Whether you work from home or in a small, compact office – communication is vital for any business and work team. For remote teams and those working from home, communication is more important than ever for achieving efficiency.
Remote teams can face challenges when it comes to communicating with each other, be it for clarification or help with a particular task. That’s why several apps, systems and software exist to tackle these challenges. If your business is looking for new or better ways for your remote workers to communicate with each other, we’ve listed five ways you can do so effectively.
Use unified communications
From video conferencing and instant messaging to file sharing and other communication tools, a unified communications system can connect all your communication tools in one place. With unified communications, you’re essentially unifying all your methods of communication.
For remote teams, no matter how you decide to communicate or what tools you use, a unified communications system is fantastic for enhancing your communications. With the right unified communications system in place. Since unified communications are stored in the cloud, you can access the portal conveniently, no matter your location.
Video calling platform
The best way for remote teams to communicate as if they were actually face-to-face is through video calling. While you can simply drop a message or call your team, video calling can break the barrier and allow you to communicate as you would in person – you can speak, use body language, keep eye contact and show anything from your surroundings.
You may think of Zoom or Skype when video calling comes to mind, but there are several other video conferencing platforms out there which include a myriad of tools to help you communicate effectively. With video conferencing, you can also share your screen while speaking to your team – this is great for meetings and group tasks.
Instant messaging
Instant messaging can improve collaboration among employees while also enabling rapid access to the information or responses they need. Moreover, messaging allows your team to address issues privately, either to individuals or to entire departments by creating a group chat. Remote teams should be encouraged to use the chat function of a communication tool for instant communication. You can discuss anything in chats and send short messages that don’t require picking up the phone and calling someone.
Cloud hosted phone
It is imperative to invest in cloud-hosted phone software or phone number diversion if your remote workers are needed to answer the phone and take calls as part of their role. There is an obvious safeguarding and data privacy concern that has to be addressed if staff are required to call clients using their home landline or cell phone. A cloud-hosted phone is a perfect solution and it could benefit your entire business in the long run.
Don’t forget email
For formal communications, email is still one of the best remote team communication tools available. Email allows people to give their messages more thought or answer when they have time because it isn’t as immediate or participatory as SMS and video. It also keeps a written record of any discussions shared via email.
