As the COVID-19 global health crisis brought normal work operations to a screeching halt, organizations have been compelled to find ways to be productive virtually. And while many teams have shifted to remote work models overnight, in truth, pandemic circumstances have only accelerated workplace trends already in motion. These include:
- Digitalization and automation of processes
- Flexible and work-from-home work scenarios
- Blended workforces composed of full-time and contingent workers
With these trends taking root, recovery from the health crisis is not likely to be accompanied by a return to the same old workplace habits. Rather, many crisis-time arrangements will prove to be beneficial and will be here to stay.
As organizations adapt, video communication is set to become a vital tool needed to assist in the transition to new work models and bring greater efficiency to operations.
In the rest of this article, we discuss evolving workplace trends, why they won’t disappear with COVID-19, and why video needs to be a staple in business communication.
What’s Changed with COVID-19?
With more empowered customers, digital disruption, and a wave of new agile competition across numerous industries, companies have already been experimenting with ways to cut costs and maximize efficiency. This has included:
- Investment in technology and automation
- Greater support for employee skill development
- Flexible and remote work models
- Contingent and freelance workers to support a more lean full-time workforce
So what’s changed with the onset of the global health crisis?
Globally, an estimated 2.7 billion people have been affected by lockdowns, largely without advanced notice. By government orders, upwards of 62% of Americans have been required to work from home—many working remotely for the first time. With the crushing pressure to work under new conditions and deliver more with less, these workplace trends are no longer “experiments” but are a means of survival during tough times.
Why Pandemic Arrangements Might Be Here to Stay
Public health and economic conditions have forced organizations to be leaner, more agile, and extract greater yield from the same or fewer resources. While pandemic circumstances and the economic downturn are (hopefully) temporary, being more efficient is what profit-turning organizations have always strived for.
Even as circumstances return to normal and staff are permitted to return to work, organizations will realize that traditional fixed-location work models come with a number of unnecessary costs, including:
- The cost of real estate for office space
- The cost of on-site IT infrastructure and data centers
- The cost of frequent business travel
- The need to subsidize employee transportation, accommodation, or relocation
Meanwhile, as companies shift to remote work models during the public health crisis, they will realize the benefits of expanding talent pools beyond a commutable distance to office locations. With distributed teams, hiring managers can recruit both contingent and full-time workers anywhere in the world—exponentially increasing the chances of finding that perfect hire.
What’s more, a growing mountain of evidence suggests that employees both prefer flexible work models and are more productive under such conditions. According to a recent Gallup Poll, 3 in 5 US workers would prefer to continue working from home as much as possible. Additionally, data published by Inc. Magazine revealed that people working remotely reported being happy in their jobs 22 percent more often than those working on-site, and were 13 percent more likely to remain at their current job for the next 5 years. Reasons for increased job satisfaction included:
- Better work-life balance
- Increased productivity
- Less stress
- No commute
In addition, as employees seek to work on their own terms and employers pursue leaner, more agile operations, one-third of Americans are already participating in the gig economy and working on a freelance or contract basis.
Video Communication to Support the New Normal
If flexible work models and blended workforces are a win-win for skilled workers and employers, the final hurdle is to make it work in practice.
There is no doubt that these new work models present challenges—but they are by no means insurmountable.
High-quality video conferencing provides a means to bridge physical distance while retaining the personal aspect of communication.
VidyoConnect empowers teams to connect and collaborate securely across vast geographies. With an intuitive and unified user experience across devices and operating systems, organizations can benefit from:
- Quick face-to-face meetings
- Highly secure group and team meetings
- Easy recording and documentation
- Video repositories for employee training
- Time and money savings
The feat of recovering from pandemic circumstances presents both challenges and opportunities. If leaders can leverage digital solutions to maximize productivity as well as the health and happiness of workers, they can position themselves to rebound as industry leaders in the new normal.
To learn how Vidyo Solutions can bring greater efficiency and resilience to your organization, contact us today.