The COVID 19 pandemic has wounded the traditional workplace such that reviving it will require you to be innovative. Even when the pandemic recedes, the workplace will not go back to what it used to be. You have a huge task to create an environment where your employees are happy and productive. Here are some of the tools that you can use:
Communication tools
Enhancing communication in the workplace works to improve your employees’ productivity and the credibility of your company. A well-streamlined communication system works to decrease unmet expectations, reduce stress, and boost morale. Some of the tools that you will need to introduce to your staff include:
Intranet software
This is a centralized portal that ties together communication and enables sharing of essential documents so that employees are all on the same page. Intranet software can be tailored to meet your organization’s unique requirements so that it promotes transparency and eliminates bottlenecks.
Group messaging
The pandemic has impacted workplaces such that most of your employees, if not all, will continue to work from home, which makes group messaging tools important. Leveraging tools such as Slack and Google Hangouts will promote collaboration among your employees, enabling work to get done efficiently and effectively with a short turnaround time.
Internal blogs
Often, people process visual information faster than text-heavy documents. Therefore, you will need to repurpose existing material to infographics and slides so that they have a dramatic impact on your team.
Online scheduling tools
Scheduling activities and meetings with either employees and clients or customers contribute to improved output. Among the tools that you can use to perform this task include:
GenBook
This application currently schedules more than 650,000 appointments monthly for people in various businesses. GenBook’s price depends on the number of employees you wish to support and can take up to six staff members. It also connects to your social handles enabling you to track customer analytics.
When I Work
When I Work is another solution that you can adopt to help you schedule your employee working hours. The beauty of this software is that it requires minimal data entry and enables your employees to stay connected to their schedules, whether on or offsite.
Resource Guru
This tool works to optimize resource utilization such that when installed, your employees will be able to visualize what their colleagues are working on. This advantage of Resource Guru will enable you to see what employees are available for more tasks which will help you allocate resources equally.
Time management tools
People working from home have a lot of time on their hands because they can work at any time. With so much flexibility, it is easy to fail to get work done hence the need to employ time management tools like:
Time planner
One of the first-time tools you need that contains everything you need to do is a time planner, whether in electronic software, binders, or looseleaf. This tool will capture every goal you have set, task, and upcoming action plan. Some of the electronic software that you can use include Scoro, ActiveCollab, Harvest, or Toggl.
Time management techniques
Apart from just employing tools, you need to help your employees develop skills that they can use to manage their time correctly. This involves learning how to organize their work based on priority and setting up daily work schedules. The four essential things to remember for the employees on how to manage their time is to:
- Plan the day in advance
- Take regular breaks
- Focus and block distractions
- Set goals
There are many time management techniques that can serve employees in improving their schedules and help them get things done on time. Some of these include Kanban Board which contains columns on the blackboard with the sections: To Do, In Progress, and Done. Another technique is The Pomodoro Technique which tells us to break down the daily work into parts and complete them in intervals divided by short breaks. There is also the OKR technique, separated into two sections: Objectives and critical results.
Security management
With a lot of work, automation comes with the risk of getting hacked, resulting in data loss and critical files. You can protect your company and staff data by investing in tools that make the job easier, such as converting your files from Word to PDF. By having files in the PDF version, you can be ensured that they remain safer and in the same format as their original form.
LastPass Enterprise
This is a highly secure software that automatically generates new passwords to enable your employees to access various platforms where you have stored your data. With a secure system offered by LastPass Enterprise, your employees do not have to worry about passwords, and they can focus on their work.
Promoting productivity among employees’ post-pandemic is necessary for business growth. People have lost a lot to this pandemic that has negatively impacted businesses. That’s why you should provide some of the tools above to your employees to make them stay focused. While the benefits of utilizing these tools may not be immediate, they will outweigh the costs spent to use them in the long run.
