5 Types of Work From Home Apps That Enable a Remote Workforce

March 18, 2020

work from home

More people are working from home now than ever before, and for some, having this type of flexibility can be a deal breaker.

As a matter of fact, 51 percent of employees in a Gallup survey said they would switch jobs for a more flexible remote schedule.

Related: You can check out more interesting remote work statistics like these in our latest roundup.

Working from home has empowered millions of workers globally. It has shown to reduce stress, increase satisfaction with day-to-day tasks, lower overhead costs for businesses, increase talent pools for recruiters, and more.

However, working from home simply wouldn't be possible without advances in software and apps that enable remote workforces.

So, whether you're a business that's enacting a new remote work policy or a freelancer looking to add to your toolset, you'll find the essential types of work from home apps below to get started.

5 types of work from home apps

For remote workers, it's not unlikely that digital interactions are the only interactions they'll have throughout the day, which is why starting with team collaboration software is an obvious first on this list.

1. Team collaboration software

Team collaboration software helps facilitate communication across teams in a fast and reliable way. By using this software, remote teams can collaborate on projects, share important files and process docs, share status updates, and much more.

Woman working from homeThere are actually a variety of apps that fall under the team collaboration software umbrella. One of these apps is called whiteboard software, which enables design teams to collaborate remotely by drawing, annotating, and customizing designs on a shareable whiteboard.

Another team collaboration app is called virtual workspace software, which simulates a remote office-space for teams who don't meet regularly. These apps act as central hubs for team communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

You can explore more types of team collaboration software below:

Read reviews of Team Collaboration software, FREE. Learn more →

2. Video conferencing software

Whether you're huddling the team together for a brainstorm or doing daily stand ups, video conferencing software is a viable option for connecting remote teams.

Woman on a remote conference call

Maintaining collaboration is extremely important when it comes to working from home. One of the best ways to collaborate remotely is through screen-sharing . Users of video conferencing software see this feature as an immediate use case.

Another capability of video conferencing software includes screen-recording for important internal and external meetings. Have a call scheduled at 11 a.m. with your VP? Make sure to use screen-recording as a backup for note taking.

You can explore more types of video conferencing software below:

See the Easiest-to-Use Video Conferencing Software →

3. Time tracking software

One of the challenges with remote work is that employers and clients want to know that work is getting done and productivity isn't falling off. At the same time, employees don't want to have constant check-ins and feel like someone's watching over their back. In this case, exploring time tracking software comes in handy.

Man tracking his timesheet using softwareUsing a time tracking tool is a great way for businesses to measure employee productivity but also hold employees accountable for their work.

On the employee side, especially for freelancers and independent contractors, time tracking software can be critical when it comes to sending invoices to payroll. All parties involved benefit from unbiased time and productivity tracking.

You can explore more types of time tracking software below:

See the Highest-Rated Time Tracking Software, Free →

4. Cloud content collaboration software

Is everyone on your team equipped with the files and information they need to succeed in their job remotely? If not, it may be time to explore cloud content collaboration software.

Man using cloud softwareWhen it comes to remote work, collaboration doesn't just take place through video chat, but on files as well. This is why it's imperative to have an app that enables project stakeholders to share and edit files with their remote teams.

With this software, you can store multiple versions of all of your documents and control permissions to ensure everyone has access to what they need. You also have access to file edit history to see who changed what.

You can explore more types of cloud content collaboration software below:

Find the best Cloud Content Collaboration Software on the market. Explore Now,  Free →

5. Endpoint protection software

One of the most obvious benefits to having in-office teams is knowing their Internet connections and web activity are secure. Unfortunately, when it comes to distributed teams, that same sense of security goes out the window. This is why deploying endpoint protection software is crucial.

Man using a secure internet connection

With this type of software, IT teams can rest well knowing malicious content has to pass through multiple layers of detection and prevention features before a data breach can ever occur.

Important security updates and scans can be pushed through in real-time by IT teams, making sure every team member, regardless of where they are in the world, is completely protected.

You can explore more types of endpoint protection software below:

Find the best Endpoint Protection software on the market. Discover Now, Free →

Is your business ready for remote work?

The remote workforce trend is taking businesses everywhere by storm, and while looking into software is an important first step, it'll take some time to get processes and strategies in place for your team.

But don't worry, we've done the heavy lifting and had our entire content marketing team work from home for a week, then wrote and compiled our experiences in a single hub. Check it out below:

Learn more ways to manage and maximize remote work.    Get work-life balance  →

5 Types of Work From Home Apps That Enable a Remote Workforce These days, many employees have traded in suits and skirts for slippers and t-shirts. If you have a remote workforce on your payroll, you need to empower them to succeed from afar with work from home apps. These tools are one way to improve your remote strategies. https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/wfh-10@2x-1.png
Devin Pickell Devin is a former senior content specialist at G2. Prior to G2, he helped scale early-stage startups out of Chicago's booming tech scene. Outside of work, he enjoys watching his beloved Cubs, playing baseball, and gaming. (he/him/his) https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/_Logos/Devin%20PickellUpdated.jpeg https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-pickell/

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