Distributed and remote work has been on the rise for years, but the pandemic supercharged the trend. Consider that pre-pandemic only 7% of employees worked from home full-time. That figure now sits at over 35% as companies embrace location-agnostic roles. Employees love the flexibility and autonomy. Businesses benefit from widening their talent pools.
But distributed work doesn‘t come without challenges. Without in-person interactions, communication issues can creep in and hamper collaboration. Companies must be proactive to nurture team cohesion and clarity.
That‘s why having the right tools is so critical.
This guide will cover:
- Key factors when evaluating communication tools
- An in-depth look at 7 leading solutions
- Remote work best practices
- Tips for rolling out new tech smoothly
Let‘s dive in!
Key Considerations for Tools
With hundreds of apps on the market, settling on a solution can be daunting. Keep these aspects in mind while assessing options:
Ease of Use
Straightforward and intuitive interfaces minimize the learning curve. Simple is better to avoid frustrating users.
Flexibility & Customization
Can the tool adapt as needs shift? Platforms like Slack thrive because of robust preferences, apps, bots.
Integrations
Comprehensive productivity suites like Google Workplace or Microsoft 365 simplify by centralizing workflows under one roof. Try to minimize app-switching.
Security
Data protection including compliance certifications (ISO 27001, SOC-2) is non-negotiable when teams rely on cloud apps. Can‘t afford to take risks here.
Pricing
Balancing cost against value is key. Watch for hidden fees or complex plans. The cheapest tool isn‘t necessarily the best choice long term.
Adoption & Support
Even popular platforms fail when users stubbornly cling to old ways or don‘t receive proper onboarding. Clean UI and change management are imperative for sticking with tech decisions.
Now let‘s examine the top contenders in depth against those criteria:
1. Microsoft Teams
With over 270 million monthly active users, Microsoft Teams currently leads the crowded workspace app market. Integrating messaging, meetings, files and tasks into a single platform is a boon for distributed teams already relying on other Microsoft staples like Outlook or OneDrive.
Key Features
- Chat – Thread-based messaging with reactions, gifs, rich text. Private groups available.
- Video Calls – HD video meetings for up to 300 participants. Custom virtual backgrounds. Recording and transcription included. Breakout rooms.
- File Sharing – Real-time coauthoring for Office files backed by Sharepoint and OneDrive cloud storage.
- Third Party Apps – Over 1,000 app integrations available to expand functionality including Asana, Salesforce, Adobe.
- Whiteboard – Collaborative digital canvas for brainstorming sessions. Great for design and creative teams.
- Tasks – Lightweight task tracking. More robust project management requires integration with dedicated PM tools.
- Analytics – Usage metrics around messages, meetings, files. Valuable for user adoption tracking.
Use Cases
With its breadth of functionality spanning chat, meetings, files, tasks, and more, Microsoft Teams serves companies of all sizes and verticals. Larger organizations with existing Microsoft ecosystems will benefit most from smooth integrations with Office 365, SharePoint, Exchange and other workforce staples.
Limitations
- Information overload is possible in larger teams juggling many concurrent conversations and streams.
- Advanced customization lags smaller competitor Slack.
- Steep learning curve is possible depending on user experience levels.
Pricing
Microsoft Teams pricing begins at $5 per user / month for standalone product. It is included in Microsoft 365 licenses which start at $12.50 per user / month when billed annually. Free version only includes limited chat and meetings. Enterprise pricing is also available with advanced security, compliance, analytics and support features.
2. Slack
Slack sits right behind Teams in total market share and offers richer native customization in a more streamlined interface. Slack began life catering to software and technology teams but now serves all verticals effectively.
Key Features
- Channels – Organized topic-based conversations. Custom sidebar and metadata available to group channels.
- Bots & Apps – Library of over 2,500 third-party integrations. Automate repetitive tasks with bots.
- Video Calls – Native video meetings. Leverage apps like Zoom, Whereby, or Demio for larger video events.
- File Sharing – Integrates with cloud storage providers Google Drive, Dropbox, Box to centralize documents.
- Custom Workflows – Extensive options to customize preferences, notifications, keywords, commands. API also available.
Use Cases
Creative teams, agile software groups, and technology firms frequently look to Slack for its best-in-class flexibility. The platform can streamline communication while integrating the other marquee apps groups rely on. Customization helps craft workflows matching unique team needs.
Limitations
- Open-ended flexibility means feature sprawl is possible without discipline in channel organization and bot usage.
- Advanced search lacks full text search capabilities included in competitor products. Integrating search tools like Slack Atlas or Scope can offset this shortcoming.
- Free pricing plan caps search history and integrations sharply. Can get costly for larger teams.
Pricing
Slack free version supports unlimited users but limits integrations, search history and storage. Paid plans unlock more capability with Standard ($8 per user / month) and Plus ($15 per user / month) tiers. Enterprise options also available with security controls, SSO, and extensive support.
3. Zoom
Zoom stands tall as the category leader in the video meetings market with over 300 million daily participants joining meetings worldwide each day. Its soaring popularity through COVID lockdowns cemented its status as the default enterprise choice. Integrations with other collaboration apps like Slack, Google Workspace and calendar tools like Calendly reinforce its role as the backbone of video communications for distributed organizations.
Key Features
- Video Conferencing – Flawless high definition video ideal for meetings, webinars, and events supporting up to 1,000 participants.
- Collaboration – Multi-screen content sharing, co-annotation, digital whiteboards keep remote teams engaged.
- Chat – Native in-meeting chat. Integrate platform chat tools for ongoing conversations.
- Recordings & Transcripts – Cloud recordings with searchable transcripts, subtitles and annotations improve information retention.
- Virtual Backgrounds – Visually customize non-distracting backdrops replacing physical environments.
- Hardware as a Service – Enterprise plans can secure video devices and conference room equipment to simplify large implementations.
Use Cases
- Daily stand-ups to large conferences
- Sales demos and prospect meetings
- Hybrid training sessions and learning events
- HR onboarding and workshops
- Company All Hands and town halls
Limitations
Zoom deserves its spot as the video meetings gold standard. Areas for improvement include:
- Limitations for 1:1 collaboration beyond video calls
- Potential security issues require added diligence to control meeting access.
- Lack of project management or document collaboration functionality relative to Microsoft and Google bundles.
Pricing
Generous free plan. Pro ($150 per month per host) and Business plans ($200 per month per host ) improve security controls, user management and cloud support. Major discounts offered for annual contracts.
4. Asana
Asana simplifies team-based project management with list views, board views, calendars, and status dashboards turning unwieldy goals into clear executable checklists. Its intuitive interface cross-pollinates with other apps via robust API integrations.
Key Features
- Projects & Tasks – Breakdown big picture goals into bite-sized checklists. Assign owners, set due dates and track progress through workflow stages.
- Calendars & Timelines – Assess resource workload, identify bottlenecks and prioritize competing demands with clear visual charts.
- Dashboards – Customizable reports surface insights and trends around workloads, productivity, and backlogs helping managers fine-tune team priorities.
- Portfolios – Group multiple projects to visualize alignment to company goals. Useful for senior leaders and cross-functional initiatives.
- App Integrations – Over 100 native integrations with GSuite, Jira, Salesforce and marketing apps like MailChamp. Open API enables custom connections.
Use Cases
Marketing campaign management requiring collaboration across creative, content production, analytics and email functions. Agency teams juggling client requests benefit from centralized views plus platforms like Slack or Teams for real-time chatter.
Limitations
- Advanced roadmap views require dedicated portfolio management tools like Aha or Craft.
- Reporting depth trails that of pure play project solutions like Smartsheet or LiquidPlanner.
- Form creation limited compared to Zapier or Typeform.
Pricing
Free for up to 15 users. Premium paid plans start at $10.99 per user / month when billed annually. Business tier unlocks portfolios, custom fields, API and advanced security compliance suitable for Fortune 500 companies.
5. Notion
For adaptable teams benefiting more from open workspace than rigid project structure, Notion blends documents, wikis, databases and note taking into an all-in-one digital environment. Perfect for creative collaboration.
Key Features
- Notes – Formatted text documents support media embeds, checklists, code snippets and annotations.
- Databases – Tables of contacts, inventory or other structured data relating as needed.
- Wikis – Organized collections of documentation can be permissioned for broader internal use.
- Kanban Boards – Tasks can be grouped into visual workflow boards like Trello.
- Templates – Prebuilt for meeting notes, product roadmaps, user research and more accelerate setup.
- Remote Collaboration – Everything coexists in a shared permissioned platform though lacks real-time coediting of some competitors.
Use Cases
Startup product teams leveraging Notion across research, design, planning and documentation efforts. Marketing agencies creating campaign ideation war rooms for new client initiatives.
Limitations
- Real-time collaboration lags the live offerings from Google Docs and Office 365.
- Advanced permissions possible but not as granular as enterprise wiki tools like Confluence or SharePoint.
- Challenging to customize workflows to the degree that apps like AirTable or SmartSheet can.
Pricing
Free personal plan. Team plans at $8 per user / month or $20 per user if billed monthly. Enterprise tiers available.
6. Tandem
Tandem melds team chat with integrated knowledge base to keep conversations unified with past decisions accessible to all. AI summarizes watercooler chatter into searchable frequently asked questions over time.
Key Features
- Team Chat – Instant messaging, video calls and screensharing. Native integrations with Slack, Google Chat preferred for larger organizations.
- Knowledge Base – Conversations automatically compile into searchable, shareable documentation.
- Chrome Extension – Alerts sales reps to past deal details during calls.
- FAQ Bot – AI identifies and summarizes popular asks to proactively serve customers and internally redistribute knowledge.
Use Cases
Customer success and implementation teams working closely with clients. Sales groups needing visibility to past deal details and contacts. Small creative agencies less reliant on structured project plans.
Limitations
- Mobile experience lags desktop application.
- Advanced functionality like custom bots available in competitor platforms.
- Less essential for large enterprises heavily leveraging broader collaboration suites like Microsoft and Google.
Pricing
Free version for teams under 5. Premium plans start at $10 per user / month when billed annually. Enterprise pricing available but suits smaller departmental teams better than large orgs.
7. Sococo
Sococo recreates the office remotely using 2D avatars, spatial audio, and multi-person virtual rooms bringing the energy and serendipity of physical proximity to distributed teams.
Key Features
- Virtual Office – Dedicated company headquarters recreated digitally as personalized offices, meeting rooms, common spaces.
- 2D Avatars – Animated representations of workers persist between sessions.
- Spatial Audio – Directional sound mimics real-world auditory cues missing in traditional video chat.
- Spontaneous Conversations – Casually bumping into teammates passing in the hallway manifests virtually to spark the unplanned topic run-ins missing from home offices.
- Whiteboard Integration – Miro, Mural and Microsoft Whiteboard embed seamlessly to design spaces.
Use Cases
Sococo shines for teams struggling to adapt long established in-office rhythms to fully remote models. The platform excels at humanizing interactions, strengthening social connections and recreating cultural hallmarks lost in standard video meetings.
Limitations
Potentially distracting for some. Lack of advanced integrations and project functionality positions Sococo as companion to traditional suites versus all-in-one option. But viable for certain teams depending on needs.
Pricing
Starter plan begins at $15 per user / month billed annually. Enterprise options available for large organizations with discounts at volume.
Remote Work Communication Best Practices
Arming your distributed team with leading tech sets the stage for effective collaboration to thrive. But getting the most out of tools involves following proven patterns whenever possible:
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Establish Channel Norms Document guidelines clarifying when to use chat apps over email, proper use of threads and channels, emoji interpretations. Keep updating as norms evolve.
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Simplify Where Possible Consolidate around one daily stand-up instead of status meetings scattered through week. Identify meetings adding marginal value to eliminate.
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Rotate Meeting Leads Varying meeting owners week-to-week boosts inclusion, shares opportunities to run sessions.
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Preserve Async Work Balance scheduled sync times with open blocks for deep work. Timezone differences magnify this need.
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Thank Publicly, Provide Feedback Privately Open praise sparks motivation. Constructive criticism stays 1:1.
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Spotlight Successes Recognition, kudos and highlights of great work distributed on team channels nurtures culture and engagement.
Rolling Out New Tech
The most brilliant tools flop miserably if not introduced deliberately:
Start Small, Then Scale Pilot changes with smaller enthusiastic teams. Listen, get feedback, then refine approach before companywide rollout.
Consider Hybrid Strategies Sometimes easier transition by running new and old solutions in parallel for a period before full switch.
Encourage Peer Support Early adopters actively assisting others lowers barriers to entry.
Lead by Example Managers using tool daily in work streams normalizes adoption.
Sustain Momentum Continuous training sustains progress rather than isolated launch period.
Key Takeaways
The platform landscape has exploded with solutions to unify distributed teams through reliable messaging, crystal clear video and structured workflows. Microsoft, Google and Zoom dominate via bundled suites supported by specialty players like Asana, Slack and Notion.
Carefully evaluate team needs and technical barriers before committing long term. Frameworks like SOCCO‘s 5Rs help assess alignment to company goals. And new adoption should evolve iteratively based on user feedback.
With adaptive technology and intentional communication habits, businesses can thrive in an increasingly flexible digital work landscape. The future remains bright for remote collaboration.
