The term “hybrid working” has been spoken about increasingly over the last few years, with a mix of remote, home and office working the norm for many of us. A wide range of organisations have enthusiastically embraced this flexible way of working, due to its undeniable benefits from cutting costs, attracting staff from a wider geography and restoring the work /life balance for many. It’s true that the option to “work from home” is a prerequisite for many candidates when considering a new job nowadays. Join us as we discuss the best tips and tools that help your business get the most out of hybrid working employees and effectively integrate them into your company’s eco-system.
At the forefront of your business are your employees, and as mentioned previously, hybrid working has many benefits to your team, which have positive knock-on effects to your business.
A flexible schedule is perhaps one of the key advantages of hybrid working. This can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction, alongside this part-time working is better supported, and it can help encourage staff back into the workforce, perfect for those who don’t necessarily want to make either a full time or long-term commitment. At VivoComms, we recommend all companies that support hybrid working have clear remote work policies in place. These policies should clearly explain expectations for communication, availability, and productivity - this sets the standard expected of employees from the beginning and reduces the chances of misunderstandings and unproductivity. Here are some ways that technology can support your businesses hybrid working model.
With hybrid working, team members can find themselves working from all different locations, thankfully businesses can rely on collaboration tools such as; Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom to help facilitate communication and collaboration regardless of where team members are located. In regards to other third party tools, project management tools such as; Asana, Trello, and Basecamp can also help teams stay organised and on track. These tools allow team members to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress from any location.
Moreover, video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Skype allow team members to have face-to-face meetings regardless of their location. This can help build stronger relationships among team members who may not meet in person.
Another technological tool that can help support your business with hybrid working is cloud computing. This allows employees to access documents, files, and applications from any location with an internet connection. Team members can work from home, the office, or a coffee shop and still have access to the tools they need, ensuring productivity and workflow is unaffected. Virtual private networks (VPNs) are an extremely popular tool that allows your business to safely adapt to hybrid working. They enable employees to securely access company data and applications from any location. Teams can work remotely, and without compromising the security of company data, with the same level of protection as office based staff, meaning hybrid working comes at no security risk to your business. It’s also important to prioritise connectivity, with a greater reliance on hosted cloud services at high speed, reliable connectivity becomes critical, both at the office or hub location, and for remote staff. Poor connectivity can lead to frustration and reduced efficiency, which nobody wants or needs.
Managed correctly, technology plays a crucial role in supporting hybrid working, benefitting both employees and companies, and seems to be with us for the foreseeable future.
VivoComms have been providing advice on connectivity, collaboration solutions and hosted phone services for 15 years. We’d be happy to guide you through your options and discuss the best solutions. Contact us today.
