Working After COVID: Hybrid or Complete Work From Home?

While experts believe that COVID may never go totally away, the pandemic is at a manageable level across most of the Western world. For that reason, state governments are dropping mask mandates, and companies are officially allowing employees and team members to come back to the office.

However, the pandemic drastically shifted what that means for many employers, especially those who learned over the past two years that their company can function just fine with a team that's not in an office. Furthermore, many organizations have realized how much money they save by cutting down on office and capital expenses.

Working after COVID will likely look different for the majority of businesses, especially in America. In fact, experts from the Pew Research Center say that 64% of Americans who used to work in-office are now regularly working from home. They will likely have the option to remain that way indefinitely.

Curious about how working after COVID is going to look and feel for you? Read on to learn about what workplaces may be like in a post-COVID world.

Working After COVID: The Hybrid Workplace

One popular option for organizational change after COVID is switching to a hybrid workplace. A hybrid workplace is one in which some employees work in-office, and some work remotely. With a hybrid workplace, a central office (or offices) does exist. However, to reduce capital costs and expand the reach of the work team, or to build the most skilled team possible, not all employees work in that office. They many may even be located in other cities or countries.

A hybrid workplace makes sense for working after COVID because it doesn't fully get rid of the traditional workplace structure, which many people valued before the pandemic hit. Also, people who had been lonely in COVID may want to go back in to work after so much time spent isolated from peers.

Alternatively, however, studies show that many people actually moved away from their workplaces during the time of the pandemic. They may not be able to physically go into work, but companies want to keep the same teams. Additionally, many people want to keep working remotely since it boosts morale and productivity, and most employers and organizations are willing (and even excited) to make a change that boosts employee performance.

Companies that go hybrid clearly need tools that afford both in-office and at-home team members access to the same content, even if that content contains large-sized files, like videos. Viostream makes it easier for hybrid companies to handle their video needs. Organizations can store all of their video content in a consolidated cloud-based location. People who work at home only need an internet connection to access this video library, and they don't need to physically be near any drives, servers, or computers where video content might be stored.

If you run a company that's gone hybrid for working after COVID, start your free 14-day trial with Viostream today. You'll see not only how the video library can benefit your team, but now there are more elements that will enable your remote work, like live streaming and extensive video security features to keep your content safe.

Working After COVID: The Complete Remote Workforce

In contrast to a hybrid workplace, some businesses decided that after the pandemic, they could operate permanently remote. These businesses no longer have offices or headquarters, and team members rely on digital tools to meet up in virtual space. Companies that went totally remote as their choice for working after COVID likely saved a lot of money on office rent, maintenance, supplies, and more. If companies have cloud-based tools and the right technology for a remote workforce, there is no downside to getting rid of the office and allowing your team to completely work from home.

However, companies may be at a disadvantage if employees never have a chance to meet in person. Team bonding may be less likely to happen than at companies where team members have the option to meet at least once in a while. There are solutions that can help, like remote onboarding via video, where employees get a sense of their teammates' personalities, or a video-based learning management system, where learning feels like it's happening with a real person instead of via a written text.

Working After COVID: How Viostream can Help Your Transition

There's no question that no matter your industry or the setup of your company before the pandemic, working after COVID is going to look a little different. There's a good chance you're going to go back to a hybrid workplace, or you may be working totally from home. These changes to the workplace aren't just lingering effects of COVID—experts believe that they are here to stay.

If some component of remote work is part of your company's working after COVID plan, you should consider Viostream as a video hosting solution. Viostream is one of the world's leading video platforms for enterprises. Businesses across the globe take advantage of Viostream's video features that are tailored for companies that have employees who work from afar. These features include an easy-to-access and branded video library, the capacity for live video broadcasting,  and easy integrations with business intelligence tools and learning management systems.

If you run a business that's becoming hybrid or remote, start your free trial with Viostream to see how it can help your company harness the power of video for marketing, training, and sales efforts in the post-COVID workplace.