Want to boost team
and client communication
& collaboration?
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We’ve probably all used apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to communicate with friends and family. But when it comes to keeping in contact with clients, work colleagues or specific teams in your organisation, are these platforms professional enough?
Perfect for larger teams in different locations
Recently we were chatting to Dawar Ali from Recruitico in Northampton and we asked him what instant messaging platform he used to improve communication and collaboration in his business. Dawar was kind enough to share his knowledge and experience of Slack, which he’s used successfully throughout his offshore outsourcing operations. Dawar tells us more.
“At Recruitico, we provide offshore remote staff to UK businesses i.e., professionals based overseas who work remotely. We want to provide an experience which is as close as possible to them working with someone in the same office. For this to work, collaboration must be instant and easy. Obviously, email is good, but it can be slow, texting has limitations, especially when you’re texting internationally and whilst there are many social platforms, we wanted to use something with more of a business emphasis. That’s why we choose Slack.
…whilst there are many social platforms, we wanted to use something with more of a business emphasis. That’s why we choose Slack.
Dawar Ali
Founder Director, Recruitico
Set up is key
We advise you to download the desktop version, so you realise the full software benefits. We then set up a workplace for each client (a Slack workspace is made up of channels, where team members can communicate and work together) and then created relevant groups. We found out early on that setting rules for groups was important. This ensures everyone is on the same page with regards to what certain groups are for. Otherwise, you can end up have lots of irrelevant messages and important things can get missed within conversations if they are not set up properly.
Slack advantages
Slack is free, quick to use, plus it’s good at dealing with multiple active participants. You can drag, drop, and share your files within Slack conversations. Simply paste the link for your Google Drive spreadsheets or Dropbox files and your document will then be in sync and searchable right away. In addition, it integrates with other apps and platforms, so you don’t have to switch back and forth and the status feature advises you if another person is available, busy or away. All of this makes it an easy to use, one-stop platform.
Slack disadvantages
Because of its speed it can be difficult to know what’s going on. Messages can be continually pinging, which can be distracting and if not correctly managed you and your team might spend more time checking Slack than doing any work.
Positive results
Overall, we can report that Slack has been good for client retention, and to some extent for client acquisition, This is because it’s a real positive point we can highlight when discussing details with prospective clients. It helps with the original objective, which was to try and make the experience of working with offshore remote staff as close as possible to inhouse staff. And as for the internal benefits, it really goes help us to get stuff done quicker.”
So, if you want to help improve communication and collaboration, then why not give Slack a go?
A big thank you to Dawar for his insight. We’ve only used Slack briefly, but his working knowledge and experiences of this app will prove invaluable to anyone who is considering making a change in the near future.
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