This post was sponsored by Bicom Systems, a leading provider of VoIP phone systems and cloud services.
Around the world, many are beginning their sentences with, “when we get back to normal…” But a thought that crosses my mind, as well as that of others, is: could this be the new normal?
Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics, recently tweeted and said: “30% of the workforce will work-from-home after Covid-19.” Employees who worked remotely before the restrictions, or found they enjoy this new work-life balance, will continue to do so after they are lifted. However, there is a large chunk of employees dying to get back into the office and socialize with coworkers.
Whether this pandemic had a negative or positive effect on your productivity, video conferencing will drastically change the way we work post-COVID-19.
Traveling
Now that companies have been forced to meet clients, coworkers, and customers virtually, why would they go back?
- Fear
Of course, we are all looking forward to face-to-face interactions, but now there is a cloud of fear wavering among us. The COVID-19 exposure may taint some employees, and traveling to another country where the outbreak was more viral, may not be on the top of an employee’s agenda.
- Fees
Since the outbreak, companies have been saving money on associated travel costs like airfare, hotels, meals, and transportation. When the travel bans are lifted, flight prices are most likely going to increase.
- Time
Physically meeting costs not only money, but also time. Employees must consider travel days, separate meeting days, and evenings to entertain clients. Video conferencing allows you to skip the pleasantries of dinners and shows and lets you get down to business.
If video conferencing can save you money, time, and the risk of getting sick, many companies will reconsider their travel policies. Video conferencing will allow you more opportunities to connect with unique contacts and conduct business all over the globe!
Superior Communication
There once was a time where working from home wasn’t possible. The technology didn’t exist, and what did wasn’t exactly reliable. Today, users are finding the productivity of meeting virtually is comparable to physically meeting. While on a video call users can:
- Share their Screen
- See Facial Expressions
- Use Hand Gestures
- Group Chat
- Send Files
Including a face-to-face interaction while on a call, makes the meeting far more personable. Video meetings also eliminates the pressure of your boss peering over your shoulder. Employees can show their screens and share the projects they are working on from the comfort of their own spaces.
New Normal
As this post is being written, today marks week six of working from home. This transition has been difficult, but we are doing our best to get our work done. When employees are able to safely head back into the office, working from home habits may follow them.
Hopefully wearing pajamas to work will not, but meeting via video calls will! For the last six weeks (and for some longer), employees have been using video calls for their meetings. Chances are, the habit will continue and employees will do so even if it is a quick call.
A video call allows you to see if you have the user’s full attention. You can tell when the persons ‘ya’ or ‘mhms’ are truly genuine or if they are just moving along the conversation. A video conference vs. a regular audio conference call will catch when a person was on ‘mute’ or just not listening!
To learn more about video conferencing and meeting features, take a look at Bicom Systems gloCOM Meeting. If you would like to speak with a sales representative, please send our team an email at sales@bicomsystems.com.
Laura Kyle is a marketing assistant for Bicom Systems (www.bicomsystems.com).
