This is an article “How Video Conferencing is Changing the Office Environment” by Marc Primo
And just like that, millions of employers and employees find themselves facing their home computers or laptops and engaging in video conferencing with partners and colleagues as restrictions on physical office operations were implemented all over the world. Almost overnight, remote work or the by-phrase ‘work from home’ (WFH) have literally become household terms.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has definitely accelerated a new revolution in how people do work and business. E-commerce went on the rise as businesses opted to serve their customers online, while many professionals relied on technology to keep their operations uninterrupted. If anything, the crisis has absolutely shown us the possibilities of remote work and how we can take advantage of available technology that makes things more convenient and even productive in entrepreneurship.
But how about office culture? How does WFH arrangements affect the whole business infrastructure we were all accustomed to prior to the pandemic? While most businesses found themselves playing catch-up and hiring third party service providers in order to roll out essentials for work, many companies and individuals have already put stable tools in place.
Freelancers, venture capitalists, and telemarketers are very familiar with video conferencing and remote work arrangements while more businesses have only taken huge steps recently to deal with the current situation. The thing is, even after the crisis, companies may want to continue remote work and WFH set-ups as the strategy can also offer cost-cutting solutions and more productivity for their employees in the long run.
To find out how video conferencing and remote work in general works for your company, here are a few things to think about:
What can video conferencing help you and your employees with?
As most people know by now, one of the top benefits of WFH arrangements is how they help employees cut down the cost for travel and expenses. Of course, this can also translate to higher productivity and less work for the hiring process via recorded video interviews. Plus, video conferencing can also be more convenient for your target customers and create a more competitive edge for your business.
How are your employees’ attendance to online meetings
Since employees are in the comfort of their own homes, attendance of online meetings shouldn’t be a problem especially if you have an online log sheet to monitor employee activity. By using video conferencing tools, you can reach your employees during work hours and even exchange essential files or present work decks for everyone’s appreciation. It’s quicker, easier to track, and let’s you know who is being proactive while on remote work.
Does it increase productivity?
The short answer is yes, but the real question is how. Video conferencing can greatly improve your office communications when you utilize tools for meeting rooms, assemblies, e-events, e-commerce, and interactive collaborations. Almost 100% of video conferencing users say that the best thing about the technology is how it increases efficiency in streamlining work operations, allows faster communication, and as you guessed--improves employee productivity. When you can get in touch with your colleagues immediately (given that you are both on the same time zone), you can resolve problems faster, get more information you need, and cater to your customers in real-time.
How is your competitive advantage?
Once you have everything in place and have tried out video conferencing, try to figure out if you can capitalize on the true advantages can offer your company. A strong, unified communication system is one of the best strengths a top company can have and using the right video conferencing tools can foster better collaboration among your employees.
Today, video conferencing has turned into a necessity, not only for business but for personal needs as well. With cloud-based software that doesn’t call for huge budgets, and are more flexible and scalable, you can experience better benefits in business while making things easier for your employees. It’s truly a useful piece of technology that many have awakened to sooner than any of us really expected.