Flexibility in the workplace was a hot topic even before the COVID-19 pandemic moved millions of people to remote work in March 2020. Nearly two years later, many of us are still working from home, and more and more businesses are adopting hybrid or completely remote workplace structures.
Although some businesses are planning to return to the office full time, there is no denying that the standard 40-hour, in-office work week has been changed forever. Flexibility in the workplace is now the new normal. Office environments already look different, with spaced-out or closed-off work stations, repurposed common areas, fewer in-person meetings, and so on.
Many employees are hesitant to return to an office and expect to be supported with more flexibility in the workplace. So what can a business do to meet these evolving needs, maintain employee productivity, and continue to reach its goals?
When navigating the new normal and incorporating more flexibility in the workplace, businesses should consider a holistic communications strategy. Seamless communication and collaboration — regardless of where employees are situated — is critical to the current and future success of businesses of all sizes.
Making practical changes to the office — such as using every other cubicle to maintain social distancing requirements — or allowing employees to be part-time remote are only a small portion of the long list of things to consider. To bring their employees back to the office, businesses must provide the tools needed to connect, communicate, and collaborate with coworkers and customers.
Hosted Unified Communications (UC) provide many benefits to businesses with offices or teams that are geographically dispersed. Hosted UC can support flexibility in the workplace in many ways. For example, with Hosted UC, employees can use a mobile device, PC, or desk phone with a single phone number that syncs across devices. That one number makes them accessible on any device. Employees can also switch from one device to another while on a call, without disrupting the flow of communication. In addition, chat functionality is available across devices, ensuring employee flexibility and business continuity from anywhere.
It is also important to be able to collaborate with customers, coworkers, and other stakeholders. That’s where Hosted UC collaboration tools come in. Whether meeting coworkers on the fly or scheduling a meeting with a potential customer, Hosted UC provides high quality audio and video conferencing capabilities, regardless of where participants are located.
Cloud-based technologies are essential to navigate the new normal. These tools help businesses prepare for whatever the future may bring. DOCOMO PACIFIC UC is convenient, cost-effective, and vital for business continuity in an ever-changing world.
For more resources to support flexibility in the workplace, check out our “Hosted Unified Communications White Paper.”