Get this – 74% of American companies have hopped on the bandwagon of hybrid work schedule – it’s the new hotness in modern workplaces. Are you in too?
Some days you’re in the office, and some days, you’re at home. Don’t let switching between the office and home desk hamper your workflow. There’s a range of tools you can use to optimize your work no matter where you are so that juggling between the office and home desk will no longer cause any problems.
Keep reading to discover 9 top-notch tools that will level up your productivity game and let you seamlessly connect in and out of the office world.
Table of Contents
Why do you need tools to optimize your hybrid work schedule?
The best hybrid work schedule offers a seamless workflow between your home and office space. But there’s always a risk of disrupting the flow due to numerous distractions, lag in response times, or other common obstacles that could slow you down.
That’s why having the right tools to fine-tune your hybrid work model is a super crucial part of building an efficient hybrid team that maintains a successful balance between productivity and comfort.
Why investing in such tools pay off?
➡️ Increased productivity
By integrating productivity tools into your daily routine, you can increase your output and cut down on wasted time. No more lost notes, forgotten tasks, or miscommunicated deadlines.
➡️ Flexibility
With the right toolkit, you can pivot quickly and efficiently when plans change. Such tools as project management software can help you reorganize tasks and deadlines in real-time, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
➡️ Better work-life balance
When you have a better work-life balance, you’ll likely feel happier and more satisfied both in and out of work. Using tools like task automation can help lighten the load, allowing you to finish work faster and get home sooner.
➡️ Reduced stress
By having a clear schedule and knowing what you need to get done, you’ll be able to manage your time more efficiently and reduce the stress that comes with unstructured and chaotic workdays.
Project management tools
Having all your tasks at hand in a detailed project organization provide employees with a better overview and understanding of the work. And since you can’t take an office board with you (whoops!), storing all these details in the cloud allows for seamless blending of in-office teamwork, work from home, and even remote work from a cozy coffee shop.
#1 Allfred: Super powerful hybrid work schedule management platform
This killer all-in-one management platform is like having a personal assistant who never complains and always delivers. With Allfred, you can effortlessly manage your schedule, set time tracking, and never miss a beat. This tool is a must-have for anyone who wants to take control of their time and increase team capacity.
Allfred is the ultimate sidekick for busy professionals who are looking for a solution that will connect all the most vital management features on a single dashboard. It is your go-to place for all your team needs, so you can keep projects organized and moving forward with total confidence.
What’s best?
- Covering all project management stuff, from task assignments to budgeting and invoicing (letting you reduce costs and spending on other tools).
- Creating one full stack of tools for different departments and integrating them into one.
- Time tracking, progress reporting, team burnout prevention, capacity booking, and conflict detection.
- No need for manual budgeting processes – Allfred does the work for you.
- Best for revenue analysis, client or user performance, and increasing profitability
Pricing
Starting at about $26 per user, Allfred is a great value for managing your hybrid schedules. With the option to upgrade and be optimized for agencies, you can unlock additional features and make even more use of the platform’s powerful capabilities.
#2 Kontentino: For the social media hybrid team
Struggling with managing social media out-of-office days? Boosting hybrid team workflows is what Kontentino is all about. With its intuitive interface and powerful collaboration features, Kontentino makes it easy for teams to work together seamlessly and efficiently – no matter their office attendance.
It streamlines approval processes and content management by keeping everyone on the same page. You can post to multiple social media platforms in one go, access analytics data, make use of an ads planner, and much more – without wasting your time on back-and-forth emails or conversations.
What’s best?
- Well-designed drag & drop content calendar that lets for scheduling and re-scheduling the posts with one click.
- Detailed social media analytics by setting up custom metrics and benchmarking.
- Advanced collaboration features.
Pricing
Kontentino plans range from $53 to $216 per month. Each plan provides a 14-day free trial. The tailor-made offer for big enterprises is also available.
Productivity tools
Managing office time is especially challenging when you’re at home. It’s easy to get distracted and lose focus quickly. Remote employees are looking for new technology and ways to overcome this. Which tools should appear in your hybrid setting?
#3 RescueTime: Track your productivity and avoid distractions
If you find yourself spending hours browsing Facebook or scrolling through Instagram instead of getting things done? Then RescueTime is the tool for you. This productivity tracker helps you identify your time-wasting habits and stay on track to achieve your goals.
With RescueTime, you can set goals, track your progress, and get personalized insights to help you stay productive all day long. Best for procrastinators and easily distracted individuals.
What’s best?
- Personalized workday and smart productivity couch that serves up insights to help you stay on track.
- Distraction blocking to get the most out of your Focus Session.
- Finding the best meeting schedule to work remotely more effectively.
Pricing
With RescueTime, you can enjoy a 14-day free trial and choose from a range of pricing plans, starting at just $12 per month. There is also a Lite free version available.
#4 Forest: Stay focused with gamified productivity
Who doesn’t like gamification these days? If you want to stay focused and productive while still having fun, then you should try out Forest. This gamified productivity app turns your workday into a fun adventure where you plant virtual trees and watch them grow as you stay focused on your tasks.
If you’re tempted to check your social media or open a new tab, your tree will wither and die. But if you stay focused, your tree will grow and flourish. The longer you stay focused, the bigger your trees grow, and the more rewards you earn!
What’s best?
- Gamification that motivates you to work harder.
- Live-growing trees that visualize your productivity.
Pricing
On the App Store, Pricing starts at a nominal fee of $3.99, with the option to purchase additional features. On Google Play app is free.
#5 Brain.fm: Boost your concentration with music
Knowledge workers or managers tend to be overwhelmed by distractions. Brain.fm helps professionals stay focused and reach their goals faster by using scientifically proven music that helps to lock the neural phase. This tool uses music to boost your concentration and help you get into the zone.
With a vast library of music tracks designed to enhance your focus and productivity, you’ll be able to work for hours without getting distracted. Whether you need soothing ambient sounds or upbeat techno music, Brain.fm has you covered.
What’s best?
- Music that is specifically designed to affect the brain (tested with fMRI and EEG technology).
- Blending into the background audio creates a consistent environment conducive to productivity.
Pricing
To get the full Brain.fm experience, you have to pay $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year. It includes offline access.
Do you want to get to know more productivity tips? Check this out ➡️ 9 Productivity Hacks: Leverage Your Account Manager Skills
Communication tools
A flexible schedule divided into remote and in-person work requires seamless communication between team members. Thankfully, there are solutions that can almost replace physical presence and can be a life savior during remote days.
#6 Loom: Record and share video messages with ease
Most employees spend a huge part of their office schedule on repetitive tasks such as reading and sending boring emails. Loom is the solution that can streamline the communication process of a hybrid workplace to the maximum.
Loom makes it easy to record and share video messages with your team, providing a more personal and efficient way to communicate via videos. Whether you want to explain a complicated concept or just say hi to your team, it makes it easy to exchange feedback in a more engaging and personal way. See how easily you can collaborate from different locations.
What’s best?
- You decide where and when you want to play the recording – no need to set up the meeting or adjust to employee preferences.
- Google Chrome extension that lets you do screen records with your comment with a click.
- Faster information exchange with accelerated playback.
Pricing
Up to 25 videos per person (5 min long) Loom is free. Then, you have to pay $8.00 per month. Enterprise-tailored solutions are also available.
#7 Slack: Real-time messaging and file sharing for teams
Slack provides real-time messaging and file sharing for remote and hybrid teams, allowing you to stay connected at the same level, no matter whether you come into the office or not.
With Slack, you can create channels for different projects, departments, or teams, making it easy to work together on collaborative tasks. It’s perfect for individual teams to create a hybrid work in sync.
What’s best?
- Video conference capabilities via Slack Calls or integrated third-party tools.
- Centralized notifications and reminders (file project organization included).
- Speeding up approvals with emojis, and making decisions with polls, increasing the visibility of the team’s updates.
Pricing
Prices range from $7.25 to $12.50 per month (the Enterprise Grid plan is valued individually). There is also quite an extensive free plan available.
#8 Krisp: Elevate the online meeting experience
Krisp is a game-changer for remote work. This powerful tool removes background noise from your calls, making them clearer and more focused. With a hybrid work schedule becoming more prevalent, Krisp ensures that your virtual meetings are just as productive as your in-person ones.
No more barking dogs or noisy coffee shops – Krisp detects any noises and allows you to have professionalism and polish, regardless of your location.
What’s best?
- It’s easy to set up and use.
- You can have professional sound for your remote meetings with just one click.
- It reduces the potential downside of the hybrid work schedule.
- Krisp integrates with the most popular conferencing platforms, like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Pricing
Up to 60 minutes per day, Krisp is free. Paid plan costs $8 per month.
Collaboration tools
A study by Microsoft found that remote workers who use collaboration tools are more likely to feel connected to their colleagues, have better communication, and be more productive. These are enough reasons to give them a try? Here’re the tools that have an impact on employee engagement.
#9 Miro: Online whiteboard and visual collaboration platform
Are you tired of brainstorming on a small whiteboard that gets erased as soon as you’re done? Then it’s time to switch to Miro – the online whiteboard and visual collaboration platform best for remote work.
Miro offers a virtual whiteboard that can be accessed from anywhere, allowing you to brainstorm and collaborate with your remote team in real time. With Miro’s vast library of templates and tools, you can create stunning diagrams, flowcharts, and mind maps that will bring your ideas to life.
What’s best?
- Many drawing capabilities – sticky notes, images, mind maps, and videos.
- Build for all types of hybrid work – remote, distributed, and in-office.
- Accessible collaboration tools – share your boards with others and make changes together.
Pricing
There is a Free ($0), Starter ($8), and Business ($16) plan available. Set expectations and choose the plan that suits your hybrid team best.
#10 Notion: All-in-one workspace for a team on a hybrid model
Having necessary documents spread over many different places is a regular thing for certain employees. But fear not, Notion is here to save the day (and your sanity). With its all-in-one system for creating knowledge bases and storing documents, your hybrid work policy will finally be in check.
It’s the ultimate hybrid model tool that will keep your team organized and connected, no matter where each member is working from. So let’s raise virtual cheers to Notion for making professional lives a little less chaotic and a lot more efficient.
What’s best?
- Possibility to centralize all your knowledge under one roof.
- Simple to use, aesthetically pleasing, and great user experience.
- Ready-made templates (and the possibility to save your own).
Pricing
Free to start, with paid plans starting at $8 per month. The free plan is available.
Switch to optimized hybrid work schedules
So here we are, in the brave new world where blending work from home with office work is the norm. Establishing a hybrid work schedule can be daunting, but with the right tools at your fingertips, it no longer has to be a challenge. These tools will help put you on the path toward success and make those transition days no more difficult.
🚀 Why not give Allfred a try and start optimizing your hybrid work schedule today? After all, one sure way to guarantee tomorrow’s success is by being ready for it today.
