On its own, hybrid work stands as one of the most exciting trends in the Unified Communications industry. Since the pandemic of 2020 forced us to rethink the way teams work, we’ve discovered there are a multitude of different personas in the office, all with additional needs.
As the transition to the hybrid workplace continues in 2022, bringing with it new discoveries and transformations, teams need to be ready to evolve. The companies with their eye on the latest trends and innovations will be the ones that stay ahead of the competition.
Here are some of the hottest trends we feel will make an impact on the hybrid workplace, and your choice of Unified Communications tools for 2022.
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Staff wellbeing
During the pandemic, countless employees suffered significant issues with their mental health, driven by the climate, changes in the workforce, and other concerns. When the pandemic’s hold on the workforce began to diminish, team members found themselves searching for a greater level of empathy from their employers. Indeed, staff who felt under-supported by business leaders even considered quitting and finding a new job.
The right UC investments could play an important part in ensuring employee wellbeing in the future of hybrid work. The use of tools like Microsoft Teams, with its Vita innovations, could be crucial in helping teams to achieve better work/life balance. These tools could also play an important part in maintaining emotional connections between staff.
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Personalisation of UC tools
As mentioned above, the changing workplace has drawn attention to the multitude of “employee personas” many companies are seeing in the modern landscape. Different team members may require different experiences from their UC technology, though all employees will require access to the same information, and innovation.
The ability to personalise UC environments to suit the needs of each team, and employee segment, could be crucial going forward. Companies need to ensure they’re choosing Unified Communications technology from vendors capable of offering highly flexible tech. This might even include allowing team members to adjust their UI on each device or add specific integrations.
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Team Collaboration as a Work Hub
In the hybrid world of work, employees will be consistently distributing their time between moments spent at the office, and remote operations. In this environment, the work hub can no longer be a physical space. Ever-moving, work-anywhere employees will need access to a highly immersive virtual workspace instead. Team collaboration tools are emerging as the ultimate solution for this new working environment.
Within Team Collaboration tools offered by Microsoft, RingCentral, Cisco, and many other vendors, employees can share information asynchronously with staff, and maintain a constant stream of information. Alongside access to file and screen sharing tools, these services also come with a range of options for communication, like video and audio-conferencing solutions.
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Creating COVID-Safe Environments
Although employees in the hybrid workplace will have the opportunity to work outside of the office, they won’t always take advantage of this option. According to Microsoft’s recent report on working trends, while 70% of workers want flexible remote working options to continue, 65% want more time with teams. This means employers need to think about how they can create a safe, and engaging office environment for their in-office employees.
