It’s hard to believe the epic shift in our working landscape and behaviours over the last 12-months. Our make-shift kitchen table offices have become the norm, and we no longer get embarrassed when our kids gatecrash yet another video call. 

Normalisation can sometimes lead to complacency. Managers may struggle to maintain consistent remote productivity during the summer months. More distractions – such as sunshine and Euro 2021’s all-day football tournaments – come into play. 

A 2020 study from Harvard Business Review found a high level of distrust between managers and teams with productivity and working motivations while working from home. 

41% agreeing with the statement ‘I am sceptical as to whether remote workers can stay motivated in the long term’ and a further 17% being unsure. – Harvard Business Review. 
So how can managers help their teams stay motivated and productive through a summer of remote working and the future of hybrid working.

Stay Connected Remotely with Call Conferencing

This is far from a new concept. Time and time again, we hear the importance of keeping connected while working in a remote environment. Not only is it good for the wellbeing of your teams, but it can have a knock-on effect on your business success and revenue. 

Highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability. – Gallup.

Blueface Call Conferencing means you are only an extension number away from your team. So no matter where your team is based, you have a reliable phone system hub. All things considered, visual interaction can have an enormously positive effect on your team’s engagement and productivity.

87% of remote employees say they feel more connected and involved with teams and projects when using video conferencing. – Gigaom. 

Unsurprisingly, studies have shown that those who use video conferences as a means of communication are generally happier. So why not use VC to your advantage and host social settings, virtual coffee breaks or even to have a laugh and a chat with your colleagues.  

Use Call Recording and Video for Remote Training 

There is nothing less motivating than doing the same thing day in day out. While working remotely, it can seem challenging to gain the same level of learning as you would if you were in the office.

38% of remote workers say they are anxious that they will not have the right support to progress their career. – Matrix Recruitment. 

Upskilling your team from a virtual environment can be just as effective as face to face when you have the right tools to help. Screen Sharing can offer your team a visual training device. This feature delivers the ability to walk them through the topic, as you would if you were in the office. 

Likewise, Call Recording can deliver a wealth of knowledge. Get your team to listen back on past calls and highlight things that went right and indeed wrong. This can be very useful for sharpening customer service and sales skills. 

Support Remote Flexible Working 

Working from home is all about flexibility, and now more than ever, flexibility is needed. Working parents are trying to juggle daily life and working remotely all under the one roof. In comparison, professional couples are trying to share a one-bedroom apartment where they take turns using the kitchen table as their desk. 

With everything considered, offering a level of understanding is key to your teams’ motivations and productivity. Simple features, such as the Blueface Softphone can make working remotely that bit easier. Working parents can take business calls on their mobile phone using the softphone app, allowing them to move around the house and keep an eye on their kids. 

Additionally, Time of Day Routing can allow for some much-needed switch off or downtime for your teams. Set calls to another team member, so your colleague can enjoy their lunch break or limit their business calls in out of office hours. 

Hybrid Working: Next Normal

Working from home has gained tremendous momentum and unquestionable popularity over the past few years. Moreover, as a result of in-office business limitations, more and more people have got to experience just what it’s like. 

As a result, 90% of remote workers are happy to recommend it to a friend (Statista). So it looks like it’s here to stay in various forms, long after we return to normal. 

Businesses who nail the next normal of hybrid working will gain a competitive advantage for their business and talent attraction. Using Blueface, A Comcast Business Company’s suite of remote working collaboration and oversight tools listed above, you can roll out new remote strategies with confidence.

If you want to learn more about Blueface’s remote working VoIP phone system, reach out to our team of experts today.