Top 5 Tools for Making Remote Work Easier

 

Believe it or not, remote work isn’t much different than working in a physical office.There isn’t a commute, unless you consider the trek from your bed to your home office a commute. There isn’t a dress-code, as most days I am in my workout clothes. Forget about having to pack a lunch. The fridge is just a few steps away. When it comes to day-to-day mechanics, it isn’t very different.  FMTC runs like a fine oiled machine by giving its employees all the tools needed to effortlessly work from home.

 

Hubstaff

 

People who work outside the home punch a clock when they arrive at work. FMTC employees do too. Hubstaff is a nifty program that keeps track of remote employees’ work hours. Timesheets can be broken down into different categories according to daily duties.

 

For example: when I am working shift lead hours, I log into shift lead, but when I switch focus to data entry, I clock out of shift lead and clock into data entry. It helps employees and the company keep track of project hours. The Hubstaff dashboard also provides great management tools, including weekly activity levels, daily or weekly timesheets and much more.

 

Zoom

 

Don’t think for a minute that just because we work remotely we don’t have meetings to attend. Some weeks can be filled with lots of them. Zoom is what FMTC uses. Computer cameras can be on or off, depending on meeting requirements. FMTC even uses Zoom for its monthly “watercooler” experience, where employees get together virtually and talk about a common theme.

 

A big difference with remote work is that employees don’t get to see each other on a daily basis and chat about casual life while grabbing that cup of coffee in the break room. To make up for that, FMTC has a “huddle” once a month, where everyone takes turns answering a fun question. It’s a fantastic way to decrease stress and for coworkers to get to know each other on a more personal level. 

 

Trello

 

Trello goes hand-in-hand with Zoom. Trello allows users to create different cards that can contain information on company projects and to-dos, which in turn helps meetings run smoothly and employees stay on task. It’s a fantastic tool to get the most out of each meeting.  

 

Slack

 

Slack is one of the most important programs FMTC uses with its daily employees. Slack is a communication platform that provides different chat rooms that allows co-workers to keep in close contact and communication. Employees are only a few clicks away through a private message or group chat.  

 

Bonusly

 

Everyone loves to be acknowledged for a job well done. Bonusly gives FMTC employees the opportunity to send bonus points to someone who has gone above and beyond. As points are accumulated, employees can redeem them for gift cards for coffee, a night at the movies, groceries etc. There is also an option to cash the bonus points out as currency. 

 

Most remote jobs rely on several programs to keep daily business organized, and FMTC is no different. The above is only a portion of the programs FMTC uses. While its employees may work from a home office, FMTC is a business that values teamwork, reliability and trust to keep things running efficiently and utilizing the above mentioned tools assure that its employees never lack the tools needed to be and do  their very best.