.
- Google Authenticator – a mobile app that generates 2-step verification codes, perfect for Google suite or Android users
- NordPass – a digital safe that encrypts and houses passwords and credit card details, good for individuals or team members.