Tech in Business: 5 Ways the Right Tools Can Help Companies Grow

Investing in business technology can help your company grow. Since many of today's businesses are dealing with an increased remote workforce, there can be new challenges in keeping teams connected and providing workers with the tools they need to perform at the top of their game. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that 38% of managers and business leaders and 35% of professionals complete at least some of their work from home. Look at five types of tools that are helping companies with remote workforces grow and thrive.

Collaboration Tools

As your workforce may increasingly work remotely, and the use of freelance contractors to supplement your team may rise, collaboration tools are an essential part of your company's technology mix. Companies with offices in different locations or time zones – or workforces such as sales and customer service techs who are constantly on the move – need tools to help their teams stay connected. Collaboration platforms provide a range of tools, from file sharing to project management capabilities. Features can include instant message, video chat, conduct group discussions, and much more. When your team is always on the go, a collaboration suite can help keep them connected and working together.

Mobile Time and Attendance

As the regulatory environment becomes increasingly stringent, managing time and attendance is critical. Accurate data influences everything from payroll, benefits, and vacation time, to government reporting. When employees clock in on the factory floor or when they enter the office, it's easy to keep track. However, if you have employees on the road with clients, attending conferences, or working from home, you may need a more mobile-friendly solution. Mobile compatible time and attendance software allows your team to use smartphones to record time and offers features such as GPS and timestamps that can be used where permitted to verify submitted information.

Mobile Compatible Job Applications

Attracting the best candidates requires making the job application process as accessible as possible. Many candidates are job searching and researching employers on their smartphones and tablets. Is your job application mobile-friendly? Does your employer career site function on a range of touchscreen devices? Streamlining your application process to be mobile compatible can help eliminate frustrations with the hiring process and speed up your ability to hire great candidates by immediately getting interested workers into your company's pipeline.

Mobile-Friendly Self-Service HR Dashboards

When your team is constantly on the go, it's important to make it as easy as possible for them to access their HR information. Whether they have a question about their health coverage or need to print off a paystub, a self-service HR dashboard creates a better experience for your workers and helps eliminate the burden of information and administrative requests submitted to your HR team. Companies that invest in mobile compatible HR self-service dashboards empower employees no matter where they're working from.

Access to Mobile Devices

Not long ago, most of the discussions of mobile devices within HR focused on preventing unnecessary use by employees. Today, access to smartphones and tablets can help keep your team connected to essential systems at all times and provide intelligence on what activities employees are spending time  worked on. Investing in the latest mobile devices for qualified workers ensures you'll speed up your ability to communicate with your team and facilitate access to cloud-based versions of your company's most important tools.

Technology in business provides the flexibility companies need to adapt to the rapidly shifting landscape – from customers to employees. Ensuring your team has the right devices- and the tools to leverage them – can help maximize productivity from the office to client sites to working from home.