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Published on:
27 October 2022
Author:
TechPath
Are Your Business Communications Doing Enough to Drive Success?
While a global pandemic certainly accelerated work from home and hybrid working arrangements, change was already afoot – the way modern workplaces communicate now is more crucial than ever.
There has been a real shift in mindset over the last couple of years. The initial sense that everything would soon be back to normal gave way to a realisation that, perhaps, that would be far from the best outcome. We’ve seen people moving to the coast, to the country, or even to another country, while still working for the same employer. Flexible work arrangements are here to stay, and so is the fast-paced business environment. Businesses must ensure that their comms are up to the task, or risk struggling to recruit and retain the best staff and getting overtaken by competitors. With that in mind, we’ve put together some tips and tricks for the best workplace comms experience.
Webcams and Headsets
Everyone needs a webcam and headset these days to participate in online meetings, and both home and traditional workplaces needs must be considered. We’re still seeing plenty of people using AirPods or similar, and while these are great for the gym, they’re not really designed for everyday business use. Business grade headsets typically offer better echo and noise cancelling capabilities, as well as microphones that eliminate background noise. If you don’t want your meetings to be sabotaged by your neighbour choosing to mow the lawn, or your dog barking at the mailman, this is a must.
The webcam technology is getting decidedly better on new laptops, although some users will be better served by an external device. Much depends on their individual needs and their home office setup – in order to be productive, and to avoid seeing the side of their head all through a Teams meeting, it pays to consider each person’s unique situation. There are some great options around.
Meeting Rooms
It is becoming more common that at least one person will be joining any group remotely, so having the right setup is a necessary part of productive meetings. A good quality camera, sized for the room and positioned well, can transform the experience for remote workers, and help them participate more fully than if they find themselves looking at the top of their colleagues’ heads. A good-sized TV or a projector can help enormously – some organisations are even finding dual TVs worth the investment when they have multiple remote groups.
The speaker microphone is also important, and this is somewhere that quality shows. For larger rooms and groups, multiple mics mean that remote participants can hear everyone – when key information is missed, it can be costly and demotivating. Lighting, too, is worth some thought – some technology can now adjust well, but a well-lit room free of glare is still the best scenario.
Where possible, a dedicated computer is worth it in meeting rooms. A lot of meeting time is lost when a different person has to plug in cables and set up the system each time, and when everything is already set up perfectly, it gives a more professional impression.
Teams
Spending some time setting up Teams to best suit the organisation will inevitably pay off. We like to record important meetings and training sessions so that absentees and new hires can catch up without a presenter having to repeat the session. This is especially handy when we pay for an external facilitator who may not be available, or budgeted, for a repeat performance.
We also use Teams to reduce email volumes, whether it is to ask a quick question or to share files specific to a project. This can be a very useful way to collaborate, with all needed information available in a single place. When a new person joins a project, they can quickly get up to speed without someone finding and sending everything to their inbox.
One Teams capability that is underused is giving visibility of your availability. We’re seeing colleagues use the flexible hybrid work conditions to start early, work late, or time activities around family responsibilities – far from the 9-5. Users can set away messages in Teams that say when they will return, with a choice of statuses – and they can schedule this in advance, with away messages automatically ending when they return from their holiday or the management meeting.
Phones
Despite the many new communication options available, sometimes a voice call is undoubtedly still the preferred choice. There are still a lot of old clunky systems, but good, modern cloud-based systems end up saving time and money. They can make users available anywhere, with access to calls from their laptops and other connected devices via an app. Look for features like call recording, automated call routing, easy reporting and analysis of call volumes, and easy admin. We firmly believe that a good phone system should be easily managed without any specialist skills, so that any nominated person can set up messages, route calls to other offices, or any of the tasks that used to involve waiting for an engineer. When we set up a phone system, we train clients to do whatever they need in minutes, and while we’re always there if support is needed, that seldom happens because any approved non-technical administrator can easily login and use the app from anywhere.
Training
No matter how many great communications technology decisions you make, it is meaningless if staff don’t feel confident using it. Spending some time on creating onboarding guides and documentation, and regular training on new features all pays off. Microsoft has some excellent short training content available on Teams basics. Your TechPath account manager can also be a great source of information or get a consultant in to raise your game on more advanced use – and of course, don’t forget to put the recording on Teams for everyone to refer back to.