The modern workplace looks a lot different compared to what it did just five years ago as many organisations make the shift to a hybrid working environment.
The boom of the unified communications and collaboration industry means that employees are no longer bound to having to travel into an office for work.
Instead, they can log on at home, in their favourite coffee shop, or even in a different country and work effectively with their colleagues.
This is evident in Zoom’s end-of-year stats for 2022, which found that employees are regularly meeting from places other than their desks, including coffee shops, airports, and cars.
A Zoom study published in August 2022 found that more than four in five company leaders (86 percent) agreed that “the future of work is hybrid,” while only four percent disagreed.
The survey also found that company leaders prefer a hybrid or remote working environment, with more than 90 percent stating it is better than just in-person only.
With more companies shifting to hybrid work, it’s more important than ever to create an organisational setting that gives employees the tools they need to succeed in a hybrid format.
Here are three ways any company can empower hybrid working, according to Zoom:
1. Give Employees the Right Tools
Organisations that make the switch to hybrid work need to ensure that their employees can maintain the same level of productivity as they would have in the office when working remotely.
It is no secret that successful hybrid working comes from giving your employees the right tools to do their job.
Companies must invest in both hardware and software to ensure that their hybrid workers are able to work in any environment.
Zoom has acknowledged this and recently launched its Zoom curated Essential Apps offering, designed to allow businesses to quickly find the solutions they need to improve the communication and collaboration elements of their company.
Ross Mayfield, Group Product Manager, Zoom Apps, said: “By introducing Zoom curated Essential Apps with Zoom One online, we’re bringing the most helpful apps to the forefront, so you can focus on managing and growing your business.
“From automating tasks, enhancing collaboration, and generating insights in Zoom Meetings, this collection of apps gives you everything you need to run your business right at your fingertips.”
Essential Apps gives users access to the premium versions of a selection of apps as part of a customer’s Zoom One Pro, Business, and Business Plus online plans.
Some of the Essential Apps offerings include Coda, Kahoot!, Virtual Business Cards by Warmly, Funtivity, and more.
2. Help Employees to Connect from Any Location
Hybrid working means that employees can work from anywhere and are not restricted to the confines of an office.
However, organisations that adopt this style of working environment still need their employees to communicate and collaborate efficiently and effectively with each other.
Hybrid working will be doomed to fail if an organisation does not provide its employees with the right platform for communication.
Zoom is helping its customers shift to hybrid working by providing several tools and solutions to smoothen the transition.
For example, Zoom’s Workspace Reservation allows teams to reserve flexible workspaces ahead of time or when they arrive at the office.
The company even allows organisations to make workspaces something as simple as an open desk or a workspace that is personalised with a Zoom device.
Zoom Meetings is more than just a place where colleagues and customers can meet remotely; it empowers hybrid and remote workers by allowing them to meet face-to-face from any device.
Zoom Meetings are quick and easy to start, schedule, and join from any location, making it one of the most powerful collaboration tools that Zoom offers.
Users can also find peace of mind because Zoom Meetings have robust security settings to help ensure that meetings can be encrypted when sharing sensitive information with hybrid or remote colleagues.
Chatting with colleagues is integral to any organisation that adopts hybrid working and at Zoom, it is no different.
The company’s Team Chat offering allows users to communicate effectively, with Zoom using the experience of its own employees to tailor the feature for hybrid working environments.
