With the novel coronavirus COVID-19 spreading as rapidly as it is, taking precautionary measures to avoid exposure to the virus is of utmost importance. The best way to minimize risk for now, is to practice social distancing, stay home and avoid contact with people outside as much as possible. As a result, a lot of companies have either recommended or mandated remote work. This not only prevents employees from interacting at the workplace, but enables them to avoid the daily commute to work as well. Big tech companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are also encouraging employees to work remotely wherever their jobs allow it.
Although it is best to carry out remote work training in advance, this is not common practice for every company. The lack of face-to-face conversation that comes with remote work can become a hindrance to untrained employees, putting a damper on productivity and morale can become especially low in times of crises. Fortunately, there is technology available that can be used to work around this.
Video is a great tool for training and communicating while working remotely.
Being an audiovisual medium, video is engaging and memorable and perhaps the next best thing to an in-person conference.
Video Training
With video training, you don’t have to call people to the office to give a presentation. These videos are not restricted by time and place and can be projected on a wall, played on a laptop or viewed on a personal mobile device by sending a link. Remote employees can access the video anywhere and it can be easily adjusted for different languages and regions. They can refer back to video anytime they need a refresher. So, whether it’s project management on Hubstaff or communication via Zoom, an explainer video can pretty much do what a training class would do to teach your employees or team how to use the tools they need. Videos can guide them through the installation process, to the security checks and onto the usage.
Video Conferencing
Video conferencing is an obvious alternative to face-to-face meetings in the office. Video communication platforms such as Google Hangouts, Skype, Zoom and GoToMeeting are easy to use and effective. You just need a webcam and a microphone, which come embedded in most laptops, you then generate a meeting link and others can click it to join your meeting. The employees who participate can see, hear and react to each other in real-time like they would if they met in person. Most video communication programs also include a screen-sharing function with which presentations can be given just like in a traditional conference room. They can even be recorded for better understanding. So, being unable to communicate in person need not harm your business, because you can share ideas, get feedback, answer questions, and get information you need from anybody with a simple video call.
Google Hangout: Videocall
Video Messaging
Not every message needs to be communicated via video conferences, if an update doesn’t need immediate responses or live discussion, a video message can be a good way to communicate it. A quick video of yourself giving information to the relevant people can be much more efficient than a rambling text or email, while also adding a personal touch. It might help to see a friendly face, especially in these times when your co-workers may be feeling isolated or alone. Not all end-of-day reports or concerns have to be emails, and encouragement or employee appreciation messages are definitely nicer as videos.
All the organizations going remote to protect employees from the Coronavirus, need to find a way to keep productivity from dropping too much, while also safeguarding their employees’ physical and mental health. The right use of video is sure to make the transition into a remote workplace smoother. If you are facing remote-team management for the first time, don’t worry, you got this!