Month: November 2021

As work culture continues to shift from being tethered exclusively to a physical office, what will work from home look like? Will we continue to move more towards remote working, or will companies and employees shift back to the office? Just as importantly, how can we improve the work from home culture to make the future of work more efficient for everyone?

Hybrid is the way forward for working from home?

The number of people working from home is expected to remain high, especially in the tech and media fields. One recent survey of 2,000 UK companies found that post-pandemic, most are planning to allow employees greater flexibility on where and when they do their jobs. This may mean that hybrid workplaces, where employees spend part of their time in the office and part working remotely, are likely the way of the future. This creates flexibility not only for employees but also employers. They can downsize expensive rental spaces to accommodate the lower numbers of staff.

To adapt to hybrid working, employees and managers will need to adjust their work styles to get the most from both office and home. Options include scheduling all in-person meetings for certain days of the week. Or, reserving in-person meetings for brainstorming sessions, team building, and other creative activities that are best done face to face. This could also involve redesigning offices to create more collaborative meeting spaces. As well as, redesigning home offices to focus on work that requires quiet.

Improving engagement

In a physical office, personal relationships can open the door to advancement. Employees who work remotely will need to put extra effort into highlighting their engagement to develop these relationships and have access to new opportunities. Some ways to do this include: participating in virtual events, taking an active part in online meetings. Workers could also demonstrate engagement by organizing virtual activities and working virtually in groups.

Remote work has also changed performance management considerably. As organizations focus increasingly on what work gets done, rather than how it get done. Tools and apps that help manage and keep track of remote performance will be essential.

Some recent examples of remote employee management tools include platforms like Time Doctor and TransparentBusiness. Large organizations may soon find it necessary to create new positions, such as Director of Remote Work, to oversee collaboration and ensure efficiency. Another change in the future of work could be in moving to continuous feedback, rather than annual reviews. Employees and employers will both need to rethink how they set and keep track of goals and performance metrics.

Making meetings count

In a remote or hybrid setting, video conferencing will become a vital tool not only for collaboration but for casual conversation as well. These could include informal but regular “water-cooler” chats, virtual book clubs, or even virtual team socials.

The increased use of video is humanizing working relationships by allowing colleagues into our homes, but it is also placing more emphasis on making each meeting count. When a remote meeting drags on, people are more inclined to tune out and drift off. To prevent this, meetings need to be professional and well-organized and feature live presentations.

Rather than replicating in-person meetings, complete with stuffy meeting rooms and stale donuts, remote meetings should embrace their unique setting. This could include preparing the shared space in advance, including breakout rooms, graphics, green-screen, video, notes, and slides.

This is an area where XSplit Presenter could be a game-changer. It allows you to create exciting presentations to keep your audience engaged. Because XSplit Presenter works with a huge variety of video call platforms, it is the perfect tool for adding personality and interactivity to remote presenting.

For many of us, the future of work is already here. No matter whether you are full-time remote, very occasionally remote, or in a hybrid office, make sure you are prepared to make the most of it.

A recent survey by the Office for National Statistics found that 85% of employees currently working from home wanted to keep a hybrid model of remote and office work in the future. Siemens is even calling its hybrid option ‘The New Normal Working Model’ and many global brands are working towards a ‘remote first’ structure. However, the UK Government has indicated that it expects a complete return to the office. Here, we take a closer look at hybrid office advantages, disadvantages, and what you can do to implement changes that work for you and your team!

Hybrid office advantages

There are many benefits to adopting a hybrid work model, here are some hybrid office advantages:

• It’s inclusive. Barriers such as disabilities, childcare, and transport can be at least partially overcome with this more flexible approach.
• Employers have access to a wider talent pool. Not only does home working help break the barriers we mentioned above, it also means that employers can recruit the best candidates from any location.
• The ONS survey reported that home-working employees enjoyed an improved work-life balance. Four out of five employers stated that “improved staff wellbeing” was the best reason for continuing with home working.
• Productivity can increase thanks to fewer distractions, no wasted commuting time, and employees having more freedom to choose the hours that suit them.
• As we now all know, keeping away from the office prevents the spread of viruses and bugs. In 2020, the absence rate among homeworkers was 0.9%, compared with 2.2% among their office-working counterparts.
• The lower overheads involved are great news for companies trying to keep their running costs down.
• It’s greener – by cutting the amount of daily commuting, companies are helping to reduce carbon emissions. As hybrid office advantages go, this is a big one!
• Your facilities manager will tell you that company expansion is a logistical nightmare, impacting everything from parking spaces to fire safety. Hybrid-working employees share onsite facilities, making this a practical and cost-effective way to grow a company.

Disadvantages of a hybrid set-up

As with any model, there are also disadvantages.

• Communication isn’t as easy. Even a tried-and-trusted platform like Slack isn’t as simple as popping across to someone’s desk.
• The UK Office for National Statistics reported that employees found collaboration more difficult while working remotely.
• Similarly, there’s a fear that relationships could suffer, whether they’re your informal friendships, your mentorships, or your head-hunting.
• It’s not as easy to manage the protocols around working hours, internet security, and the personal use of company equipment.
• There are also potential practical problems. For example, how are software and hardware issues fixed? 
• It could create ‘two classes of employees’ according to Forbes – those who have and have not got the facilities and space to WFH.
• Problems such as work-related stress could be harder to spot and support.

Find the best hybrid work method for you

With so many companies already using hybrid working methods, there are plenty of models to learn from. Here are a few suggestions for hybrid-friendly policies and practices that some consider hybrid office advantages:

• Microsoft offers all employees the option to work remotely for up to 50% of their hours.
• US company Dropbox has a Virtual Tool Kit for its WFH teams.
• Lockheed Martin trained all their managers in running a remote workforce, aiming to have 45% of the staff on hybrid contracts.
• You could try setting aside different tasks for home and office days. For example, write reports on home days and arrange meetings for office days.
• Make use of remote tech, such as XSplit Presenter, which can help you create and annotate a live presentation in the same way that you would in person.
• Keep the workplace culture going on home days by allowing for virtual coffee breaks and chances to chat with colleagues.
• Explore the range of software designed to help teams collaborate from afar – try XSplit Capture for easy sharing of screenshots and videos.

Do you think a hybrid model could be the future for your workplace? Would it suit your team? Find out more about a hybrid office from an employee’s perspective in our recent blog.

If you’re job hunting at the moment, you should be prepared for remote interviews. While there are some advantages to this – no worries about being late due to traffic – there are also risks, including technical problems or accidentally having a cat filter on. Here, we discuss some best practices for having a successful virtual job interview.

Prepare your space for a virtual job interview

While you don’t need to have a dedicated space for the virtual job interview, you do need to make sure that the space you are using shows off your best side and reflects your personality. This means finding, or creating, a spot that is clean and uncluttered. You can then “dress” the space to create a lasting impression. For instance, if you have a hobby that’s relevant to the position you’re interviewing for, you might discreetly place evidence of this in view. You could even go the extra mile and use XSplit VCam to create a background that relates to your work or interests. How about a virtual conference room to demonstrate your professional outlook, or producing your own bespoke image to showcase your creativity?

You also want to make sure the interviewer can see you clearly. Light yourself from the front to avoid displaying as a faceless silhouette. If you have pale or plain walls, you can soften their effect by lighting them with lamps rather than overhead lights. Try to use cool as opposed to warm lighting, as this will give a cleaner, brighter look.

Prepare your technology

There’s nothing more annoying than lagging internet or getting cut off just as you’re making a brilliant point. You can minimize the risk of this by doing a speed test ahead of time and asking other people in the house to stay offline during your interview. If you have trouble with your WiFi, it can be worth plugging your device directly into the local area network via an ethernet cable.

High-quality audio is another key factor in having a successful virtual job interview. If your built-in microphone isn’t great, consider buying a separate one. It’s fine for this to be in the shot during the interview, but it’s a good idea to make sure it doesn’t obscure your face. Opting for a dynamic microphone will also help you filter out background noise.

When conducting a remote interview or using another communication platform for the first time. Try a test run first to make sure you know all the ins and outs of the app beforehand. You can practice using the features by doing some mock calls with a family member or a friend. XSplit Presenter is compatible with platforms including Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Skype. So, you can use it no matter which one your interview is being conducted on! Plus, you can record your test run and watch it back if you know your questions in advance!

Prepare yourself

Finally, you want to make sure that you are well-prepared for your virtual job interview, just as you would in person. You might want to consider using XSplit Presenter to walk your interviewer through your CV or show any examples of your work – these could be helpful prompts for your conversation, and you’ll be able to highlight your relevant experience in real-time.

Because elements of communication, like body language and tone, can be different when speaking remotely, rehearse for your interview to make sure you are using appropriate pacing and gestures. Research has shown that keeping an open posture and not crossing your arms makes it easier for people to connect with you.

When you speak, you should make eye contact with the interviewer, rather than at the picture-in-picture view of yourself or at your reflection on the screen. If you are using Presenter to appear on the screen while delivering a presentation, look at the material that you’re explaining rather than yourself.

Whether we like it or not, remote interviewing is likely here to stay. Be ready for this eventuality, with the right space, setup and preparation, and you will land that job!