Workpuls Teramind ActivTrak Hubstaff DeskTime Time Doctor RescueTime Kickidler Veriato Work Examiner
OVERVIEW
Price $6/user/month $6/user/month $7.20/user/month $7/user/month $7/user/month $9.99/user/month $6/user/month $9.99/user/month $150/licence/year $60/licence (lifetime)
Free trial 7 days 7 days No 14 days 14 days 14 days 30 days 7 days Yes 30 days
Ease of use Very easy Difficult Very easy Easy Easy Very easy Very easy Very easy Very difficult Easy
TRACKING METHODS
Unlimited (tracker working 24/7)
Fixed (defined working hours)
Automatic (when computer is connected to a specified network)
Manual (start/stop)
Project based (track time only on projects)
GENERAL MONITORING FEATURES
Stealth mode
App and website usage
Real-time monitoring
Offline time tracking
Attendance
Activity levels
Keylogger
Geolocation
Remote desktop control
Website/activity blocking
SCREENSHOTS AND RECORDING
Screenshots
Screenshots on demand
Screen recording
PRODUCTIVITY FEATURES
Productivity trends
Websites and apps labeling
Category labeling
Productivity alerts
ADVANCED SECURITY FEATURES
User behavior analytics
Data loss prevention
Advanced file and web monitoring
REPORTING
Productivity reports
Team reports
Timelines
Email reports
Access management
PLATFORMS
Web
Mac desktop app
Windows desktop app
Linux desktop app
Mobile app iOS, Android iOS, Android iOS, Android iOS, Android iOS, Android Android
Browser extension Chrome Chrome Chrome
Other Citrix, VMware Chrome OS
OTHER
Support Phone, email, online Phone, email, online Phone, email, online Email, online Phone, email, online, in-person Online Phone, email, online Email, online, Viber, Whatsapp Phone, email, online, support ticket Phone, email, online
Knowledge base
Video tutorials
Integrations comming soon
API
Deployment cloud, on-premise cloud, on-premise, AWS, Azure cloud cloud cloud cloud cloud on-premise cloud, on-premise on-premise
Kronos Humanity Timeclockplus Tsheets Wheniwork Deputy Replicon Jibble EbilityTimeTracker OnTheClock BeeBole
OVERVIEW
Price(per month)Available upon requestFrom $2 per userAvailable upon requestFrom $6.40 per user+$16Free for up to 75 usersFrom $2.50 per userBasic plan:$30 for 5 users+$5 per additional userFrom $1.50 per employeeFrom $4 per user+$8From $2.20 per user$5.99 per user per month
Free trial30 days14 daysYes14 days14 days14 days30 days30 days,no credit card required
Ease of useDifficultEasyDifficultVery easyEasyEasyDifficultVery easyEasyEasyEasy
FEATURES
Timecard management
Scheduling
Shift Trading
Timesheets
Break time management
Real-time tracking
PTO Management
Payroll
Invoicing
Client billing
GPS tracking
Clock out reminders
Alerts
Manual time
PUNCH-IN METHODS
Web app
Mobile app
Time clock device
Time clock kiosk
Facial recognition
Fingerprint scanning
Geofencing
Group punch-in
REPORTING
Visual reports
Email reports
Time rounding
MANAGEMENT
Permissions
Manager approvals
Add time for others
Integrations
PLATFORMS
Web
Android app
iOS app
Mac desktop app
Windows desktop app
Linux desktop app
OTHER
SupportPhone and onlinePhone and onlinePhone,chat and onlinePhone and chatEmail and onlineChat and phonePhone,email,chat and onlinePhone and onlinePhone,email,chat and onlinePhone and onlineOnline chat and video support in English,French,and Spanish
Knowledge base
Video tutorials
Community forum
API

Modern technology has changed the corporate landscape in more ways than one. Tools like remote employee time tracking, instant messaging apps, various collaboration platforms and others have enabled the spread of remote work, which is a huge step towards better work-life balance for employees and an expanded talent pool for companies to potentially hire from.

It’s also led to the possibility of instant real-time communication between coworkers from different countries and time zones. This has completely transformed the way employers manage their remote workforce and it’s also significantly altered managers’ expectations and teams’ workflows. But not all of these changes are for the best.


Long-distance communication is cited as one of the biggest challenges of remote work. The reason for this is because communication with remote teams is largely asynchronous - in other words, there’s a time lag between the time when you send them a message and the moment when they read it and respond. This lag is generally considered an issue and many managers are trying to make it as short as possible.


However, as we’re about to see, embracing asynchronous communication with distributed teams not only doesn’t have to be a problem, but it can actually be beneficial to remote employees’ productivity.

remote research


Why Non-Real-Time Communication Can (But Shouldn’t) Be Considered a Problem


Simply put, in the majority of cases, asynchronous communication is seen as an issue only because it doesn’t fit with your expectations. You expect your remote employees to be available and responsive right away. You expect them to reply to every message in under 5 minutes. This is just the norm. But there are no real reasons why your expectations should be leaning towards more synchronous communication all the time.


One possible concern about letting employees respond to you in their own time is the fact that you’ll have to loosen the leash. In other words, you might not be able to stay on top of things by asking remote workers what they’re working on. But this kind of micromanagement isn’t good to begin with and you should aim to tone it down anyway. It’s all about the trust - if your employees finish their tasks on time and their work is up to your standards, then you don’t have a problem. Alternatively, you can use remote employee time tracking software to see which task each employee is working on at any moment without having to contact them.


Another thing about having near real-time communication that many employers appreciate is the open possibility of assigning urgent last-minute tasks. While this is certainly inevitable in some situations, making it possible to just open up new tasks at any given time, no matter how insignificant or ‘small’ they might be, and expecting your employees to do them as soon as you tell them to is a bad practice. First, it creates a lot of stress among employees, and secondly, it encourages lazy planning.


But allowing remote employees to postpone responding to messages in combination with using remote employee time tracking software to keep up to date on what’s happening can fix these issues and make your team more productive.


How to Make Asynchronous Communication Work


In order to adopt this way of working and communicating with your remote workforce, the first thing to do is adjust your attitude to it. Instead of seeing asynchronous communication as a bottleneck, try to look at it as the opportunity for employees to focus on their work. The thing is - deep concentrated work on meaningful tasks, even if just for a couple of hours, is way better than a whole day of being distracted by messages and emails. Deep work makes employees more productive, their output more high quality and their minds more creative. So, the first step is to allow employees to focus on their work and respond to your messages later.


The next thing you might want to consider is implementing remote employee time tracking so that you can monitor your workers without disrupting their flow with texts, calls or meetings. Remote employee time tracking will tell you everything you need to know - who’s active, what they’re working on, which tools they’re using and much more.


Of course, asynchronous doesn’t mean disorganized or non-existent. Some rules have to be in place so that your teams can still function and collaborate smoothly. For instance, set a requirement that all messages have to be responded to within 24 hours. This is plenty of time for employees to find the right moment to focus on communication, and yet not too long that the issue becomes irrelevant or that failing to do a task results in irreparable damage. Also, you have to keep in mind that your messages have to be as clear and detailed as possible because every need for clarification can end up spanning a couple of days.


At the end of the day, asynchronous communication requires a drastic change in your planning process and company culture. So make sure you have a clear set of guidelines and policies on what is expected both of you and of your employees, and of course, don’t forget to properly onboard your remote workers.


When done right, this system of internal communication is extremely effective and beneficial, not just as a part of remote team management strategy but possibly also for in-office staff.


What Are the Benefits?


If your employees are allowed to keep their focus on the task they’re working on for as long as they need, and then dedicate an hour or two every day just for catching up on the mail and messages, they’re going to increase their overall productivity. This is the most important benefit of asynchronous communication - removing distractions and concentrating on deep work.


Not being required to respond to every message instantaneously will also reduce the stress they face while working. They’ll be able to organize their own time - work while they’re in the zone, and respond to messages when they need a bit of a break from demanding cognitive tasks.


But this way of communicating isn’t beneficial to your employees only. It’s also good for you. For one, it forces better planning - you can’t rely on employees being able to take on an assignment 3 hours before its due, so you’ll need to organize your workflow in the most optimal way possible and learn how to prioritize.


And finally, another great thing about letting go of the need to get an instant response to every message is the fact that it solves time zone issues and opens up the possibility for you to employ top talent from halfway across the world without requiring them to work at 11pm.


Conclusion


Asynchronous way of communication is far from standard in today’s fast-paced corporate world. But, as we’ve demonstrated, it’s not impossible, especially with good policies, onboarding and possibly even remote employee time tracking. And once you succeed in implementing this way of communication, you’ll find yourself with a stress-free and productive remote workforce.


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Remote Work Management

Asynchronous Communication with Remote Workers: A Problem or a Chance to Improve Productivity?

Written by
Kristina Valjarevic
Published on
March 5, 2020

Modern technology has changed the corporate landscape in more ways than one. Tools like remote employee time tracking, instant messaging apps, various collaboration platforms and others have enabled the spread of remote work, which is a huge step towards better work-life balance for employees and an expanded talent pool for companies to potentially hire from.

It’s also led to the possibility of instant real-time communication between coworkers from different countries and time zones. This has completely transformed the way employers manage their remote workforce and it’s also significantly altered managers’ expectations and teams’ workflows. But not all of these changes are for the best.


Long-distance communication is cited as one of the biggest challenges of remote work. The reason for this is because communication with remote teams is largely asynchronous - in other words, there’s a time lag between the time when you send them a message and the moment when they read it and respond. This lag is generally considered an issue and many managers are trying to make it as short as possible.


However, as we’re about to see, embracing asynchronous communication with distributed teams not only doesn’t have to be a problem, but it can actually be beneficial to remote employees’ productivity.

remote research


Why Non-Real-Time Communication Can (But Shouldn’t) Be Considered a Problem


Simply put, in the majority of cases, asynchronous communication is seen as an issue only because it doesn’t fit with your expectations. You expect your remote employees to be available and responsive right away. You expect them to reply to every message in under 5 minutes. This is just the norm. But there are no real reasons why your expectations should be leaning towards more synchronous communication all the time.


One possible concern about letting employees respond to you in their own time is the fact that you’ll have to loosen the leash. In other words, you might not be able to stay on top of things by asking remote workers what they’re working on. But this kind of micromanagement isn’t good to begin with and you should aim to tone it down anyway. It’s all about the trust - if your employees finish their tasks on time and their work is up to your standards, then you don’t have a problem. Alternatively, you can use remote employee time tracking software to see which task each employee is working on at any moment without having to contact them.


Another thing about having near real-time communication that many employers appreciate is the open possibility of assigning urgent last-minute tasks. While this is certainly inevitable in some situations, making it possible to just open up new tasks at any given time, no matter how insignificant or ‘small’ they might be, and expecting your employees to do them as soon as you tell them to is a bad practice. First, it creates a lot of stress among employees, and secondly, it encourages lazy planning.


But allowing remote employees to postpone responding to messages in combination with using remote employee time tracking software to keep up to date on what’s happening can fix these issues and make your team more productive.


How to Make Asynchronous Communication Work


In order to adopt this way of working and communicating with your remote workforce, the first thing to do is adjust your attitude to it. Instead of seeing asynchronous communication as a bottleneck, try to look at it as the opportunity for employees to focus on their work. The thing is - deep concentrated work on meaningful tasks, even if just for a couple of hours, is way better than a whole day of being distracted by messages and emails. Deep work makes employees more productive, their output more high quality and their minds more creative. So, the first step is to allow employees to focus on their work and respond to your messages later.


The next thing you might want to consider is implementing remote employee time tracking so that you can monitor your workers without disrupting their flow with texts, calls or meetings. Remote employee time tracking will tell you everything you need to know - who’s active, what they’re working on, which tools they’re using and much more.


Of course, asynchronous doesn’t mean disorganized or non-existent. Some rules have to be in place so that your teams can still function and collaborate smoothly. For instance, set a requirement that all messages have to be responded to within 24 hours. This is plenty of time for employees to find the right moment to focus on communication, and yet not too long that the issue becomes irrelevant or that failing to do a task results in irreparable damage. Also, you have to keep in mind that your messages have to be as clear and detailed as possible because every need for clarification can end up spanning a couple of days.


At the end of the day, asynchronous communication requires a drastic change in your planning process and company culture. So make sure you have a clear set of guidelines and policies on what is expected both of you and of your employees, and of course, don’t forget to properly onboard your remote workers.


When done right, this system of internal communication is extremely effective and beneficial, not just as a part of remote team management strategy but possibly also for in-office staff.


What Are the Benefits?


If your employees are allowed to keep their focus on the task they’re working on for as long as they need, and then dedicate an hour or two every day just for catching up on the mail and messages, they’re going to increase their overall productivity. This is the most important benefit of asynchronous communication - removing distractions and concentrating on deep work.


Not being required to respond to every message instantaneously will also reduce the stress they face while working. They’ll be able to organize their own time - work while they’re in the zone, and respond to messages when they need a bit of a break from demanding cognitive tasks.


But this way of communicating isn’t beneficial to your employees only. It’s also good for you. For one, it forces better planning - you can’t rely on employees being able to take on an assignment 3 hours before its due, so you’ll need to organize your workflow in the most optimal way possible and learn how to prioritize.


And finally, another great thing about letting go of the need to get an instant response to every message is the fact that it solves time zone issues and opens up the possibility for you to employ top talent from halfway across the world without requiring them to work at 11pm.


Conclusion


Asynchronous way of communication is far from standard in today’s fast-paced corporate world. But, as we’ve demonstrated, it’s not impossible, especially with good policies, onboarding and possibly even remote employee time tracking. And once you succeed in implementing this way of communication, you’ll find yourself with a stress-free and productive remote workforce.