Virtual collaboration tools: creating the perfect toolkit for hybrid teams
December 7, 2023
December 28, 2023
Today, working with a colleague who is located in Japan while you are working from the office in Paris is no longer an issue. At least, it shouldn’t be if you have the correct virtual collaboration tools.
Online collaboration software ensures seamless coordination and communication in an asynchronous work environment. Videoconferencing platforms, project management software, hybrid scheduling apps, etc. These are all workplace technologies fundamental to enabling your employees to interact and work together regardless of location.
So, what is the basic toolkit every hybrid team should have? What are the best collaboration tools available, and how do you choose the right ones for your coworkers? Here is a complete guide to virtual collaboration and the must-have resources for any remote and modern workforce. From project progress tracking to real-time interactions and digital brainstorming solutions, you’ve got this!
Time to get equipped: what virtual collaboration tools should every flexible workforce be provided with?
Communication channels adapted to your team’s needs
If you’ve embraced flexible work, you know that working with a hybrid team requires the best communication channels to work effectively. Communication is a core pillar for any successful business, no matter its working model. Yet, diverse geographical locations and flexible schedules can lead to scheduling conflicts and harm collaboration if not managed with the right tools.
Finding communication channels that enable seamless information exchange, ensure everyone is on the same page, and promote a sense of inclusion for all members is fundamental. Without suitable platforms, the benefits of a flexible workforce can be compromised. For instance, some remote team members might feel isolated or need more alignment about the company's goals.
These tools help bridge the gap, ensuring that every team member can contribute fully and effectively to the collective efforts regardless of location.
The best videoconferencing tool for online meetings
In remote and hybrid work environments, videoconferencing tools are pivotal for maintaining clear and effective communication among team members. They represent an essential tool to simulate in-person interaction, enabling employees to fetch non-verbal cues and foster stronger connections.
A high-quality videoconferencing tool minimizes technical disruptions, provides reliable security for sensitive exchanges, and ensures accessibility across different devices and platforms. Moreover, it allows for recording sessions, sharing screens, and real-time collaboration, which are essential for productive and engaging meetings.
These platforms have become the cornerstone of harmonious communication strategies as they help hybrid workforces navigate the challenges of working in different locations.
An effective and user-friendly project management software
Project management software is probably the most crucial virtual collaboration tool to have as a flexible workforce. We cannot imagine how a hybrid team can perform and succeed without it.
The main goal of this tool is to centralize tasks, documents, and any resources pertinent to a project. Streamlining workflows, facilitating deadline tracking, and enabling efficient resource allocation are among the main perks of using a project management tool. It also helps mitigate the risk of information silos and ensures that all team members, regardless of their location, have real-time access to project updates, deadlines, and resources.
Additionally, they foster accountability and enable team members and leaders to monitor progress. Using such software minimizes confusion among coworkers. It also enhances productivity by automating routine processes and offering features like task assignments, file sharing, and collaborative spaces. All this is essential to allow seamless operation and success of flexible teams.
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A seamless virtual whiteboard to brainstorm ideas
Do you feel lost without your old whiteboard from your office meeting room? We feel you! But the good news is that virtual whiteboards are entering the game of remote collaboration. They provide hybrid teams like you with a dynamic and visual platform to brainstorm and innovate as if everyone were in the same room.
These digital boards remove location barriers, allowing team members to contribute ideas simultaneously, map out thought processes, and visualize concepts in real time. Not only do they boost creativity and innovation, but they also serve as an organizational tool for planning and executing projects.
Virtual whiteboards play a key role in remote work communication as they contribute to triggering engagement. With the visual nature of the content, words are more impactful and easier to understand. This collaborative technology ensures that every voice can be heard and every idea can be seen, making teamwork more efficient and effective despite physical distances.
A cloud-based document-sharing platform to centralize all your files
Another must-add virtual collaboration tool to your toolkit is a cloud-based document-sharing platform.
This resource significantly enhances virtual collaboration in a hybrid work environment by providing a centralized repository for files, allowing team members to access, edit, and manage documents irrespective of their physical location.
This fosters real-time collaboration, as updates are instantly visible to all, eliminating the barriers of time zones and geography. By streamlining communication and ensuring version control, the platform mitigates the risks of information silos and data discrepancies.
An integrated online scheduling system to keep track of colleagues’ working location
Before planning any virtual meeting or starting to work on a project with their colleagues, your staff needs to know who is working where. A hybrid scheduling system allows employees to plan and coordinate their work with full visibility into when and where colleagues are available, remotely or from the office.
This transparency is crucial for scheduling meetings, assigning tasks, and managing project timelines. It also helps prevent delays and ensures that team members can connect at times suitable for everyone involved.
This streamlines collaboration, as teams can effectively synchronize their efforts and maintain a cohesive workflow. Moreover, using a week planning system, like deskbird, allows for better time-zone differences management and greater optimization regarding productivity across the hybrid workforce.
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Time to compare: what differentiates the main virtual collaboration tools on the market?
5 common online communication tools compared
5 well-known videoconferencing platforms described
5 top project management software on the market
🤖 Discover how to use AI in project management!
5 virtual whiteboards to check out for your flexible teams
5 great cloud-based file-sharing solutions
5 online scheduling systems
Time to choose: how do you pick the best virtual collaboration tools for your employees?
Find out your team members’ daily pain points
The initial step in finding the best virtual collaboration tools for hybrid teams is to identify remote employees' pain points while collaborating virtually. Direct input from team members is vital to understanding the limitations that hinder their productivity or communication.
The best way to understand their needs is to discuss them. An online survey can be a scalable way to collect their feedback anonymously, allowing them to express concerns freely. Alternatively, team meetings or individual one-on-one sessions can offer more personal and detailed insights into specific issues they can face.
These conversations are crucial to determine which features are missing or inadequate within current tools. It provides a great starting point for selecting the most effective and tailored collaboration platforms that match your employees’ unique requirements.
Make security a priority
When identifying the best virtual collaboration tools for hybrid teams, evaluating the security credentials of each option is a must. The rise in cybersecurity threats in the era of increased online collaboration highlights the importance of choosing tools that offer strong security measures.
Therefore, the selected platforms must be equipped with end-to-end encryption, secure login processes, and compliance with relevant data protection regulations. Mitigating cybersecurity risks by vetting highly secured online resources is essential for safeguarding sensitive company information and protecting your staff’s privacy.
If you find tools to resist potential breaches and ensure data security, you build trust within the team and across the organization. It guarantees that all virtual interactions and collaborations occur within a safe and controlled digital environment.
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Opt for an online collaboration tool with excellent customer support
The next step is to select virtual collaboration tools with the best customer support. When remote and on-site work blend, the impact of technical issues can be magnified, potentially disrupting productivity across different locations. Thus, immediate and practical assistance can be pivotal in maintaining business continuity in a flexible work environment.
Assessing the level of customer support a tool provides includes:
- the availability of support personnel;
- the responsiveness of their service;
- the variety of support channels (live chat, phone support, email, or knowledge bases);
- etc.
Access to prompt and knowledgeable customer support ensures that any challenges encountered with the tool can be swiftly addressed, minimizing downtime and frustration. Such backing empowers teams to leverage the tool’s capabilities fully, enhancing collaboration and productivity.
Look for seamless integrations
Systems integration is a must to promote smooth and effective workflows. Therefore, this aspect must be highly considered when choosing virtual collaboration tools.
This synergy across platforms enables smooth data flow, prevents information silos, and reduces the need for toggling between different applications. It also helps save time and reduce the potential for errors.
Tools with strong integration capabilities can plug into project management software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, file storage services, and more. This creates a cohesive ecosystem that streamlines workflows and enhances productivity.
Verifying that any prospective collaboration tool can connect with the specific systems already in use or can be easily adapted is essential as it ensures a unified and efficient work environment.
Choose virtual collaboration tools tailored to your employees’ needs
Choosing online collaboration tools tailored to employees’ needs is essential for optimizing hybrid team performance. A tool should be powerful and fit the team's specific workflows, technical needs, and requirements. Engaging with your colleagues to understand their daily tasks and issues enables you to choose tools that align with the nature of their work.
Customization is equally essential. It allows your software to adapt as the team’s needs evolve. It’s beneficial to opt for platforms that offer modular features or customizable interfaces to ensure that the tool remains relevant and supportive of productivity.
Remember, the right fit boosts adoption rates. Employees are more likely to embrace tools that feel intuitive and directly relevant to their roles. This is crucial as it usually results in smoother collaboration and better outcomes.
Start a free trial before subscribing to any virtual collaboration tool
Requesting a free trial of virtual collaboration tools before committing to a subscription is highly recommended. A trial period serves as a hands-on evaluation phase that allows your team to test the platform’s features in their daily activities rigorously. By using the tool, your team can gauge its compatibility with their workflows, user-friendliness, and overall contribution to productivity.
Additionally, testing helps validate whether the tool addresses the specific needs and challenges identified. This firsthand experience is invaluable in making an informed decision, as it eliminates uncertainties. By ensuring the tool is a good fit for your team, you also avoid wasting money and creating disruptions when switching tools later.
This is an essential toolkit of the virtual collaboration tools every business should have. However, plenty of other tools can improve your hybrid workforce productivity. For example, virtual reality devices change our work, especially in a hybrid work environment. With VR equipment, teams can collaborate digitally as if they were in the same room. Also, we highly recommend you consider investing in resources that include AI technology.
Do you want to discover how deskbird helps you boost collaboration in the physical and digital workplace? Request a free demo or start a free trial of the deskbird app to learn more about all our user-friendly features!
Sources:
- Get App;
- 10 best document sharing platforms in 2023, PandaDoc;
- 10 top file-sharing services: Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, and more, Computer World;
- 49 Best Online Collaboration Tools & Software Platforms For Business Teams That Are Irrefutably Awesome In 2023, Snacknation;
- The Best Online Collaboration Software for 2023, PC Mag.
