Digital calendars are an essential tool for every worker, particularly remote workers. Think of it as a central database of your day-to-day life. What you accomplish each day is based on what is on your calendar. Some days may be meeting-heavy, brainstorming, and collaborating with teammates worldwide. On other days, you may block off heads-down time so you can work on a project or check some items off your to-do list.
What a calendar shouldn’t be is a nuisance. If you’re annoyed by your calendar or are repeatedly overbooking yourself, it may be time for a new tool. Here’s a roundup of the best calendar tools to boost your remote work routine.
1. Calendar.com
As a remote worker, you know that not everyone you need to meet with is within your same time zone. You may have a teammate that is in San Francisco while you’re in New York City. Finding a typical meeting time can be challenging, which is where Calendar.com comes into play.
Calendar.com is a scheduling platform that makes finding a time to meet with everyone easier. It aggregates all of your digital calendars into one centralized destination. You can create events for one-on-one meetings or team-wide meetings. You can also share and send your customized calendar link to internal teammates or external clients. This skips the hassle of back-and-forth emails, making it a much more efficient process.
Calendar also allows you to keep the private parts of your Calendar planning private, which may happen to busy freelancers. You can share your schedule with everyone, but click the scheduled items you want only you to see (like Dr. appts or your exercise class).
2. Google Calendar
If you have a Gmail account, you can access Google Calendar. This digital calendar platform makes sharing and syncing calendars with other teammates easy. Create a team calendar to help track schedules and manage projects without being in an office setting. Find a time to chat with the team by glazing at each other’s schedules.
If you’ve synched your work and personal calendar, Google Calendar allows you to add privacy settings. This way, your team will see that you are busy but won’t know you have a doctor’s appointment or are picking up your kids from school. Google Calendar is available on web browsers and can be installed on your smartphone. This makes it easy to schedule appointments while you’re on-the-go.
3. Microsoft Office Calendar
You can manage and share your work calendar with your teammates through the Microsoft Office Calendar. You can set working hours and block times to create a better work-life balance. This is important for remote workers as it’s all too easy to schedule yourself early in the a.m. and then keep going late into the evening, too.
You can also set your working location if you’re traveling for work. If you’re based in Boston but traveling to Dallas, changing your location will help others find time to meet with you. They may not realize the time difference or forget you’re traveling unless you add it to your calendar settings. To access this newer feature, go to “Settings” and then “Calendar” and then “Work Hours and Location.”
4. Apple Calendar
Apple Calendar may make the most sense for you if you have an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple Watch, and a MacBook. It is great for Apple users because it seamlessly syncs across your devices. If you change an appointment on your iPhone, the new date and time will be reflected on your MacBook.
Another benefit of Apple Calendar is the reminders and notifications features. You can add a reminder to schedule an important client meeting tomorrow when you have the final brief on any device. The reminder will appear on all your devices, so you won’t forget to add the meeting to everyone’s calendar.
For hands-free scheduling, you can tap into Siri to add events and meetings to your Apple Calendar. This is great for remote workers who are driving to and from various meetings in a single day. You can tell Siri via voice command to make a note for you or easily schedule a follow-up meeting.
5. Doodle
Doodle is a scheduling app that helps users schedule meetings and events. It helps simplify the scheduling process and find the best time for everyone. If you’re responsible for scheduling a team meeting, you can create a poll to find the best time for everyone. That way, everyone is part of the decision-making process.
If you’re a freelance or contract worker, you can set your availability and share a single link for others to book time with you. You’ll never double book again and can easily schedule across time zones.
Best of all, Doodle integrates with various video conferencing platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom. Once the meeting is scheduled, a link to your video conferencing platform of choice will also be shared. No more wasting time waiting for someone to send out the Zoom link!
6. SavvyCal
As another scheduling software option, SavvyCal is changing how and when people meet. Just because you’re available doesn’t necessarily mean you want a meeting scheduled for that time block. With SavvyCal, you can create buffers between meetings and appointments so you can focus on what is on your to-do list. You can also limit how many meetings you want on any given day.
Team scheduling is easier with this platform, as you can view the entire week’s schedule at a glance. No more navigating to a specific time and date to see that some individuals are busy. Add who needs to be in the meeting, and SavvyCal will show you when everyone is available.
You can also send out personalized scheduling links so others can find a time to meet within your busy schedule. You can customize how your link looks with different branding features. Recipients of your link can overlay their calendars on top, making finding a mutual time to chat much simpler.
7. Fantastical
An award-winning calendar app, Fantastical is revolutionizing what calendars can be. The app uses natural language input to streamline how meetings are scheduled. If you type “Afternoon Meeting with Steve tomorrow,” the app will suggest a meeting invite with a suggested time. You can propose multiple times for a video call, allowing others to find what works for them.
Repeated events, tasks, and to-do lists can also be managed within the calendar. If you’re heading to a business lunch, check the calendar to see the weather. The app is meant to be customized to your preferences, making it uniquely yours.
8. Sidekick
If you feel bogged down by sending meeting invites, then Sidekick may be your solution. Simply forward an email to Sidekick detailing who you need to meet with and when. The app will handle the rest for you and send out an invite to all parties. The app connects with several other platforms, including Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet.
You can also set up a Sidekick Scheduling Page so clients and potential hires can find a time to meet within your set preferences. The app will book the time once the other person has solidified a date and time. If your entire team or company uses Sidekick, the platform will find a time that works best for everyone. No more lengthy emails or Slack chains trying to find an opportune time.
Conclusion
Finding the right calendar tool for your remote work routine may take trial and error. Ask for demos and read reviews on how others like the various software platforms. Once you have one set up, adjust the settings to meet your needs and get the most out of each workday.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Tony Schnagl; Pexels
Angela Ruth
My name is Angela Ruth. I aim to help you learn how Calendar can help you manage your time, boost your productivity, and spend your days working on things that matter, both personally and professionally. Here's to improving all your calendars and becoming the person you are destined to become!