We’ve all been hearing about the grand return to the office for a while now, and for some, this notion has already become a reality. However, now a more significant movement back into the office is happening all around the world, posing a few main challenges for companies.
As employees are finding the balance on hybrid, often spending at least as much time at the office as they do at home, companies need to provide them with a sense of consistency. People have become used to being productive at home; but how can that productivity be maintained as employees split their time between two different work environments?
I sat down with Rick Corteville, CMO at DTEN, to get three of his most useful tips for companies planning their return-to-work programs. Shall we get started, then?
1. Promoting collaboration moments rather than just meetings.
While video conferencing has definitely earned its place within the work environment, there’s also a lot of collaboration happening when the camera is off.
“Many companies are building out huddle spaces for two to four employees, where they can use a whiteboard to collaborate and brainstorm ideas,” Corteville notes.
“It could be that traditional session where meeting invites are sent out and everyone comes in. But it could also be just someone coming up with an interesting idea, getting up from their desk and pulling their colleague over to discuss it.”
According to Corteville, companies promoting this type of collaboration will enable creativity and teamwork from their employees.
“A company fostering those types of sessions is creating a great playing field for ideas to germinate.”
2. Creating an easy and consistent experience at home and at the office.
Going back to the office after two years of working mostly from home is a lot like the first day of school: you’re super excited, but there’s also that tingling of anxiety within. As employees go into the unknown, ensuring a sense of consistency is key.
“Many companies are now moving to hot-desking setups, making it particularly critical for them to provide workers with an intuitive experience, ” Corteville notes.
“If the technology or equipment is completely foreign to employees, it’s simply going to create frustration and slow them down”
Zoom and DTEN have been keeping that in mind when it comes to their solutions. As all of the displays in DTEN’s devices are touch-enabled, companies can use them for more than just video conferencing in the new climate.
“Potential uses are applications like virtual receptionists, or kiosks where people can touch their finger to the screen to reserve a desk or an office using Zoom’s Workplace Reservations,” Coterville explains.
“As everyone is now used to video collaboration platforms and touch displays, this is a way to maintain a consistent user experience for employees, minimizing anxiety levels and attracting them to the office.”
3. Providing an equal conferencing experience for in-person and remote workers.
Traditionally, video conferences would include one or two remote team members. The common scenario was having one camera covering the entire conference room, with remote participants barely being heard over the in-room conversation. Naturally, things have changed quite a bit since then.
“Since everyone’s more used to video collaboration platforms, we’re now looking at the screen as we’re talking, and we’re used to seeing participants presented in their individual cubes on the screen,” Corteville explains.
With workers now splitting their time between the home and the office, that notion of ‘meeting equity’ becomes even more important. People who won’t be able to see themselves on the screen are more likely to participate less.
“DTEN’s camera technology working in conjunction with Zoom’s Smart Gallery feature, takes everyone around the table and splits them into individual frames, so that both in-person and remote workers are equally represented,” Corteville shares.
“Creating that consistent look and feel for all participants provides everyone with the sense of having an equal seat at the table and helps drive productivity”
As we’re all preparing to see our colleagues in person on a regular basis again, DTEN is committed to simplifying the transition and maintaining collaboration equity.
“It’s a major goal for us to help companies realize their hybrid work plans using our solutions,” Corteville concludes.
“We’re actively working on expanding our portfolio even further to support those efforts as part of our 2022 roadmap.”
