The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have long-lasting ramifications on the way people work. In a recent survey, 44 percent of employees favored hybrid work from home arrangements, where workers divide their time between the home and office.
In order for a hybrid work arrangement to be successful, communication must remain at the core of it. Employers need to engage equally with both employees in the workplace and those located remotely. Here are some tips for better communication when implementing hybrid work from home policies.
Stay Connected to Employees
Research suggests 'hybrid' workers experience greater feelings of loneliness than on-site workers, even if they visit the office several times a week. That's why it's critical that employers engage with these workers as much as those in the workplace. One way to stay connected with hybrid work from home employees is to improve communication. That might include investing in instant messaging tools, where hybrid and on-site workers can engage in conversation and collaborate on projects. Sending regular emails with offices updates to at-home workers can also improve communication and keep employees in the loop.
Another way to connect with hybrid work from home employees is through live or pre-recorded video. Something simple like a weekly live Q&A can establish relationships between employers and those who spend a chunk of their working hours at home. Alternatively, pre-recorded videos covering the latest goings-on in the office can ensure hybrid work from home working arrangements are just as productive as conventional ones.
With Viostream, you can upload corporate and training videos to a cloud-based platform and share them with remote workers. You can create portals and channels that curate content and set up controls so the right employees access the right content at the right time. Learn more about Viostream's video sharing features by starting your free 14-day trial now.
Related Reading: How to Create an Internal Communication Plan That Works for Your Business
Invest in the Right Equipment
Hybrid work from home employees require the correct equipment to carry out day-to-day tasks at home and in the office. Investing in items such as a standing desks, comfortable chairs, or ergonomic keyboard can benefit health and productivity. You should also consider a cloud-based video management platform that improves communication with teams. These platforms enable you to upload, store, host, and share your video content in the cloud so employees can access it from any location in the world. Use a video management platform to communicate business concepts, company information, and other insights through video.
Viostream provides a cloud-based video management platform for uploading, storing, and hosting corporate videos. It also provides advanced analytics and integrations for multiple third-party business intelligence (BI) tools, allowing you to track the success of your videos among employees working in the office and at home. Discover Viostream's BI integrations.
Related Reading: Comparing the Top 15 Cloud Video Streaming Platforms
Encourage Two-Way Communication
The hybrid work model can bring unique challenges to both employers and workers. Cultivating open dialogue between teams can improve productivity and performance and make any hybrid work from home arrangements a success.
Prompt employees to provide regular feedback on their new working arrangements so you can give them the support and equipment they require to complete their jobs successfully. One very effective way to foster open communication is to use live video. By engaging with remote workers via a video platform, you can learn their pain points, challenges, and motivations. The best platforms have live chat features that enable at-home workers to communicate with you. Use this feedback to improve hybrid work from home arrangements.
Viostream's live URLs allow employees to watch your live streams from any device at any location. You can also embed streams on your blog, website, or social media channels so more people access your content. Another Viostream that fosters open communication is the platform's ability to integrate with third-party chat tools such as Slido and Pigeonhole Live. By incorporating these tools into your live streams, hybrid work from home employees can send questions, comments and even answer polls. Learn more about Viostream's video management features.
Related Reading: How to Improve Workplace Communication
For the hybrid work from home model to work, you need to communicate with employees wherever they are in the world. Staying connected to employees, investing in the right communication tools, and promoting open communication can encourage workers to be proactive and deliver the same performance as if they were working in the office full-time.
Viostream is an enterprise-level video platform for employees who have adopted the hybrid work from home model. To see all the ways Viostream can support your hybrid workplace, start your free trial now.
.svg){kind=icon}
Continue reading
