Communication Tools for Remote Workers

A growing number of businesses now offer remote working facilities to their workforce, and some businesses even only have distributed staff and no office at all. While remote working has many benefits, the biggest challenge it faces is communication and collaboration. So, in this article, we are going to share 5 great communication tools that you get from cloud-based phone systems which help facilitate collaboration and productivity for remote employees.
1. Webphone / Mobile App: Call from anywhere
With hosted VoIP Phone System you can make phone calls through the internet. With VoIP, employees get more flexibility with a phone they can use on the go. Other than desk phones, or IP phones, remote employees can also use web phones or mobile apps. With both webphone and mobile app, employees can use their extension number anywhere as long as they have active internet. With VoIP remote or home-based employees can make calls from work line, and they can manage inbound calls for sales or customer support lines. For employees, it is essential not to use their number but to use a work line for better security and quality control.
It may seem easier to use a mobile phone for calling, but mobile apps make it just as easier for workers to your their office phone line. VoIP mobile apps are user friendly, and employees can keep their personal and work calls separate. Mobile apps also include:
 

Company directory
Call conference
Music on hold
Call recording
Do-not-disturb (DND)

 
The webphone is built into VoIP user interface, for those who prefer to work from their computer. You can make calls using your computer’s microphone or with a headset. You don’t need to download anything to use webphone, just your username and password to log in.
2. Live Reporting: Better management of Remote Agents
With Live reporting, you can see all the active phone lines and calls in real-time. You can see how many agents are active, busy, the average caller hold time and number of callers on hold. With this in-depth information, you can manage agents and improve customer experience. Other than live reports, VoIP dashboard also displays analytics to analyse call usage and patterns further. So, you can adequately handle peak call times.
3. Call Recording
Another great tool to manage remote workers is call recording. Providers like VoIP system offer automatic and on-demand call recordings. All the recordings are saved on the dashboard; you can listen to and download all recording directly from the dashboard. Managers can listen back on call recordings and provide better feedback to agents. With remote employees, it is important to have regular check-ins for training, particularly with changing landscape where new feature is added to platform pr product. By going over a call recording employees and managers, both can discuss feedback and suggestions for improvement.
4. Virtual Fax
If you must send fax then note that virtual fax is much more secure than a landline fax machine. Virtual faxing is very easy to implement, with VoIP, all faxes are stored online, and you can access them through an online dashboard. Usually, providers offer two ways of sending fax including, uploading document through dashboard and sending a fax as an email attachment. Digital faxes allow remote workers to manage fax from any location. Virtual fax is not only more secure but are also are better for remote workers.
Better Communication Means Less Loneliness
By improving collaboration and communication among distributed workers, you can minimise the biggest challenge of remote working that is loneliness. Feeling useful and working as part of a team gives employees motivation and purpose. Teamwork means less loneliness, and it can lead to more productive and happier employees. And this can ultimately lead to a win-win for both employer and employee.

Claire holt is Marketing Director at Voip Business. VoIP Business is a professional-grade business communications service that’s available at consumer-level pricing. It offers the quality and security guarantees that business customers demand, while providing an industry-leading feature set backed by award-winning 24/7 support. Claire Holt has written three books and thousands of articles