5 online tools CEOs of fully remote companies depend on to keep their teams highly productive and engaged
Marguerite Ward
- While a large number of US businesses have transitioned to working remotely during the pandemic, there are employers that have been entirely remote long beforehand.
- But not everyone is productive at home, and there are certain tools CEOs of fully remote companies swear keep their employees on track.
- Here are five tools, including Slack, Asana, and Google's G Suite that CEOs of remote-first companies love to use to keep their teams productive.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus has made remote work the new normal for thousands of US businesses.
Back in mid-March, when the novel coronavirus began to spread in the US, a survey of 550 US employers by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 67% of companies were already taking steps to allow employees, who normally come into the office, the opportunity to work from home.
Some companies, however, have been remote-first well before the pandemic for a variety of reasons. And they've managed highly productive teams with a few, specific tools.
Business Insider asked CEOs of several such companies which tools they use to stay highly effective and productive when there's no in-person communication. Here are the top five tools they swear by.
Read the original article on Business InsiderCEOs say Slack helps keep email inboxes from overflowing and makes check-ins easier.
Courtney Klein, CEO and cofounder of maternity clothing company Storq, was quick to adopt Slack, instead of relying on email for online conversations.
"We've been a remote team from day one, and we learned early on that when the majority of our communication happens in Slack, it keeps our email inbox much more streamlined and easier to manage," Klein said.
Brinkman of Sips by said her team uses Slack, the searchable chat messaging platform, all day every day.
"It's a nice way to get needed information, check-in, share miscellaneous information about COVID-19 self-care and wellness, and create a space for the normal in-office collisions you'd naturally have when you're refilling your water bottle," she said.
G Suite products, like Google Drive and Google Hangouts, offer teams easy ways to organize files, chat, and video conference.
Mira Peterson, cofounder of makeup and cosmetics company JUNO & Co. said Google Drive is a perfect way to organize different collaborations she's working on.
"I like to make individual folders for each product and each photographer. When I need an image quickly, I just type in the product or photographer's name in search and find it so much easier," she said.
Lee and Ashauer of Birdy Grey also love Google's suite of products, specifically Google Hangouts.
"We hop back in and out of hangouts frequently throughout the day as if it's our private conference room," Ashauer said.
Microsoft teams gives employees the ability to video conference, chat, share documents, and host live events.
Microsoft Teams is a communication and collaboration tool with chat and project management features. Devan and Morgan Kline, founders of Burn Boot Camp, a fitness franchise company, said they found everything they need to run their company in Microsoft Teams.
"It's been a game-changer for sharing files, starting a quick conversation, and even hosting video calls, and is compatible with all devices," Morgan said. "It keeps us all organized and streamlined."
Asana helps company executives keep track of short-term tasks as well as long-term projects.
Meena Harris, CEO and founder of Phenomenal Woman, a socially minded apparel company, said Asana has been key to run a productive company.
"It helps keep things organized, transparent, and on schedule in what is typically a fast-paced and sometimes chaotic environment that involves a lot of coordination with external partners," she writes in an email.
For Jason Reidel, cofounder and CEO of jewelry company gorjana, Asana helps his team identify any roadblocks to upcoming projects early on, since there are subtasks for every project he can keep track of.
"I'm always up to speed with important initiatives, their timelines, and any roadblocks I need to be aware of," he said.
Zoom's group video conferencing and presentation mode helps keep remote-first companies engaged.
Daina Trout, CEO and cofounder of Health-Ade, the popular brand of kombucha, calls the video conferencing app "a lifeline." The executive said Zoom helps keep her team productive and engaged, especially during quarantine.
"We even incorporate weekly team happy hours, no booze, so everyone can connect to see how everyone is feeling/handling quarantine life," she said.
Staci Brinkman, CEO and founder, Sips by, a tea subscription box company, said the screen sharing feature on Zoom is very helpful.
"I actually think it's made showing docs and projects to one another easier because we don't have projectors at our start-up office," she said.
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