7 Best Productivity Tools and Productivity apps for Remote Teams 2024

I lead a remote team that works well together to achieve the goals we've set for ourselves, leveraging the best productivity apps and to-do list features to maintain our efficiency and keep everything in sync. These are the 7 Tools we use to facilitate this success in managing remote teams, ensuring flexibility and adaptability in our workplace.

1.    Secure and Instant messaging platform

Duckist is a big part of running our remote team. It is an online message encryption service that allows our team members to send messages freely without worrying about hacks, siphoning, or phishing. It encrypts the messages and sends them to the recipient. The message is received with a decryption key and a specified number of allowed views before the text gets terminated. 

Working remotely requires a constant flow of information and data from one team member to another, often facilitated by collaboration tools like Goleko and enhanced by apps designed to improve productivity. Sending confidential messages, data, and communication to team members across the globe, essential for managing remote teams, has been made possible for us by Duckist.

2.  Video Conference Tools

We have used four different video conference tools. We started with one but shifted to another that was better. Let’s discuss these options. 

Zoom

Zoom was the earliest conference tool we used. This is unsurprising considering its rise in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The connectivity was excellent and it served us well whenever we used it.

We encountered issues using it, the chief being acquiring licenses to use it. The licenses were expensive to acquire and didn’t make much sense for the size of our company and the time we spent in meetings. 

Acquiring the licenses was a hurdle we couldn’t navigate. These factors made Zoom inefficient for us. This is why we shifted our meetings to Whereby.

Whereby

Remote teams cannot work only via written or encrypted messages. Platforms like Whereby offer a comprehensive solution. Some meetings need to be held face-to-face. Whereby simulates this experience with video conferencing features, adding a layer of flexibility to our communication and accommodating employees in different time zones.

Whereby was great for us but had shortcomings plaguing it. These shortcomings made it hard to enhance our productivity. Whereby has rooms that facilitate video conferencing. This is a creative idea that causes some issues. You have to knock before gaining access to this room for the video conference.  This caused delays in getting meetings underway, something unconducive for productivity. 

Whereby isn’t encrypted. This makes it susceptible to hacks. Your work or discussions aren’t safe from eavesdropping.  These reasons prompted us to shift to Google Meet.

Google Meet

We’ve had a short and problematic experience using Google Meet. We liked its ease of use and accessibility. This made it a viable option to replace Whereby. These were the only redeeming factors Google Meet had. 

Google Meet was highly unstable. We rarely had coherent communication in our meetings. We suffered network breaks, call failures, and longer meetings due to disruptions. This made our meetings frustrating, which knocked over our productivity and efficiency. We quickly knew we couldn’t continue using it. This prompted us to shift to Jitsi.  

Jitsi

Communication is a vital component of any functional remote team. We use Jitsi instead of Whereby for our communication. Jitsi is easy to install using the Hetzner apps. We’re soon writing an article detailing how to install Jitsi on your server and run it practically for free. Subscribe to our newsletter to get this update in your inbox.

Communication is vital for functionality and success. Many viable alternatives exist just for this. Whereby worked well for us to some degree, and now we’ve shifted to Jitsi. Jitsi has its servers close to our base of operations. We also have it installed on our servers, ensuring all we discuss is privacy-aware.

Keeping our intellectual property safe and enhancing our communication remains vital for us. This is why we use Jitsi and continue reaping the benefits. Try Jitsi today to reap the benefits of secure communication. 

3.    Creative and Impactful Documents

Documents play a crucial role in collaboration and communication in remote teams. They facilitate seamless interaction and engagement in the virtual workspace. They are a central source of information, promote knowledge sharing, and help team members work seamlessly. This benefits teams across different time zones. 

We use ElegantDoc to create the documents we use in our remote team, leveraging this tool for seamless document management. It is easy to use, saves time and money, and functions well. This makes it accessible anywhere. This is crucial for our remote team members to maintain high levels of engagement and productivity. It has wide template galleries that allow for unique customizations, supporting our effort to hire individuals who can contribute uniquely to our company values in a remote setting. 

This enhances the productivity and creativity of our remote team, making it a fun and flexible experience. It allows team members to adapt to changes and prevent burnout. This solution for enhancing collaboration and streamlining the process is made possible thanks to ElegantDoc, introducing flexibility and adaptability into our document management practices.

4.    Simple and Powerful Task Management

We have been frustrated by existing project management tools and are developing software that incorporates task management and time tracking to meet our specific needs. These tools had something missing that we could not compromise on, prompting us to search for alternatives that could automate and improve productivity. This is a necessity for managing remote workers effectively. This prompted us to make our project management tool that fits all our needs and desires. It handles people's gripes with other project management tools, focusing on workflow optimization in a remote and hybrid environment.   

We use Goleko.com for this exact reason: to enhance the productivity and collaboration of our remote team members in a virtual setting, promoting a flexible and adaptive work model. 

Goleko.com allows all team members to view tasks done by themselves and others, fostering flexibility in managing their workload to avoid burnout. It has a comment section where team members can leave suggestions to improve particular aspects or give additions, acting as an intuitive platform for note-taking and feedback. 

It also has a time tracker that allows team members to log the hours they’ve worked, helping keep everyone accountable and transparent about their time management. This hub also acts as an extra means of communication between our team members, incorporating features like a mobile app interface and real-time updates. 

Our remote team runs efficiently in part due to the benefits we enjoy by using Goleko.com, a platform that aligns with our company values, supports our virtual engagement efforts, and accommodates the need to learn in an ever-evolving work environment.

5.    Google Docs and note-taking

We use Google Docs as another means of communication between team members working on a single task. We utilize it as a collaboration tool to streamline our workflow and enhance our ability to collaborate more effectively. Google Docs allows team members to exchange ideas, suggest changes, and freely edit. These features work asynchronously and synchronously. It embodies best practices for remote work to improve productivity and ensures our team can collaborate effectively no matter the time zone, fostering a culture of engagement and recognition among remote team members. It gives team members the freedom to decide how best to work. 

It is also simple to use, fast, and readily available, encouraging a flexible approach to scheduling and collaboration. Incorporating Google Docs into our work has made it easier for our team to work cohesively and efficiently. It acts as a foundational tool in our collaboration tool suite and aids the onboarding process for new team members. 

6.    Telegram

Our team members use Telegram to communicate with each other, appreciating its mobile app interface for on-the-go updates. It fosters a culture of immediate interaction and engagement among remote team members. It is an easy-to-use messaging platform that allows the creation of channels and bots to provide better utility for remote teams, including features for monitoring and ensuring the workforce remains informed. We use Telegram to consult on tasks, share links to videos that enhance productivity, and catch up on work. 

This enhances the bond of our team members, improving our team dynamics and productivity. It also enhances the efficiency of the team and integrates task management tools to increase our workflow efficiency. 

7.  Screen Recording Productivity Tools

More productivity with video feedback. It saves me time and is efficient compared to written feedback. We used Loom for this but have shifted to VideoFeedbackr. Let’s see why. 

Loom

We used Loom to give video feedback on tasks and projects. Loom served us well for a while, but we didn’t get the best from ourselves. Loom required a subscription where I had to pay 12$ for a 10-person package, which isn’t cost-effective for video feedback. It also has a 5-minute limit on the recordings. These recordings could then be accessed via a link to the video. The video had a lag time before it could play, making it unconducive for overall productivity. 

Loom doesn’t have security measures. Our video recordings and feedback weren’t protected from any unauthorized access. These issues prompted us to develop screen recordings as comments for Goleko and a dedicated free video feedback tool. 

VideoFeedbackr

Video Feedback hassle-free. I created VideoFeedbackr as an alternative to Loom. VideoFeedbackr has improved our productivity to the point we designed a project management tool, Goleko. Goleko has this video feedback built and works seamlessly to enhance overall productivity.

VideoFeedbackr is available to use for free, with a paid subscription coming soon. It is fast, doesn’t need app installation, and offers seamless downloads. You don’t have to spend anything to enjoy using it. Just log onto the domain and start enjoying its services.

VideoFeedbackr is privacy-aware and you don’t have to worry about anything you’ve recorded leaking to other people. It ensures that only you have access to all videos you’ve recorded. You’ll also have exclusive rights to the videos you record and download. Only you and the people you shared your videos with have access to your videos. It’s built to serve and make your life that much easier. Try it today, and enjoy excellent levels of productivity.

Conclusion

Effective communication is integral to the success of any remote team. It is vital to have proper communication tools that promote productivity, efficiency, and cohesiveness among team members. This ensures the workforce can overcome the boundary of physical distance. People effectively planned for wars and huge events using letters and smoke signals, demonstrating that clear communication and the right strategies inevitably lead to successful outcomes. 

Modern tools and regular meetings with your employees can enhance team coordination and project planning today. We have shared tools we believe would've made this even easier for them, emphasizing the importance of task management software and collaboration tools for remote teams. We prioritize best practices in remote work. These 7 tools work well for us in managing remote teams. They guarantee weekly check-ins and adaptability, and we know they will work well for you, especially when integrating regular Jitsi meetings to bolster team coherence.

FAQs

What is Goleko?

Goleko is the newest and best project management tool built to help you manage your projects easily in a simple yet powerful manner.

How many projects can Goleko facilitate?

Goleko has been built from the ground with simplicity and efficiency in running multiple projects simultaneously. It has an in-built smart app that allows you to view all tasks assigned to a person at once and an activities app that shows all activities happening in real time across the workspace. It’s simple for your enjoyment and facilitates multiple tasks for efficiency and productivity.

What is the pricing for Goleko?

Goleko has three different packages, each with a different price. These tiers are free, premium, and corporate. The free package doesn’t cost anything. The premium package costs $39/month, and the corporate package costs $199/month.

What is VideoFeedbackr?

ViideoFeedbakr is an online video recording tool. 

What is the Pricing of VideoFeedbackr?

VideoFeedbackr is free to use. There will be future pricing available with different perks to come. 

Do you need to install apps for VideoFeedbackr?

No, you don’t. VideoFeedbackr is ready to use immediately and doesn’t require app installation. 

How does Duckist work?

Duckist works by sending a link with the message within. It then allows for a specified viewing number to be fulfilled before terminating the message keeping it safe from unwarranted viewing. 

How long does the message stay viable within Duckist?

You can decide how long the message remains viable. The available options are 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month. The message is obliterated after the elapsed time. 

What is ElegantDoc?

This is a free-to-use service allowing you to create powerful and impactful documents. 

Do I need an app to use ElegantDoc?

No, you don’t. ElegantDoc is an online service that you can use immediately on your browser. You don’t need to install any apps. 

Does ElegantDoc save my templates?

Yes. Your previous document templates are saved on ElegantDoc. You can edit them as you see fit.