Today’s workforce is more connected than ever. The majority of employees access work-related apps, email, and other
software tools on personal mobile devices. This setup makes collaboration easier and more natural — but it also
increases the risk of information leaks and company secrets getting into the wrong hands. As a small business owner,
you’re likely juggling several duties at once, especially when it comes to hiring new employees and creating an
employee handbook. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use technology to manage your team more efficiently. Here are 10
ways to manage your employees with digital technology.
Bring Screen-Sharing Apps to your Staff Meeting
If your team meetings are one-sided, you can bring them to life by bringing employees’ screens into the meeting. With a
screen-sharing app like join.me, you can show meeting participants what’s on your screen, and what’s on theirs. This
functionality is especially valuable for managers who are hiring remote employees and want to show them how to do
their jobs. When you’re collaborating remotely with employees, screen-sharing can help you troubleshoot problems and
identify areas for improvement more effectively. You can also use screen-sharing apps during trainings to bring lessons
to life. For example, if you’re teaching new hires how to use the company’s CRM tool, you can share your screen and
show them how to navigate the app. This will help them become more effective and efficient at their jobs faster.
Use Location-Based Apps to Manage Remote Employees
If you hire employees who work remotely, you’ll want to use location-based apps to stay connected to their work and
activities. There are many apps that help you monitor employees’ locations and productivity, but the most popular tools
include the following: Basecamp: A project management tool that includes location-based tracking capabilities.
Fieldforce: A workforce management app that allows you to create schedules and assign tasks. Hubstaff: A time
tracking app that provides location-based tracking and employee monitoring. Harvest: A time tracking app that lets you
create geo-fenced locations and set productivity goals. Workplace by Facebook: A collaboration and communication app
that lets you create and manage location-based teams.
Send Automated Employee Communication via Mobile
If your employees work on mobile devices, you can automate communication by setting up rules and alerts that trigger
text messages and other push notifications. For example, you can send a message to all employees reminding them
about an upcoming meeting or deadline. You can also use mobile apps to send more personalized notifications that are
specific to each person, such as a message reminding an employee to finish a specific task by a certain time. Apps like
HubSpot, Trello, and Slack can help you automate communication and streamline operations across your business.
Create a Culture of Transparency With an Internal Blog
If you want your employees to feel like they’re part of a team and be more engaged with their work, you should
consider creating an internal blog. An internal blog (or even a series of blogs) can help you build a culture of
transparency in the office. Employees can use the blog to ask questions, share ideas, and express their concerns and
frustrations openly. Apple, for example, publishes a blog written by employees and managers about the realities of
working for the company. This level of transparency and honesty is rare, but it can help create a culture of trust and
engagement in the office. You can also use a blog to share company events and milestones, like new hires, office
openings, and major partnerships or acquisitions.
Use Video Interviewing Apps for Background Checks
Before hiring new employees, you can use video interviewing and screening apps to do thorough background checks.
The most popular video interviewing and screening apps include the following: HireVue: A video interviewing app that
lets you create and conduct video interviews. Humai: A video interviewing app that lets you conduct video interviews
and do background checks. Interviewed: A video interviewing app with a background check feature. Verified: A video
interviewing app that lets you conduct real-time background checks. Zoom Interview: A video interviewing app that lets
you do screen-sharing interviews.
Utilize a Virtual Recruiting Platform to Find the Right Employees
At the same time, you can use a virtual recruiting app to attract more qualified candidates for positions. A virtual
recruiting app lets you post your job openings, collect information from potential employees, and host online video
interviews. The best virtual recruiting apps also offer analytics tools, like data on where your applicants are located and
their skill set. If you’re hiring remote employees, you may want to consider using a virtual recruiting platform. A good
platform will help you manage the hiring process more efficiently, even when hiring employees in different time zones.
Track Your Employees’ Digital Footprint with Cloud Storage
If you’re managing sensitive company data, you’ll want to track your employees’ digital footprint — especially if they
work remotely. You can track employees’ digital footprint by using cloud storage apps to monitor file transfers and data
access. The most popular cloud storage apps include the following: Dropbox: A cloud storage app that lets you monitor
file transfers. Google Drive: A cloud storage app that lets you track file access and sharing. OneDrive: A cloud storage
app that lets you track file access and file transfers. Amazon Cloud Drive: A cloud storage app that lets you track file
transfers.
Lock Down Confidential Information With Encryption Tech
If your employees need to access sensitive company data, you’ll want to lock it down with encryption technology. There
are many encryption apps that lock down data, including: Box: A cloud storage app that lets you encrypt files. Dropbox:
A cloud storage app that lets you encrypt files. Google Drive: A cloud storage app that lets you encrypt files. OneDrive:
A cloud storage app that lets you encrypt files.
Summing up
As a small business owner, you have many tasks to juggle at once. Managing employees can be a stressful task,
especially if you have a new hire who needs training or an existing employee who needs feedback. Fortunately, there
are a number of apps and tools that can help you manage your staff more efficiently. Bring screen-sharing apps to your
staff meetings, use location-based apps to manage remote employees, send automated employee communication via
mobile, create a culture of transparency with an internal blog, use video interviewing apps for background checks,
utilize a virtual recruiting platform to find the right employees, track your employees’ digital footprint with cloud
storage, and lock down confidential information with encryption tech — these apps and tools will help you manage your
employees more effectively.