Trying to figure out where you fall on the remote vs. in-office debate? You’re not alone. While the success of remote work during the pandemic has given professionals the flexibility to work how and where they want, there’s a general reluctance to get rid of the office in the interest of company culture. Many organizations are trying to figure out how to maintain the benefits of both with a nifty little arrangement called “hybrid work.”
But how can you ensure your hybrid teams are successful in the long-run? It’s all about empowering employees with the right tools for the job: Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solutions are the surprising secret to a successful hybrid workforce.
Work from Anywhere
Ensuring that employees are able to work remotely is the first step in enabling a hybrid workforce. With UCaaS, workers can log in from anywhere on their preferred desktop or mobile device and get to work. Unlike traditional premise-based communication tools, UCaaS solutions are essentially location-neutral. You don’t have to be in the office to make calls from your work number or communicate with your peers. UCaaS provides a consistent working experience, whether you’re in the office, on the couch or on-the-go.
On the more technical side, UCaaS solutions are hosted on cloud-based infrastructure that can deliver more uptime than organizations can achieve with a legacy solution. Most of these solutions will be hosted in top-tier, geographically redundant data centers, making them virtually infallible and universally accessible.
Enhance Employee Engagement
Many organizations are already using cloud-based video conferencing platforms to extend meetings beyond the conference room. For remote workers, video meetings are the closest you can get to in-person interactions. In a hybrid organization, this type of dynamic, real-time participation is a must.
UCaaS provides more than just video conferencing capabilities, though. You can also call, chat and collaborate from a single application. Share files, make announcements in group channels and host impromptu meetings in team spaces. Now that remote work isn’t mandatory, business leaders have to worry about more than just productivity; it’s about engagement, participation and collaboration. And they can all be achieved with a UCaaS platform.
Simplify IT Management
Keeping outdated communication systems up-to-date can become quite the hassle — especially if you’re trying to keep up with hybrid work needs. It takes time to plan and execute upgrades. New hardware can be expensive (and there’s often no way to work around it). Managing licenses for disparate parts can be complicated and frustrating. IT pros know what we’re talking about. But with UCaaS, all end-users will get instant access to new features as they become available (and it’s part of the service, not an additional add-on or upgrade).
System updates aren’t the only changes to worry about. What happens when your organization starts growing? Or a worldwide pandemic shuts down business as we know it and forces everyone to work from home? Whether your organization is experiencing economic growth or a massive cultural shift, a UCaaS solution can help you quickly respond to and accommodate those changes. While an on-premise system might require time consuming (and costly) investments, a company can expand its number of UCaaS licenses with ease.
Make the Move
Do your IT staff a favor and migrate to the cloud. Not only does it simplify their job, but it will make everyone else more productive, engaged and empowered. At TelNet Worldwide, we have a variety of options to enable your hybrid workforce. Whether you’re a fan of the Microsoft suite or love the security of Webex, we can build your fully unified communication experience around your favorite collaboration platform.
