It’s been some time since we have shifted drastically from a traditional workspace to a hybrid one. While we may have gotten down the basics by now, hybrid work in general leaves a lot to be desired. A recent McKinsey survey confirms that although 9 out of 10 executives are planning to shift towards a hybrid model, about two-thirds of companies lack a detailed plan for handling hybrid work. Thus, as many businesses transition into hybrid work, knowing how to create the optimal experience for both your remote and on-site employees is the key to ensure that you get the best out of your workforce.
To empower your employees to perform to the best of their abilities, you must first understand and reevaluate your own business practices to prepare yourself for the new normal that is hybrid work.
Increase productivity but not dependency
Because the modalities of a hybrid work environment is completely different from that of a traditional one, coordination and connectivity issues are common. Hence, in order to increase your business productivity, it’s important to make sure these issues are kept to a minimum. Say for example, if a remote worker has a connective or IT issue at home, it’s usually not possible or realistic for a company to dispatch an IT personnel to their home (plus that would also defeat the whole purpose of hybrid work). Hence, it’s ideal to keep IT dependency to a minimum. To achieve this, you would want a straightforward plug-and-play setup that would limit the possibility of a technical issue, something that is easy to use even for a non-techy user. We recommend the CAM340+ and CAM130 as some options you’d consider for a work from home workspace. With CAM340+, you can essentially collaborate anywhere via its portable design and versatile monitor mount, allowing you to connect and communicate instantly. Or you can opt for the CAM130 if you want intelligent lighting that automatically adjusts your lighting condition based on your environment – with this, you will never have to worry again about looking dull and unprofessional in a dimly lit room. The idea here is to pick something that would help you get things done quickly and effectively but does not require you to dedicate more time out of your work hours to utilize and setup.
Better features for better meeting collaboration
Speaking of setup, however, we must also remember to consider those that are working at the office. While video conferencing is something that is very common in the business industry, it is still plagued with various problems. Some of the main problems consist of setup issues, sub-par audiovisual quality, and time wasted from switching presenters during the meeting. It’s been reported that around 15% of the time in online meetings is wasted due to inefficient meeting equipment. Things like connecting to a monitor, managing a software, and adjusting camera angles are all factors that contribute to the precious time that is wasted, and when this happens, productivity is also lost. In order to have online meetings reach their full potential, you need more than just the bare minimum. Having a larger USB conferencing camera such as AVer’s CAM550 or VB342 Pro with impressive features such as Smart Gallery, intelligent audio tracking, and 4K image quality will enhance these online meetings for not only the people on-site but also for those that are participating from home. With both remote and on-site workspaces having the right tools for hybrid work, business collaborations will also see a rise in productivity and success.
Be flexible but considerate
When working remotely, the line between work and life becomes infinitely more blurry because your location remains the same. As such, it’s even more important to be mindful of your employees’ boundaries. It’s best to avoid micromanaging but still lay down some ground rules for your teams to follow. You can achieve this by creating some home guidelines that your employees are expected to follow as well as establishing daily check-ins at consistent times to ensure you are up to date with everybody’s work progress. This goes a long way in ensuring employees don’t feel rushed while working at home and remains prepared for each upcoming schedule. By planning ahead and letting your workers know what they should expect each day, it will minimize spontaneity and micromanaging while in turn increase efficient cooperation and collaboration.