With the benefits discussed above in mind, organizations must ensure they have the right technologies and tools in place to ensure their employees are just as productive working from home as in the office.
No matter where team members are working from, it’s essential that they are able to collaborate with their peers, communicate with clients, use the software they need to complete tasks and access files that they (or their team) has previously saved.
Any successful hybrid work model needs to be strategically thought out, with technology at the very heart of the solution.
Here are some of the key technologies that your business must consider when transitioning to a hybrid work model:
Communication tools
While your employees have the option to come into the office to collaborate, they are still going to need to communicate and work on projects with their colleagues while outside of the office. That’s why it’s crucial for your business to have the communications tools necessary to collaboratively work together, no matter where or when employees are working.
Since your employees can’t walk over to each other’s desks or book a meeting room while at home, use tools such as instant messaging and video conferencing. Software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams can help you boost collaboration and communication within a hybrid workforce.
Don’t forget about video conferencing in your office either. Encourage communication between employees who come into the office by creating meeting rooms, Microsoft Team rooms, Zoom rooms, huddle rooms and other collaborative spaces.
Project management
To ensure your projects continue to progress, it’s crucial that your employees have complete visibility into their tasks no matter where they are working from. Team members should be able to easily see priorities, deliverables and the work they need to complete to meet project goals.
To make this easy, consider implementing project management tools such as Microsoft Teams Planner, Basecamp, Teamwork, Monday or Trello into your processes. This will promote seamless task continuation whether your employees are working from home or working out of the office.
Unified communications
With your workforce disperse across multiple locations, it’s important that your employees can use one platform where they have the ability to access everything they need to complete their job. That’s where the implementation of unified communications (UC) can help.
UC is the consolidation of different cloud-based communication tools - such as video conferencing, instant messaging, VoIP, phone systems and file sharing - into one central platform. This helps support a hybrid workforce by promoting collaboration, giving employees access to everything they need wherever they are and a superior user experience.
Physical hardware
Any employee that leaves your physical office space to work should not be using their personal computer. This can pose a significant security issue for your organization and also means they likely won’t have access to all the tools they need to complete their job efficiently. Instead, invest in hardware for each employee so that your IT team can have complete control over the technologies they use and the cybersecurity measures they have in place.
Speaking of cybersecurity, the next section on this page will look at some more in-depth ways your business can protect itself from cybersecurity concerns when adopting a hybrid work model.
Read More…
Is your Company’s IT Infrastructure Ready to Handle a Hybrid Work Model?
The Hybrid Work Model: 8 Technologies Your Remote Workers Need
How Unified Communications (UC) Supports a Hybrid Workforce
How to Use Your DSLR or Mirrorless Camera as a Webcam
How to Use Zoom Like a Pro: 7 Hidden Features and Advanced Tips to Improve Your Video Conferences