16 Effective Tools For Managing A Virtual Team
The era of digital entrepreneurs is on the rise and with that comes the need of having virtual teams. Now, finding remote employees and getting them on board with a project is easy. But when it comes to managing a workforce spread across different countries and time zones — the equation gets a little more complicated.
And then comes the question: How to manage a virtual team effectively? How to make sure that they understand their roles and deliver what’s expected from them, instead of wasting their time and efforts elsewhere? How to motivate them to do a better job? How to get them to communicate and know each other? What is the importance of project management for virtual teams?— and most importantly, what tips and tools to use to ease up the process?
“Need a tool that helps you manage a high-performing virtual team? Try ProofHub!”
That seems like a lot of research, right? Luckily, you’re not the only one scratching your head over the idea of managing a virtual team. Recent research suggests that there has been a steady increase in the number of remote employers and employees in the industry. In fact, according to a Gallup poll, more American employees are working remotely, and they are doing so for longer periods.
Clearly, there are entrepreneurs and leaders who are managing one or more virtual teams and they are doing it well. Sure, managing a virtual team seems challenging. But if you think clearly — managing a virtual team isn’t really that different from managing an on-site team. You just have to find the right approach and tools.
Below, you will find a list of remote tools that can solve all your concerns of having or managing a remote team. Start using these tools and you will get better at managing teams from anywhere in the world.
Top 16 Tools For Managing Virtual Teams
Tool for Project Management.
The first requirement of a project manager is to find a way to plan, execute, and control all aspects of the project, onsite or offsite. This is exactly what a project management tool is designed to do. It helps project managers and teams to ensure that each project/task is completed on time with optimal time and cost management.
Why should you invest in a project management software & tool?
- Plan easily
- Keep better schedules
- Delegate work easily
- Optimized decision making
- Track progress accurately
- Deliver work faster
ProofHub is an advanced PM tool for any business or teams who have projects to manage and ideas to collaborate on. It’s an all-in-one solution providing every feature and functionality that is needed to plan, schedule, track, report, and deliver a project. The product comes with a 30-day free trial so that managers and teams can get familiar with its basics and benefits before they go for a paid subscription.
2. ClickUp
ClickUp helps teams manage all their projects in one place while boosting productivity with features like tasks, Docs, and Goals.
Tool for remote employee communication
Connecteam is the collaboration app that moves work forward and keeps your team connected in the tap of a button.
Why should you invest in a remote employee communication tool?
- Keep employees synced
- Real-time collaboration: group chat, private dialogue, social updates, live polls
- Add content, share files, videos, GIFS, pictures & gather feedback from one place
- Boost employee engagement, morale & productivity
- Directory for work contaacts
- In-app suggestion box
3. Connecteam
Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management app with robust and effective communication tools for both businesses and teams — whether you’re in the office, out in the field, or working from home. In a single app, you have access to live group chat, one-on-one people-centric chat, social posts, real-time updates, customizable surveys, and much more. Pricing starts at just $29/month for up to 200 users or you can trial Connecteam with its free for life plan.
Tool for Team Collaboration
These are basically software and online services that allow project managers to ensure a clear line of communication between people so that they can work together as a team, regardless of their actual physical location.
Why should you invest in a collaboration tool?
- Easier and faster problem solving
- Heartens creativity and innovation
- Develop trust and teamwork
- Happier and fulfilled workforce
- Positive work culture
4. Slack
Slack is what makes working together and sharing information seamless and secure. It’s a messaging and team communication app that brings teams in one place to get things done faster, collaboratively.
Tool for Video Meetings
The idea behind using a video conferencing tool is to explore opportunities for one-on-one interactions between virtual teams — regardless of the fact that they are miles away from each other.
Why should you invest in a video conferencing tool?
- Saving on travel time and costs
- Keeping virtual teams in sync
- Enhance productivity
- Employee retention
- Humanize the conversation
5. Skype
Many video chat and messaging apps have entered the market but the most popular one is still Skype. Whether your team is remote or sitting in the same office space, Skype allows you to communicate via audio/video and even share screens in the easiest and the most inexpensive way possible.
Tool for Human Resource Management.
The human resource management tools are used in businesses to automate their resource management. This helps them to eliminate repetitive tasks performed by the HR team/department and improve employees’ productivity.
Why should you invest in a HR tool?
- Manage Employees
- Track work hours and projects
- Maintain payrolls and invoices
- Applicant tracking and hiring.
- Attendance and leave management.
6. CuteHR
CuteHR is a human resource management tool designed to manage and monitor both in house and remote teams. It is a complete package for businesses to manage projects, employees and clients while tracking work hours, projects, meeting deadlines or hiring talents via ATS. It offers live reporting, GPS tracking to collaborate effectively with remote employees. With smart survey tools that are included in Cutehr’s package, maintaining a happy harmony in workplaces becomes handy. All this is inline with invoices and payroll features which makes the employer or HR’s work hassle free
Tool for visual collaboration
Conceptboard’s infinite canvas allows distributed teams to centralize projects and collaborate in real-time across locations. Import content, gather feedback, share files and ideas all from one powerful visual tool.
Why should you invest in a online whiteboard
- Virtual hub to centralize all your ideas and files
- Real-time Collaboration: Chat, Video Chat, Live Pointers
- Improve brainstorming and ideation with visual tools
- Add content, share files & gather feedback from one tool
- @mention, assign tasks and track progress in one place
7. Conceptboard
Conceptboard is a collaborative online whiteboard that provides a shared virtual workspace for distributed teams. If you’ve spent hours of your workday trying to collaborate over endless email threads, then Conceptboard is the app for you. It’s your one-stop solution to centralize projects, communication and artifacts.
Tool for email collaboration
Hiver’s email collaboration platform helps teams collaborate seamlessly within Gmail without switching tabs/apps. This ensures no important emails are missed, and teammates don’t have to use forwards and CCs to collaborate.
Why should you invest in an email collaboration tool?
- Access shared mailboxes within Gmail.
- Delegate emails to team members with one click and track them easily.
- Internal notes and @mentions for contextual collaboration.
- Collision Alerts to prevent duplicate replies.
- In-depth analytics to identify team performance.
8. Hiver
Hiver is a shared inbox solution for teams. Hiver transforms Gmail into a collaboration platform by enabling teams to easily manage shared email accounts like support@, accounts@. It eliminates the need for function-specific customer communication solutions like a helpdesk — by helping teams manage all group email communication right within Gmail. Hiver starts for as low as $7 per user per month. All plans come with a free 14-day trial.
Tool for Productivity
Productivity tools help you get focused faster and stay productive for longer so that you can get your best work done, everyday. You can plan your day around the tasks that matter most. Break your day into focused sessions of work and block all those distracting websites, apps and notifications that halt your flow.
Why should you invest in Productivity Tool?
- Plan your day around the work that matters most
- Set daily routines
- Stay focused by blocking distracting websites, apps & notifications
- Enhance your focus with concentration music
- Track your productivity with the reporting feature
- Integrate Serene with other productivity & project management tools
9. Serene
Serene is the all-in-one productivity tool for macOS. Serene was built to make deep work easier to attain. Whether you’re writing a book, finishing a project or developing a startup, Serene will help you stay focused by combining three proven techniques:
1. Dividing your day into focused sessions of work with regular breaks
2. Blocking distractions once you enter Serene sessions
3. Organising each day with a plan
Tool for Document Storage and File Sharing
The core purpose of these tools is to help virtual teams find what they want easily while working on projects and tasks. A good file management tool covers all aspects of managing business-critical files and documents including storage, retrieval, backups, data security, file versioning, etc.
Why should you invest in a file management tool?
- Eco-friendly and portable
- Centralized files and documents
- Easy collaboration and sharing
- Easier access to data — past, and present
- Enhances data security
10. Google Drive
Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization solution that many businesses have been using for years. It allows you to safely store and share photos, videos, files and more in the cloud.
Tool for Video communication
It is the perfect tool for Sales, Customer Success and Marketing teams. Personalize reachout, deliver better customer support and promote digital content online, effectively with videos made on Clapboard.
Why should you invest?
Create videos that make your narration come alive.
Own a truly whitelabeled video platform
Add Clickable Call-to-action to capture leads within the video.
Measure video metrics to know how your videos are performing
Make small video bites for Intra-team communication
11. Clapboard
Clapboard is a lightweight Google Chrome extension that lets you create & share amazing video recordings across multiple platforms. Quickly capture your screen & camera together, make your narrative more engaging using the inbuilt design elements and instantly share on all major platforms. It is a simple, fast and exciting way to create effective video messages that are interactive and easy to understand.
Tool for Design Feedback
Work with your team or clients with our visual feedback tool and communicate with them in real-time and respond to feedback in a way like never before. Better remote collaboration with contextual feedback and task tracking.
Why should you invest in a design feedback tool?
- Simplified issue tracking
- Track progress on all of your bugs and issues
- Faster content review cycles and task management
- Client feedback and team tasks all at one place
- Faster development with collaborative reviews
- Streamline the feedback process between the internal team and external stakeholders
12. zipBoard
zipBoard helps teams better manage feedback from stakeholders and reproduce bugs and issues with screencast and annotation tools that let stakeholders share contextual feedback without leaving their content.
Tool for Time Tracking
These are the tools that are designed to give individuals and businesses the ability to keep track of every working hour and explore ways to use them more efficiently.
Why should you invest in a time tracking tool?
- Keep teams on track
- Focus on priorities
- Accurate estimates and quotes
- Accurate billing
- Easier performance review
13. TimeCamp
TimeCamp is a web-based application for tracking the activity of employees and billing clients accurately. Graphic timesheets, invoicing and reporting are the key highlights of this product and it certainly makes time management simpler.
Tool for Marketing Reporting Dashboard
A digital marketing reporting dashboard is what helps teams to get a quick peek into their marketing performance. It’s basically a type of reporting tool that is designed to provide details like marketing analytics, KPIs, and metrics using data visualizations.
Why should you invest in a marketing reporting dashboard software?
- Visualize KPIs and other critical data at a glance
- Create a performance-driven workplace culture
- Ease of reporting
14. DashThis
DashThis is a reporting software that lets you create beautiful and automated marketing reporting dashboards for analytics, SEM, PPC, and SEO. It also provides advanced customization features that enable agencies and teams to create and customize marketing analytics dashboards in their own specific way.
Tool for Learning and Development
It’s a software application that assists project managers in developing existing employee skills, capabilities, and competencies through training/development programs to ensure a sustainable, successful organization.
Why should you invest in a learning management system?
- Boost employee morale
- New skills and knowledge acquired
- Greater confidence, capability, and competence
- Enhanced team performance
- Greater employee satisfaction
15. MindScroll LMS
MindScroll LMS is the simple online Learning Management System software that combines learning with technology. The aim of this software solution is to deliver online training. With MindScroll LMS, businesses can deliver training content to their employees across the globe.
“Planning to improve the online efficiency of your business? Let ProofHub help. Sign up today!”
Tool for Internal Knowledge Management
These tools help companies organize documentation, frequently asked questions and other important information into easily accessible formats. A good internal knowledge management tool should integrate well with the tools your team already uses everyday and offer powerful search, good collaborative features and built-in workflows to help ensure content are accurate and up-to-date.
Why should you invest in an internal knowledge management tool?
- Speed up onboarding
- Enhance team productivity
- Standardize workflows and share best practices
- Reduce the number of repeated questions and mistakes
16. Kipwise
Kipwise is a knowledge management tool that helps teams build up their company knowledge hub easily. It offers powerful Slack integration, browser extensions and is integrated with Google Drive, Trello, Airtable and more, so you can save and retrieve team knowledge easily, wherever you need them.
Conclusion
Virtual project teams is a modern concept that is slightly different from conventional teams in terms of management as well as challenges. It’s not something that you should be afraid of.
Just use the right set of tools and you will be good. Start with our list of top effective tools for managing virtual teams and if you have a tool in mind that deserves a spot in the list, let us know about it in the comments below.
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