Top 10 Remote Workforce Management Software Tools: Bridging Gaps, Boosting Teamwork, Going Beyond Borders

Imagine a world where the daily commute transforms from a burdensome routine into a leisurely stroll from your bedroom to your workspace. Pajamas become the new power suits, and the background hum of office chatter is replaced by the reassuring familiarity of your own home. This captivating scenario became reality for millions worldwide, spurred by extraordinary global events that prompted companies and employees to wholeheartedly embrace remote work on an unmatched scale.

Enter the hero of this new era: remote workforce management software. In this digital age, where physical barriers are shattered and geographic distances fade, the need for seamless collaboration and unwavering productivity is paramount. Remote workforce management emerges as the cornerstone of this paradigm shift, enabling teams to thrive in virtual environments with unprecedented ease.

As we navigate this transformed landscape, the significance of remote workforce management software becomes undeniable. It's the digital glue that holds dispersed teams together, ensuring that projects advance seamlessly and ideas flow effortlessly. The days of being bound by office walls are gone; today, teams span continents and time zones, united by a common goal and empowered by technology that transcends borders.

In this blog, we’ll explore the best remote workforce management software, taking a closer look at its multifaceted role in shaping the present and future of work. We'll uncover the strategies that successful organizations employ to foster collaboration, nurture creativity, boost team productivity, and drive results, creating a stronger, more connected workforce.

What is Remote Workforce Management Software?

Picture a virtual command center that brings together crucial teamwork elements, no matter where team members are situated.

In other words, remote workforce management software enables organizations to effectively oversee, coordinate, and optimize the activities, productivity, and engagement of their geographically dispersed employees. This software encompasses a range of tools and features designed to facilitate tasks such as remote employee monitoring, project tracking, task allocation, communication, performance evaluation, and resource allocation.

Ultimately, it helps streamline the management of remote teams while ensuring efficient collaboration, accountability, and operational transparency.

Read More: How to Ask Your Boss to Let You Work Remotely

Benefits of Using Remote Workforce Management Software

As remote work becomes the norm, embracing the power of remote work management software isn't just an option – it's a strategic advantage. Let's explore the concrete advantages that make this type of software an invaluable asset for modern businesses:

Improved Communication and Real-Time Updates

It seamlessly connects remote team members, fostering a sense of togetherness even across different time zones. Team members can engage in virtual meetings, discuss project advancements, and tackle obstacles instantly, enhancing collaboration. 

For instance, a geographically dispersed marketing team can leverage the software's video conferencing tools to brainstorm ideas, share progress updates, and address queries promptly. These tools also offer smart time tracking for remote teams to make everything easier and more efficient.

Enhanced Project Tracking and Task Management

With remote worker management software, tracking project milestones, task completions, and potential hurdles becomes efficient and straightforward. Imagine a software development team working remotely on a tight deadline. With the software, the project manager can easily monitor individual tasks, identify potential roadblocks, and ensure timely completion by redistributing resources if needed.

Efficient Resource Allocation and Workload Distribution

Remote workforce management software empowers managers to allocate resources judiciously based on real-time insights. This prevents overburdening certain team members and underutilizing others. For instance, in a design agency, the software helps identify available designers with specific expertise, ensuring that projects are assigned to the right individuals, leading to optimized output and minimized bottlenecks.

Maintaining Work-Life Balance and Employee Engagement

Remote team management software champions the well-being of remote employees by enabling them to set flexible work hours and establish boundaries between work and personal life. Moreover, it cultivates a sense of belonging through virtual team-building activities. Case in point: a remote customer support team can benefit from features that allow each member to define their work hours, promoting a healthier work-life balance. The software can also facilitate engaging activities like weekly virtual coffee breaks, enhancing team cohesion.

Find Out: I’ll Be Watching You: Is Employee Monitoring Even Legal?

Top 10 Remote Workforce Management Software

We will now navigate through the most effective software tools for managing a remote workforce. 

1. Trello

Trello stands as a widely embraced project management app featuring an aesthetically pleasing Kanban-style layout. The cards boast clear readability, rendering it an excellent entry point into the realm of project management software for all team members.

Key Features 

• Trello's board presents an array of perspectives for a holistic understanding – board, timeline, table, calendar, dashboard, map, and workspace views. Premium or Enterprise tiers unlock more options.
• Trello's community templates offers customization across categories like business, design, education, engineering, marketing, project management, and remote work
• Its feature ‘Butler’ revolutionizes workflow by allowing the creation of rules, buttons, and commands for an automated Trello experience.
• Elevate Trello's capabilities with dynamic Power-Ups like Card Repeater, Slack, Jira, two-way Card Mirror & Sync by Placker, Timeline, Calendar, Time Tracking by Planyway, Time in List by Blue Cat, Gmail, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, List Limits, Read Me, and Voting..
• Integrates with a wide spectrum of 186 applications. Your team can seamlessly merge existing apps or uncover new productivity avenues.

Pricing

Trello offers four pricing tiers: Free, Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans.

Free Plan: Ideal for individuals and small teams.

• Manage up to 10 team boards with unlimited cards and lists.
• Unlimited storage (10MB per file) and Power-Ups.
• Automation with up to 250 commands per month.
• Workspace members can invite others and modify settings.

Standard Plan: $5/user/month (billed annually) or $6/user/month (monthly).

Premium Plan: $10/user/month (billed annually) or $12.50/user/month (monthly).

Enterprise Plan: Starts at $17.50/user/month (billed annually).

2. timegram

timegram stands out as a non-invasive time tracking solution with the optimal blend of project management and productivity reporting and insights capabilities. It boasts exceptional versatility as an employee performance monitoring tool, distinguished by its simple, uncluttered interface. Within timegram, users can effortlessly create, assign, and monitor projects, tracking individual performances seamlessly from a unified dashboard.

Key Features

Smart time tracking

Team members can easily log daily activities (called Highlights) to tasks, which allows tying time and effort spent on projects to their progress. This gives businesses a transparent view of performance, while giving your employees the luxury to log only productive tasks and keep everything else private.

Efficient Project Planning

timegram allows monitoring progress, managing tasks and projects, and maintaining balanced workloads with its project management module. The estimated vs. actual feature enables managers to get clear, data-driven insights for better forecasting project timelines, costs, and budgets, ensuring higher on-time completion rate, client satisfaction, and profitability.

Performance Insights & Reports

timegram provides holistic insights into project performance, costs, revenue, and team productivity. You can also monitor daily, weekly, and monthly progress, get insights into project performance and profitability, and measure individual productivity through quick reports, ensuring timely project delivery and informed resource allocation.

Accurate invoices 

Make billing automated for enhanced productivity with timegram. Effortlessly track billable and non-billable tasks, generating detailed invoices in PDFs seamlessly.

Zero surveillance monitoring

timegram prioritizes trust as the cornerstone of success. Uphold employee privacy through a zero-surveillance approach, fostering a culture of trust and accountability to elevate productivity. You can utilize timegram's discreet and intelligent time tracking for focused, effective work without intrusive oversight.

Pricing

Forever Free Tier: Access all timegram features with the free forever plan, perfect for freelancers and small teams. A top-tier choice among free invoicing software for freelancers.

Pro Plan: Go from 7 days data retention limit to unlimited just for $8 per user per month. Best for businesses looking for data-driven insights for decision making.

Do you want to learn more? Watch this product walkthrough video for timegram and find out why it’s one of the best remote workforce management software tools.

See Also: 10 Best Time Tracking Apps for Freelancers in 2023

3. Asana

Asana stands out as a versatile project management tool, offering robust features that seamlessly bridge the gap for remote teams. 

Key Features

• Asana's role assignment feature enhances transparency by designating tasks, setting deadlines, and breaking projects into subtasks.
• The visual timeline feature simplifies tracking project timelines and dependencies, ensuring timely adjustments.
• Detailed Gantt charts offer a comprehensive view of project timelines, critical paths, and adjustable priorities.
• Seamless integration with popular tools like Slack and Google Drive fosters efficient communication.
• Asana's budgeting feature provides real-time expense tracking and adaptable budget adjustments.

Pricing

Basic Plan (Free Forever Plan): Free for up to 15 users.

• Limitless tasks, projects, messages, and activity log.
• Unlimited file storage (100MB/file).
• Access via iOS and Android apps.
• Integrate time tracking and 100+ free apps.

Premium Plan: $10.99/user/month (billed annually) or $13.49/user/month (billed monthly).

Business Plan: $24.99/user/month (billed annually) or $30.49/user/month (billed monthly).

4. ProofHub

ProofHub is an all-in-one project management and team collaboration software, designed to streamline remote work and foster collaboration.

Key Features 

• Task management involves assigning tasks, prioritizing them with deadlines, and breaking them down into subtasks for clarity and efficiency.
• Custom fields offer personalized details to tasks, accommodating various project essentials.
• ProofHub facilitates seamless file review, approval, and feedback exchange. Annotate for clarity and provide instant, actionable insights, all within the platform.
• ProofHub's chat feature eliminates the need for emails or texts when sharing swift information with remote team members.

Pricing 

There’s no free plan for ProofHub. A free trial, however, is available. There are just two plans available:

Ultimate Control Plan: Limited Time Offer: $89/month (billed annually) or $99/month (billed monthly).

Essential Plan: $45/month (billed annually) or $50/month (billed monthly).

5. Time Doctor 

Time Doctor works like a digital clock that helps keep track of time for tasks, making it easier for managers to plan when employees work and manage projects. It also gives useful information to help everyone work better, no matter where they are.

Key Features

• Monitors remote employee work hours through manual or automated tracking, ensuring accurate timekeeping.
• Delivers in-depth reports on productivity, attendance, and app usage, enabling a comprehensive overview of team performance and behavior.
• Enables effective task and budget management tailored for remote teams, promoting organized project execution and efficient resource allocation.
• Simplifies administrative tasks with automatic timesheet creation and seamless approval processes, enhancing efficiency in workforce management.
• Enhances overall efficiency by seamlessly integrating with a diverse range of tools, streamlining workflows and communication across various platforms.

Pricing

There’s no forever-free plan for Time Doctor. Just a 14-day trial.

Basic Plan: Price: $5.9/user/month (billed annually) or $7/month-to-month.

Standard Plan: Price: $8.4/user/month (billed annually) or $10/month-to-month.

Premium Plan: Price: $16.7/user/month (billed annually) or $20/month-to-month.

6. Zoom

Zoom became the ultimate lifeline during global lockdowns, bringing remote teams together effortlessly and turning virtual meetings into the new normal.

Key Features

• Globally connect with teams through virtual meetings and video conferences, transcending geographical boundaries seamlessly.
• Large audiences are engaged and educated through interactive webinars and virtual events that foster meaningful interactions.
• Screen sharing effortlessly delivers presentations, demonstrates processes, and collaborates in real time.
• Instant communication and interaction with text chat and messaging enhance engagement during meetings.
• Important discussions are never missed by recording meetings and webinars, allowing playback for future reference or sharing.

Pricing

Free Plan: Basic features with limitations on group meetings.

Pro Plan: $14.99/host/month for unlimited meeting duration and more features.

Business Plan: $19.99/host/month with dedicated phone support and admin dashboard.

Business Plus: Custom pricing with enhanced security and compliance features (300 attendees per meeting).

Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing with enhanced security and compliance features  (1000 attendees per meeting).

7. Google Workspace

Google Workspace offers a suite of powerful cloud-based tools designed to enhance collaboration and boost productivity for teams, enabling seamless work from home or any location.

Key Features

• Google Workspace offers collaboration through cloud-based applications.
• Efficient communication and organization with integrated Gmail.
• Real-time document collaboration for remote teamwork.
• High-quality video conferencing for virtual meetings.
• Secure cloud storage, centralizing file management in remote work scenarios.

Pricing

Most of Google’s tools can be used or free to a certain extent but if you’re willing to use it for you business, choose from any of the plans below:

Business Starter: $6 USD per user / month, 1 year commitment

Business Standard: $12 USD per user / month, 1 year commitment

Business Plus: $18 USD per user / month, 1 year commitment

8. TimeCamp

TimeCamp is a time tracking and project management tool that aids remote teams in effectively managing their tasks, tracking work hours, and optimizing productivity from different locations.

Key Features

• Logs work hours while monitoring URLs and app usage for a comprehensive view.
• Helps gain insights into remote team time allocation and productivity.
• Upgraded version includes screenshot capture for enhanced monitoring.
• TimeCamp simplifies attendance management for on-site teams with Time Clock Kiosk. Ditch punch cards and effortlessly track work hours using an intuitive 4-digit PIN system.

Pricing

FREE Plan: $0

STARTER Plan: $2.99 per user per month

BASIC Plan: $5.99 per user per month

PRO Plan: $7.99 per user per month

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9. Slack

A staple in modern workplaces, Slack has become a ubiquitous platform for streamlined communication and collaborative teamwork.

Key Features

• Slack offers real-time messaging for fluid remote team communication.
• Organized channel system for focused discussions on projects and subjects.
• Slack offers ‘enterprise-grade security.’ As a default measure, Slack ensures encryption of both data at rest and data in transit for its clients.
• App integrations create a centralized hub of productivity for streamlined remote work.
• Robust search functionality ensures easy retrieval of past conversations and files, keeping remote teams informed and efficient.

Pricing

Free Version Available: Access basic features with Slack's free version.

Paid Plans: Unlock more with paid plans starting at $7.25/user per month (billed annually).

10. Basecamp

Recognized as one of the best remote workforce management software tools, Basecamp focuses on optimizing work efficiency, fostering organization, and promoting a balanced work-life dynamic.

Key Features

• Efficient role and responsibility assignment for remote teams.
• Clear visualization of project milestones and deadlines.
• Integration with 72 other software tools to enhance remote workflow.
• Seamless communication through Pings, Message Board, Campfire discussions, and task comments, ideal for remote collaboration.

Pricing

Basecamp Starter Plan: Costs $15 per user per month (month-to-month) with all features, unlimited users and clients, 500GB file storage, no one-on-one onboarding.

Basecamp Pro Unlimited: Ideal for larger teams, offers 5TB storage, priority support, one-on-one onboarding, admin control, and two-factor authentication (2FA).

Wrapping Up…

Remote employee management software empowers organizations to transcend geographical boundaries, fostering a work environment that is flexible yet structured. By providing a centralized hub for communication, project tracking, and resource allocation, these tools bridge the physical gap between team members, enabling them to work together as though they were in the same office.

In light of the diverse options available, it's crucial for businesses to carefully explore and select the software that best suits their unique needs. The right software should align with your team's workflows, offer intuitive user interfaces, and provide comprehensive features to manage projects, monitor progress, and maintain clear lines of communication.

One such valuable tool to include your remote workforce management tech stack is timegram. It combines several key areas, such as project management, invoicing, time tracking, and performance reporting. With its user-friendly interface and a plethora of features designed to enhance productivity and collaboration, it stands out as a trusted solution. 

Don't hesitate to explore the possibilities that remote workforce management software can offer. Visit timegram’s website and sign up today!

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FAQs

What is remote workforce management?

Remote workforce management is the art of efficiently guiding a dispersed team towards common goals, using digital tools (like timegram) to keep everyone on track.

What software is used for remote work?

Think of remote work software as your digital Swiss Army knife. From communication (Slack) to project tracking (Trello), and video conferencing (Zoom) to time tracking (timegram), these tools are the secret sauce that keeps remote teams cooking up success.

What is the best way to manage a remote workforce?

The best way to manage a remote workforce is like being a digital conductor. Set the tempo with clear objectives, hand out the virtual sheet music of tasks, and keep everyone in harmony with regular check-ins. With this remote rhythm, your team will be rocking the charts of productivity.