
It’s been almost two years since the pandemic has changed the way businesses work. From working in an office to working from home, organizations shifted the way they conduct their business.
Although most businesses are opening and companies are asking their employees to return to work, the majority are still embracing the work-from-home environment.
The work-from-home practice has advantages and disadvantages, but most cons can be dealt with. In fact, some businesses have been employing freelancers and remote workers since the beginning of their company. They know how to handle remote employees by leveraging technologies.
Our digital world has paved the way for businesses and individuals to connect despite the distance. It has inherently improved the way we interact, behave, and even impact our personal choices. Technology may have some disadvantages, but the pros outweigh them.
Whether it’s your first time to hire a remote employee or have been doing it for years, here are work-from-home applications and software in 2022 you can use for your business.
Best Work-from-home Applications and Software
Asana
Are you working in teams and multiple projects? Project management software is a great way to track and manage your team and their tasks.
One of the best project management software in the market is Asana. The interface is straightforward. It has a Kanban-based board where you can add the columns you need. It’s like a to-do list where you can move a card to a column once a task is done or progressed. In such a way, you can see the progress of a team member.
You can view your team’s tasks in different ways. There’s also an option to break down tasks into detailed work so you can track them better. You can add the name of the person in charge, what to do, and the deadline.
Members can comment on a task, send a private message, and have a group discussion.
Users of Asana can work using different operating systems. Therefore, you can work anywhere and update your status on a task.
Choose from Asana’s plans – Basic (free), Premium, and Business.
Microsoft Teams
Communication is the most vital part of every work-from-home employee. Teams need to communicate with one another to achieve their goals and solve problems on a project.
There are plenty of communication skills offered online, but the two friendliest we highly recommend are Microsoft Teams and Slack (to be discussed later).
MS Teams is an incredible tool for collaboration and communication. It’s made for individual users and businesses (check out the plans you need).
Organizations using MS Teams can schedule meetings online using audio or video calls. Anyone invited will be able to join the call. The admin can secure the meeting to prevent an unauthorized individual from joining.
Members can send messages on a group chat box or individually. You can send images, audio, or files on MS Teams chat.
There is also free cloud storage where members can share files and work on them in real-time.
MS Teams can be integrated with other MS apps.
You can try Teams for free or opt for their paid plans for unlimited hours of meetings, more call participants, and expanded cloud storage.
Slack
Another top communication tool is Slack. It simplifies conversation within teams. Furthermore, users can create channels for a specific project or task. There is also direct messaging applicable without involving other members.
Integration of third-party apps is allowed for better sharing, storing, and collaborating with other members.
Chat, video calls, file sharing, and audio calls are available on Slack. Furthermore, members can change their work status to see their availability.
But Slack is more than a communication tool for teams. Members can even use the Slackbot to remind them of previous conversations. You can set the time when the Slackbot will remind you of a meeting or a task discussed with your team.
Try Slack for free but with limited features only.
Krisp
If your work entails constant communication with clients or customers, you’ll need to eliminate background noise. There are noise-canceling headsets available, but it’s expensive. So, thanks to software like Krisp, work-from-home employees can save much with this subscription-based tool.
When you make a call (audio or video), you can sound professional by getting rid of distracting background noises. It is an AI-powered canceling software that adds a virtual filter to make the call sound better. So, almost all noises are blocked.
You can choose the noise to get rid of in the background like crying baby, barking dog, the sound of traffic, and more.
Aside from getting rid of distracting noise, Krisp allows audio recording and set background during a meeting. It can work on more than 800 communication apps.
Any headset, microphone, and speaker are compatible with the app.
Krsip has a free version with 240 min/week noise removal.
Bitdefender Antivirus
Security should be considered when hiring a remote employee. Work-from-home employees must keep company data secure too. Antivirus software programs are vital to scan and keep devices and data protected from threats.
There are a lot of antivirus software programs available, but not all are equally the same. If you’re a business owner, you can choose business plan antivirus software to provide protection for multiple devices. However, if you are a remote employee that provides your own security software, you can opt for Bitdefender products.
Bitdefender is one of the best security software in the market. You can read a lot about this product.
There are the Bitdefender Family package, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, and Bitdefender for Mac reviews you can read online.
You can visit our online shop to get a copy of Bitdefender for your device. Bitdefender can support various operating systems.
Google Drive
Teams need to work on files in real-time and store them online for easy access. There are plenty of cloud storage or cloud computing applications to choose from, but Google Drive is the most popular tool.
Google Drive is capable of sharing and storing documents, audio files, videos, photos, and so on. Once the link is shared with the team or an individual, they can access the file. But the link can also differ. It can either be for viewing, commenting, or full editing access.
Anyone with access can work with the file in real-time. It can be edited by multiple users.
Google Drive has different tools, which include an online word editor, spreadsheet, and presentation.
Spark
Last on our list of work-from-home applications is Spark.
Spark is an application that manages emails intelligently by prioritizing important emails and placing them on top of your inbox. Instead of scrolling through tons of clutter, you can receive crucial emails directly.
You don’t have to miss out on important messages.
Since working from home requires constant communication on various platforms, you have to check on your messages all the time. So with Spark, you are always on top of your game. You’ll be able to respond quickly and get things done.
Spark also allows users to snooze their emails when they want to focus on their work and not get distracted.
There is also a Spark Team plan that allows members to collaborate in real-time while working on an email or share an inbox with other team members.
You can try the free version, but it doesn’t include inbox sharing and admin control.
Conclusion
Work-from-home applications are vital for individual users and teamwork. It will deliver better communication, improve team collaboration, and better productivity. Most of these work-from-home applications and software have free versions. However, it can be limiting if you are handling a large team. Free versions are best for individual users or trials. Get your team a copy of one of this software and start improving the work-from-home setting for everyone.