Enjoying the not-so-obvious benefits of video conferencing and collaboration

Everyone knows that video conferencing allows you to have face-to-face communication from the location of your choice (with WiFi, of course). Using video conferencing with collaboration tools is currently the pinnacle of telecommunications, especially for professional use cases — at least until Star Wars-style holographic communication becomes mainstream.

We know that video conferencing will continue to be used very frequently, long after the limitations and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic are gone because of the new hybrid workforce.

The obvious benefits of allowing people to work remotely can’t be denied — less time wasted commuting; less stress to be in different locations for meetings; and fewer in-person interruptions from co-workers — are just a few.

Saving on less “internal travel”
One of the biggest benefits of video conferencing that’s not often highlighted is the cost savings organizations can realize from having fewer travel expenses. Though most for-profit organizations expect business travel for meetings with customers to eventually return to pre-pandemic levels, they also forecast less “internal travel.” It’s very likely we’ll see a lot fewer employees traveling around to meet with co-workers in different offices located across the country or around the world.

Other hybrid workforce benefits

By using video conferencing and collaboration tools to support hybrid employees, who are splitting time in the office and at home, companies can enjoy several other “non-obvious benefits” in addition to smaller internal travel budgets:

A more diverse team
Organizations can hire beyond the usual talent pools that are usually limited to areas in close proximity to key office locations. A broader and deeper pool of candidates to hire from means more potential for a more diverse team.

Why is having a more diverse team important? According to an article in the Harvard Business Review titled Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter, “People from diverse backgrounds might actually alter the behavior of a group’s social majority in ways that lead to improved and more accurate group thinking.”

A more inclusive culture
Before frequent video conferencing that the pandemic forced, high-quality employee engagement was often also limited by proximity to where an employee was assigned to sit.

Now, VC and collaboration technology allows for more inclusion by connecting more deeply employees through visual communication — putting a face with a voice (phone call) or a live person with name (email or chat). Working together with a colleague thousands of miles away can be richer because individuals now have the ability to regularly “see” where someone is at, both literally and figuratively.

Mentally healthier and happier employees
Though there’s not a lot of research yet, it’s clear that most workers don’t want to go back to the way work was before. The hybrid workforce provides most individuals with opportunities to manage their work lives and personal lives more effectively. People working from home 3 or 4 days a week are not forced into as many difficult “either/or” decisions.

Example: a mom or a dad can take a 3pm meeting AND also take my child to soccer practice at 4pm. Good managers want their employees to have a good work/life balance because the happier employees are, the more productive they are.

Supporting the hybrid workforce

Crexendo^® is happy to be of service to the hybrid workforce with our VIP UCaaS solution leading the way. It includes HD-quality video and voice, interactions including text, group chat, persistent messaging and more——plus over 350 software integrations, all backed by our 100% uptime guarantee.

You can access VIP from wherever you are on the device of your choice — choose from our line of the latest state-of-the art desk phones (all include our industry-leading customer lifetime warranty), or use the easy-to-use browser-based portal or smartphone app.

Recently, the Crexendo^® VIP Platform was honored with the 2021 TMC Product of the Year Award. Much of its appeal is having on-demand or ad hoc meeting capabilities, along with reserved “rooms” for regular team meetings with up to 25 attendees as well as webinar events for large group sessions hosting up to 200 attendees and up to six presenters.

Crexendo^® VIP can meet your unique needs and help your organization succeed. To learn more, contact us at 866-242-3744 or schedule a demo.