The remote work culture is growing around the world, and more companies than ever are spread across the globe. This new way of working is changing business as we’ve known it, and making it more accessible than ever. Living in Paris and eyeing a job in LA? With many companies expanding their vision to bring in the best talent, location is no longer a limiting factor.
Today, 3.7 million employees work remotely at least part time. And with 40% more U.S. employers offering flexible work options than they did 5 years ago, the time to declare your independence from the cubicle has never been closer to becoming reality—if it hasn’t already.
The work landscape is primed for it. With ever-evolving technology, nearly 50% of the workforce has jobs that could successfully be completed by teleworking—that is, trading in travel for the technology that enables remote work. And to achieve a better work-life balance, more people than ever, especially Millennials, are searching for greater flexibility in their workdays.
If you’re part of the growing movement of remote employees, tap these apps to simplify and organize your workdays—and maintain your balance.
Decrease stress by enabling collaboration—no matter where you are. Communicate effortlessly with your entire team (and put your finished conversations into a searchable archive). Best of all, Slack integrates easily with other apps, including Google Drive, Zoom, Zendesk, and InVision.
The chat and file-sharing app is growing in popularity around the world as a way to stay in touch with remote workers for free. You don’t have to worry about cell phone plans or data limits. Sending photos, videos, files and voice messages is a breeze, and make the remote experience more collaborative.
This Chrome extension helps you keep track of time zones around the world easily, so you can connect with your team at all the right times—no matter where they are.
Finding reliable WiFi is the bane of remote workers’ existence. But with WiFi Map Finder, you can easily find the best WiFi around you, as well as the passwords for secure networks.
Can’t make it to the office for that big meeting? Not a problem. This video conferencing tool enables you to launch and record audio calls, have video conferences, and share screens. With freemium and premium plans, this freeze-free system is a game-changer for remote teams.
Project management, simplified. At a basic level, you can create projects, assign tasks to individual team members, and track them to completion. At a deeper level, Asana offers a wealth of fun features to manage and complete projects in a streamlined, organized way.
An integration by Evernote, Skitch allows you to sketch and share ideas, or quickly annotate and markup a PDF or other document you’re collaborating on. It’s great for writers, designers, and developers alike.
In-office mandated breaks are passé in the remote work world—which often means long hours non-stop work. Save your vision and get balanced by forcing yourself to get up every now and then. Take A Break, Please dims your screen, so that you have no choice but to take a break.
Millennials are notoriously known for their love of flexibility and remote work. As more of them enter into management roles and lobby for greater work flexibility, remote work will continue to increase. Familiarize yourself with the apps that can simplify the transition, and keep you on track to deliver—no matter where you are.
