Growth / Team Development

How video conferencing can support a remote workforce

Laura Dolan

Updated: Dec 08, 2023 · 5 min read

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video conferencing small business

Video conferencing small business edition. No longer do you have to worry about bringing everyone to the office at the same time for a meeting if not everyone is local. Who knows? Your small business’ headquarters could be in Phoenix, but you just opened another location in Davenport, Iowa, for example, and would need to resort to a video conference program to check in with your staff.

Video conferencing has made communication so much easier for so many industries. With programs such as Skype, Zoom, GoToMeeting and Slack, you can chat with coworkers not just in another state, but in another country. Video conferencing has also helped companies save money on travel costs, streamline the hiring process and even make it possible for doctors to examine patients at a distance for those who can’t find a local doctor’s office or are too sick to drive and be seen. Check out five of the more beneficial ways cloud-based video technology can help small businesses function:

You still feel connected

If your company is mostly comprised of a remote workforce where you and your team are doing due diligence from afar, video conferencing makes it not only easy to connect if you suddenly need to hop on a call, but sometimes working from home, a coffee shop or even a library can feel somewhat isolating.

Engaging with your team over video chat, (some of the platforms even make it possible to have multiple people call in at once, not just one-on-one), can help employees feel they’re still part of a team, and checking in with each other once in a while encourages bonding and helps give remote workers a sense of belonging, which is imperative for building an effective workforce.

Everyone needs that connection once in a while for feedback, for questions, for company huddles, etc. Having that technology readily available not only keeps the team motivated and connected, but also brings a social aspect to those who work remotely full time, helping them feel replenished by a little human interaction. As the business owner, helping your team feel connected is important; you never want anyone to feel lost or any amount of ambiguity in their role without giving them a way to reach out other than the phone or email.

You feel like you’re sitting in the same room

Since the inception of video conferencing, the quality of the video itself has improved due to HD technology. HD clarity for onsite and offsite workers has provided better interaction among those who can see, chat and share each other’s screens to provide important information and research that creates a more normal, in-person conversation.

Video conferencing has also made it easier for remote workers to attend important gatherings regardless of time zones or device, as many platforms are now available in an app form, making it possible for people to Skype or Zoom from their phones on a plane or in a restaurant.

You can work from anywhere

Have you ever been offered the opportunity to get a work visa and relocate to a foreign country for your job? As elegant as that may sound, it’s a very expensive, inconvenient endeavor, especially if you have a family.

It would cost the company hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to provide travel means and housing until you get situated. Instead, video conferencing has made remote situations more streamlined and turned the once less than traditional work arrangement into a more customary and accepted solution. By becoming remote, video conferencing helps you stay connected to your team without compromising your own schedule or location.

Better work attendance and employee retention

Having video capabilities helps to improve attendance at meetings and events for someone who has been hindered by their location or schedule. Perhaps they couldn’t afford a last-minute flight to travel for a last-minute work event–video conferencing still makes it possible for them to attend and gather information. Employees can also retrieve the live presentation afterward thanks to recording capabilities and gathering slides from screen sharing.

It also improves attendance in the way of sickness. Someone who may still feel able to work, but think they’re contagious and don’t want to come to the office and risk spreading germs can still check in to work throughout the day and attend certain meetings remotely without putting anyone at risk.

As we deal with the novel coronavirus pandemic, video conferencing can come in very handy for those who feel the need to socially distance themselves from coworkers by staying home or staying six feet away from colleagues. This may also involve employees just video conferencing from their respective desks instead of sharing a close-quarters conference room. They can still call in to meetings and feel productive without letting their work suffer while being safe and responsible citizens.

Note: If you own a business, small or large, and an employee calls in to say they’re going to work remotely due to illness, always give them the option to rest and make it clear you care about their health. If they’re up for attending a meeting via video call, fine, but also encourage them to watch the recording or gather the information at a later time.

Video conferencing also contributes to employee retention, as cloud-based communication has lessened the need for travel requirements, making certain job positions more enticing sans having to be away from family. It also fosters better work/life balance, eases the cost of commuting and reduces carbon emissions for those who are enabled to work from home full time.

More productivity and collaboration

Video conferencing provides remote workers with the perfect collaboration tool. It shaves time off of having to write an email, making communication more efficient–sometimes it’s easier just to say something than to type it.

These programs also make it possible to share and send files through their cloud-based structure and then review those files together on the video call by sharing screens.

Video calls also eliminate delays in production, keeping everyone more focused–as soon as you click on the invite button, the meeting is underway, helping the team make decisions faster and addressing any issues or concerns on the spot instead of having to endure a slew of emails going back and forth. Being on a video call helps you and your team discuss critical project requirements, deadlines, campaign points, marketing strategies and more, helping you arrive at solutions to problems faster than ever.

If you’re looking for an interactive way to manage and track leads and clients, automation software like Keap can show your sales process in a single view.

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