Timeneye Blog

Top 8 software for Hybrid Teams

Written by Stefania | Nov 16, 2023 12:45:00 PM

Managing hybrid teams can be quite challenging, but don't worry, you don't have to do it all alone.

In fact, technology can be a great help in making your life easier! In this article, we're going to share with you some amazing software that can benefit your hybrid team. We'll also highlight some of the best features that can help you overcome the unique challenges of managing a hybrid workspace.

What is hybrid work?

Hybrid work is a working model where employees work both remotely and in the office. Unlike remote work, where employees work entirely from a location of their choice, hybrid work provides the opportunity for individuals to have a mix of working from home and coming into the office.

Hybrid work has become a good compromise for the modern workplace: hybrid work offers several benefits for employees, like the flexibility to maintain a better work-life balance, as they can choose when to work remotely and when to come into the office. At the same time, it still allows for in-person interaction in the office, making it a good option for companies who don't want to take the leap into full remote work.

Hybrid work: challenges and pain points

  • Organization challenges due to the part in-office, part distributed team;
  • Monitoring work and deadlines;
  • Making sure the work gets completed;
  • Security and privacy;
  • Employee engagement/Team building;
  • Keeping the work in one place, accessible anywhere;

Top 8 software for hybrid teams

These software solutions streamline communication, collaboration, and task management, ensuring smooth workflow and productivity for hybrid teams.

- Timeneye for time tracking and productivity

Timeneye is a time tracking that works best for hybrid work due to its simplicity, monitoring dashboards for projects and users, and features to track time from anywhere.

In a hybrid work environment, where teams are divided between remote and in-office locations, it is crucial to have a centralized system for tracking time and monitoring productivity. The time needs to be tracked for payroll, attendance, and invoicing purposes. But all this may be difficult with a partially distributed workforce.

Timeneye offers secure cloud storage for time tracking data that can be accessed from anywhere, making it easy for team members to record their hours. The monitoring dashboards provide managers with insights into project status and individual tasks. Timeneye embraces a non-intrusive approach to time tracking, respecting employees' privacy. Lastly, it also offers seamless integrations with other productivity software.


- Microsoft Teams for chat and video meetings

Microsoft Teams provides a centralized platform for communication, allowing team members to easily connect and collaborate, regardless of their location. With features such as chat, file sharing, and video meetings, Microsoft Teams enables communication and information sharing, ensuring that everyone in the team stays connected and informed.

Teams integrates with other Microsoft tools, such as Outlook and SharePoint, and offers robust security measures to protect sensitive information and ensure confidentiality.


- Figma for collaborative design

In a hybrid work environment, Figma's cloud-based platform enables real-time collaboration on design projects. With its "Comment" feature, team members can work together on a single design file, making updates and giving feedback. Figma also offers a wide range of design tools and features, allowing teams to create and iterate on assets efficiently. Its accessibility and sharing capabilities make it a perfect solution for hybrid teams working across different locations.

It's also worth mentioning FigJam, another Figma product, which is mainly used for mind mapping and flowcharts (and to high-five your team members from a distance!)


- Outlook Calendar for scheduling and organization

Outlook Calendar (or any calendar application, really) can help your team organize the work day, meetings, and events.

With Outlook Calendar, you can create events and invite your colleagues and team members to attend. You can also add meeting notes and agendas, and integrate with the Microsoft Suite to streamline your workflow. By viewing your team members' calendars, you can see their availability and schedule meetings that work for everyone: Outlook itself will suggest optimal hours when every attendee is free.

If you're already using Microsoft Teams, integrating Outlook Calendar is a great way to make your work life easier. 



-Trello for Kanban-style boards for agile teams

Trello is a well-known and powerful project management tool that offers a signature feature based on Kanban boards. These boards can be used for a variety of purposes, including employee onboarding, task tracking, and workflow management.

Tasks can be visualized on the Kanban board, and team members can update the status (and move cards across the board) regardless of their location.

Trello's visual interface empowers your team to collaborate more effectively, and you can enhance your experience with add-ons like files, checklists, and automation using Trello Power-Ups.

- Loom for sharing information asynchronously

Asynchronous communication is vital for managing hybrid teams. With asynchronous communication team members can exchange information and work at their own pace, regardless of their location or time zone. This approach results in a more productive and healthier work environment.

With asynchronous communication tools like Loom, team members can easily share recorded videos, eliminating the need for lengthy meetings or constant back-and-forth emails. This not only enhances productivity but also promotes overall better and more effective workflow for employees in a hybrid workspace.

- Envoy for office and people management

Envoy is an indispensable tool for hybrid teams, providing office and people management solutions. With Envoy, teams can manage visitor registration and office access, as well as desk/seat reservations.  This software also offers features such as digital check-ins, pre-registration of visitors, and contactless sign-ins to guarantee the safety and security of both remote employees and visitors: this will make managing a physical space - but also a virtual team - an effortless process.

- Jira for Software Development

Jira, a major player in the software development landscape, offers a variety of features that apply well to hybrid teams, simplifying the process of planning sprints, assigning tasks, and tracking issues and bug reports.

For hybrid teams, Jira provides a centralized platform with customizable boards, where teams tocanvisualize their workflow and progress, making it easier to track the status of tasks and identify any bottlenecks.

Jira's issue-tracking system in a hybrid work environment ensures prompt resolution of bugs and problems, minimizing delays and fostering collaboration.

Conclusions

Managing hybrid teams can be challenging, but utilizing the appropriate software tools can make a significant difference. It's important to have the right resources to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working together effectively.

The software solutions mentioned in this article provide effective solutions for communication, collaboration, task management, time tracking, design collaboration, scheduling, project management, asynchronous communication, and office management.

With these tools, you can streamline your hybrid team's workflow, enhance productivity, and ensure that work runs smoothly.

So why not give these software solutions a try - maybe starting with Timeneye time tracking?

 

Illustration made by Storyset from www.flaticon.com