Launched in 2009, Slack remains a pioneer in chat-based collaboration. From a humble internal communication tool, it has evolved into a top UC platform loved by millions and was eventually acquired by Salesforce in 2021 for $27.7 billion.
The platform continues to be readily available for download (and regularly updated), inspiring several competitors designed on similar principles – such as the 2017-launched Microsoft Teams. Despite Teams recently getting an edge over Slack regarding user numbers, the latter remains a compelling solution for companies looking to switch to non-email, asynchronous communication. This is due to its innovative bouquet of features.
1. Easy invites for external team members/guests
Although Slack began as a private chat system, it now provides Slack Connect for dispersed and hybrid teams. Managers and administrators may use this functionality to invite visitors into particular channels. That’s an easier and more intelligent technique to streamline communications in complex project management scenarios.
2. Custom DND schedules
Even though custom do-not-disturb schedules may appear inconsequential, they address an important use case for those of us who work from home. You can click the workspace name in Slack to establish default DND hours. Then click Workspace settings after choosing Settings & Administrations. To expand Do Not Disturb, scroll down and click. Choose the default availability times, provide a description, and hit “Save.”
3. Hiding channels with zero messages
There are often some channels with no messages or activity. To keep the list of channels smaller and more straightforward to grasp, users may quickly conceal them. To achieve this, choose Preferences, Advanced, and then ‘Hide any channels, DMs, or groups without any unread activity from the menu in the upper left corner of the screen. Users may concentrate on active channels in this manner.
4. Simple channel navigation
Users may apply the “rapid channel changer” to locate the desired station swiftly. Press Ctrl+K (Windows) or +K (Mac) to activate the “rapid channel switcher” and then type just a few keywords describing the channel or a user. The “channel browser” tool is another channel navigation option provided by Slack. To enter keywords or general channel parameters like Name of Creator, Creation Date, Members, etc., press +Shift+L (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+L (Windows).
5. Preconfigured channel prefix
Many teams may employ prefixes to combine comparable channels on Slack to keep their team organized and scannable. Create channel prefix rules that will appear as a dropdown menu when anyone establishes a brand-new channel on your Slack team, making it easier for coworkers to adhere to your naming standards when building channels. You can remove these or add more channel prefix guidelines from the Workspace Settings section under Settings & administration.
6. Project management integrations
Slack can’t replace several common project management tools on its own. Among the project management connections for Slack are Pivotal Tracker, Asana, Jira, Trello, and Blossom. Users can make Slack their main workspace for accomplishing tasks by importing cards, tasks, chats, and alerts from various applications. Users can receive automatic actions and reminders with IFTTT automation. Tettra enables the creation of team wikis inside Slack.
7. Name pronunciation in profiles
This Slack audio feature will prevent coworkers from mispronouncing one another’s names. Users of Slack may upload a recording of how they pronounce their name to their profile using this feature. One can also include their name in phonetic text. Users may hear name pronunciations under the Pronouns text box. Then select the Record Audio Clip. Below the audio selection, there is a text form for name pronunciation.
8. Unfollowing message threads
Like long email threads, Slack threads may go on for far longer than required. Users have the option to unfollow any message thread if they no longer want to participate in it. One has to locate the first post that launched the conversation and then turn off reply notifications by selecting the three dots menu. You can also mute entire channels to further cut down on distractions.
9. Scheduled messages
Several reasons a team’s work schedule can not match up include time zone variations, vacations, sick days, and more. It’s easy to avoid pinging a colleague at an undesirable moment by scheduling Slack messages. For deadline reminders, users may even plan messages to be sent to themselves. This Slack feature is essential for asynchronous communication.
10. Remote Work emojis
Text conversations need emojis, and since the pandemic began, their usage has increased significantly. The latest Remote Work emoji from Slack includes unique symbols that represent typical remote work situations. These include poor internet or unreliable WiFi connections, the need to care for kids, taking a break to make meals, and being preoccupied with a video chat, among other things. Users can locate the Remote Work emoji package in any Slack conversation window by clicking on the smiling emoji symbol and choosing them from the list.
11. Compact theme
Some users may like to scroll less and see more Slack messages. They can shift to a condensed theme that conceals the member profile pictures and reduces white space in-between messages. To choose a preferred theme, one has to go to Preferences and then Messages & media. Users can also alter the color of their colleagues’ display names in the compact theme to make it easier to identify between users. To achieve this, you will have to use any 6-digit hex codes or the slash command /color @username 3EB890.
12. Custom responses
Users can set up custom responses to enable a degree of automation. The Slackbot will reply appropriately when a colleague mentions one of the predefined keywords or phrases. For instance, an IT administrator may create a designated response to assist team members who lost their WiFi password. By initiating a line, you may add as many replies as you want for each input sentence. A randomized response will be selected if more than one preset answer is available.
These are some of the best features Slack has to offer in 2022. A brand new huddle upgrade is also on the cards, introducing one-click video, multi-person screen sharing, auto-save to channel, and more, to the platform’s already robust capabilities.
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