With the current state of the world in mind, it’s not a huge surprise that many companies have initiated shifts to remote work–a change that, for some, has no end date in sight. Remote work can be extremely challenging to manage, but with the right software, it becomes less of a task.
Enter Peoplebox, the least optimistic aspect of which is its name. Peoplebox is a remote workspace interface that allows you to track team members, check in on them, deliver feedback, and share productivity goals from within one easy interface.
And, somewhat misleadingly, the process involves approximately zero people going into boxes.
Simplicity is the name of the Peoplebox game–something that is immediately recognizable upon reviewing its interface. The software assigns visuals and values to things like productivity and other data that can be difficult to track, thus making the whole process much less cerebral and more empirical.
That may sound anti-human, but the ability to “check in” with your team from within the interface, adjust productivity goals if needed, and set clearly actionable steps at the time of the call does a lot to mitigate the automation that tends to accompany stat-based productivity reports.
To summarize, Peoplebox takes the tough part of remote work–data-tracking–and simplifies it while making the process of reaching out and connecting with team members easy as well.
Peoplebox also integrates with programs such as Microsoft Office, Slack, and Google products (Google Calendar is mentioned specifically). Perhaps one disappointing absence from this list is Zoom, which has gained notable traction in the last year; however, as the software becomes more popular, moving to work with Zoom is a logical next step.
Peoplebox is reasonably priced at $6 per month per team member for the “Premium” tier (for four users or fewer, it is free with somewhat limited features) and $10 per month per user for the next tier, which emphasizes multiple teams and greater managerial capabilities. As an added bonus, Peoplebox will throw in a 30 percent discount for non-profit clients.
If you’ve been scrambling to come up with an adequate remote work interface, Peoplebox is worth a look — especially since it doesn’t look like any of us are going anywhere any time soon.
Jack Lloyd has a BA in Creative Writing from Forest Grove's Pacific University; he spends his writing days using his degree to pursue semicolons, freelance writing and editing, oxford commas, and enough coffee to kill a bear. His infatuation with rain is matched only by his dry sense of humor.
