Category: Remote Work

Six Ways to Improve Your Workplace Communications

No matter how well your office manages workplace communication, there are always improvements that can make things run even more smoothly for everyone. There are many ways to improve communication for a more harmonious workplace and, as is ultimately the aim in management, increase productivity and satisfaction. Let’s have a look at some of the things you can do.

Improve workplace communications differently

Some organizations stick to rigid patterns of communication, but this lack of flexibility may not improve workplace communications. Some people prefer remote sessions, while others need the connection of in-person communication. By offering a number of different ways to communicate, you can make sure that all of your colleagues can opt for what best suits them. Of course, too much variety can lead to chaos, so it is best to stick to just three or four methods, choosing just one digital platform and perhaps a weekly team meeting, monthly one-to-ones, etc.

Including time to socialise

Setting aside time to meet colleagues without discussing work can help bring teams closer together and foster better overall communications. This could either be a regularly scheduled event, or something more spontaneous. For remote and hybrid offices, there are a number of apps, such as Mural, that allow you to create virtual water coolers. There are also sites like Gather, which provides free customizable virtual spaces.

Four people sat around a table, one taking notes, the others have coffee and a phone is in front of the person speaking, listening is key to improve workplace communications
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

Foster a culture of honesty to improve workplace communications

This does not mean oversharing, but rather being clear and honest about why work is organized a particular way, or why certain tasks need to be done. Lack of information about why a task is important can lead to frustration and negativity. Of course, it’s not always possible to make tasks more meaningful. Sometimes, you will need to admit that something just needs to be done. But this can also demonstrate commitment to meaningful, transparent communication.

Use the right tools for the job

The right tech can also be a big help in communicating clearly. XSplit Capture allows you to record a video or screenshot of your desktop, add annotation or voiceover, and then share it instantly – allowing you to communicate even complex ideas easily and clearly. XSplit Presenter also makes communication easier by giving you scope to greater interactivity to all of your presentations. Use the green screen and your computer camera or the virtual pointer to annotate your demonstration in real-time.

People sat around a desk looking at a presentation being given on a screen which can be key to improve workplace communications
Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

Provide confidential feedback

Giving and receiving feedback can be a huge help in your work, whether you are a manager or not. It can also help uncover hidden issues that are affecting your work or business. The more information you have, the more you can respond to the needs of employees and colleagues.

You can use a tool like SurveyMonkey to collect employee reactions and comments on a regular basis. XSplit Presenter also makes it easy to incorporate tools like polleverywhere, which allows you to collect instant responses from participants.

Don’t just hear – listen

Listening is probably the most important communication skill. Research suggests that we only remember between 25% and 50% of what we hear. That means many of us are missing vital information.

Improve your listening skills by practicing ‘active listening’. This involves techniques that show the speaker they have your undivided attention. For example, demonstrate that you are listening by keeping your posture and facial expressions open and interested, provide feedback by asking questions and reviewing what has been said, don’t interrupt, and respond honestly and respectfully.

Improving workplace communication does not happen overnight; it takes concerted effort. By using a combination of technology tools and your own initiative, you will be able to create a more open and effective workplace – whether it happens to be remote, in-person, or hybrid.

The Advantages of Synchronous Vs Asynchronous Communication

If you want to show somebody a demo of a product, a bug report, or show them how to do a task, being able to use a video of it happening is generally the best way. This can be done either live, on a video call with a screen-share, or by sending a pre-recorded video message. Both of these methods have advantages, depending on whether you’re more interested in synchronous (same time) vs asynchronous (different time) communication. Below, we have a look at some of them.

Timing Advantages of Synchronous Vs Asynchronous Communication

The biggest difference between the two is that a video call is immediate. You’re in the moment, speaking to the other person live. This means that you can answer any questions they have and adjust the speed you’re presenting at – maybe even skipping quickly over parts of it – based on their understanding. It saves you time because talking about something live can be much quicker than editing a video about it. It also means you can potentially get an answer from them straight away. For more tips on using this handy medium, take a look at our DOs and DON’Ts of video calls.

On the other hand, sending a video to someone allows them to watch it whenever it’s convenient for them. It doesn’t matter if they’re in a different timezone or if you both have busy schedules. You can send the message when you’re ready and they can watch it when they have time.

Synchronous Vs Asynchronous Communication on display here as a person talks to someone on a zoom call which could also be recorded.
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

Media

You can include media in both a video call or a video message using XSplit Presenter. During live presentations, it lets you share your desktop if you need to demonstrate something, as well as include pictures, slides, or videos to add notes and emphasis to the meeting. However, if you choose to record your video for sharing, XSplit Presenter allows you to use visual transitions so that media changes are made without distracting from your commentary. This makes a big difference to how professional the end product looks.

A recording also lets you review presentations before sending them. If your first recording attempt doesn’t go too well, you can delete it and try again. This can make for a shorter, more information-dense message as well, which saves the recipient time. XSplit Presenter’s functionality also gives you the option to get more detailed with notes and overlays on the video – meaning you can include particular information for context without interrupting the flow of your narration.

Repeatability

While a live call is in the moment (unless recorded), a video message can be played repeatedly and sent to multiple people. This makes it ideal for things like sales demonstrations and product support FAQs. Video messages also work well for reports that recipients might pass around or need to watch more than once. If people want to ask questions, they can always get back to you. On the other hand, a video call allows you to tailor your presentation to each person specifically, making it more relevant to their needs and offering the option of a Q&A at the end of it.  

XSplit Capture is perfect for creating video messages as it lets you quickly capture your screen, add in any annotations or a voice over and share the video at the press of a button. Simply select what you want to record (it could be your computer screen or yourself) and hit record. Once finished, XSplit Capture creates a private link for the video which can then be sent to your colleagues. 

Depending on your needs, there are definite uses for both synchronous vs asynchronous communication and plenty of reasons to go either way. To go even further with your videos, check out our blog on creating interesting presentations.

Top Office Chair Upgrades for 2022

The wrong office chair can not only be uncomfortable, but it can also have a lasting impact on your health and well-being. Poor support can lead to back pain, pinched nerves, and lasting medical problems. Since many of us are working from home a lot more now, it makes sense to consider an office chair upgrade. Here, we look at a few of your options.

All prices are correct at time of writing.

Value for money office chair upgrades

The best office chairs can be adjusted to your own requirements, allowing you to move the different parts around to fit your body and environment. These chairs can be expensive, but they don’t have to be.

The IKEA Markus costs around £179. It has a mesh back for breathability and offers a comfortable upright sitting position, with a long back and integrated headrest. You can adjust the height and tilt, and the back can be reclined. However, you can’t adjust the armrest height, so if they are not in an ideal position for you, this could be a drawback.

A more adjustable option is the Branch Ergonomic Chair. This is a smart-looking chair with premium features and a price tag of around £300. You can adjust not only the height of the seat but also the tilt tension, lumbar support, seat pan depth, and armrests. The breathable mesh backrest and high-density foam on the seat pan deliver all-day comfort.

Office chair upgrades could include this red chair which is in front of a desk with a laptop connected to a monitor, a red filing cabinet is next to the desk and a large framed poster is on the wall.
Photo by Laura Davidson on Unsplash

The middle range

High-end furniture maker Herman Miller makes a seriously comfy office chair, the Celle, which features, “interconnecting loops that are engineered to form a ‘flex map’ that conforms to your unique shape.” The chair also includes adjustable seat depth, tilt tension, and recline. For a little extra investment, you can opt for add-ons such as adjustable armrests and lumbar support. Prices start at around £600.

If you are looking for a minimalist design, check out the HÅG Capisco Puls 8010. It resembles a cross between a regular office chair and a stool and is designed to help you stay more active and alert by helping you maintain a more natural sitting posture. Height and seat depth can be adjusted. Prices start at around £360.

Office Chair Upgrade could be one of the two chairs on screen here, next to desks with good lumbar support.
Photo by Laura Davidson on Unsplash

When money is no object

One of the best office chairs on the market is the Humanscale Freedom, which automatically adjusts to the user, saving you the hassle of fiddling with knobs and levers. The armrests, seat, backrest, and headrest can also be adjusted manually. These chairs start at around £800, with higher prices for the leather and brushed aluminum models.

Also produced by Herman Miller is the Aeron, one of the most iconic office chairs ever made. Updated in 2016, this chair not only has great aesthetics, it features an elastomeric suspension seat and backrest with different tension zones, so that, as you shift around in your seat, it moves with you. Armrests, tilt, and tension are all fully adjustable, and the chair comes in different sizes to suit different body types. The downside? Prices start at around £1000.

Choosing an office chair can be much harder than you might think but there is a wide selection available on the market right now to suit all budgets and requirements. Check out this post for more great tips on creating a more productive work set-up at home. 

What’s the Best Kind of Lighting for Conference Calls?

Even cheap cameras can produce surprisingly good images these days, although most models are very dependent on lighting. Low light can lead to noisy or blurry images. Badly positioned lights can leave you in shadow, while very harsh lighting can highlight your face in the wrong ways. Let’s touch on each of these in more detail so can look your best with the best kind of lighting for a webcam.

Do you have the best kind of lighting for a webcam?

Cameras work by catching the light and turning it into electrical signals. If lighting is insufficient, the camera will compensate, at the expense of image quality. Here’s what might happen if there isn’t enough light:

  • Exposures can be made longer, which can lead to blurring
  • The signal can be amplified, which causes noise
  • Pixels can be combined and smoothing algorithms used, which will make the image look blurry and blocky

Your studio or office may already have enough light in it, but if it doesn’t, you can mount additional lights behind the camera. Higher-quality cameras will often work better in lower light conditions. However, for webcam lighting, you’ll want to ensure you’re giving it as much help as you can.

A person sat in front of a ring light with headphones on is one of the best lighting for a webcam.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Are your lights in the right place?

It’s very important for lighting to be situated behind the camera. This is because webcam lighting needs to illuminate your face without shining into the camera itself. This applies to sunny windows, too – the camera will automatically adjust to the brightest part of the image. If there’s a window behind you, it will darken the whole image leaving your face in shadow. Ideally, you want to have the light source no more than 45° from the camera, and definitely higher than your face.

Different angles will give different effects, so try experimenting to see which one you like most. If you’re using software like XSplit’s VCam to replace the background, getting good lighting can instantly improve it’s effetiveness. But it’s still a good idea to make sure that you’re well-lit generally for your conference calls. If you’re in low-light settings or don’t get access to lots of natural sunlight, you could try a daylight bulb. They are designed to imitate the natural light of the sun.

A person, well lit, is sat in front of a laptop on a call with someone, knowing the best lighting for a webcam. A notebook is on the table as well as a water bottle and some files.
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

What shape is your light?

Small lights, such as phone torches, give very harsh shadows. It’s a technique sometimes used in art, but best avoided in a video conference or streams since you don’t want the lighting to distract your audience. There are two main options for adding light:

  • The best lighting for webcams is probably a softbox or key light. These have a larger light-emitting surface, which results in softer shadows and a more natural feel. You can also place them at a slight angle (no more than 45°) from the camera to give your face a bit of depth from the soft shadows. If you’re looking at softbox lighting, you can easily get your hands on an entire kit from Amazon. Check out ESDDI for a durable light with smaller dimensions or Neewer for a high-quality dual light that’s also good for a budget. For key lights, Elgato is a popular choice as it’s ultra-bright, adjustable and fully dimmable. It also keeps the heat low in comparison to softbox lights so you won’t be sweating on camera!
  • Then there are ring lights. These are compact and versatile, so you can use them whether you’re on a conference call from your phone or computer. The Cyezcor Video Conference Lighting Kit is an ideal USB light. It can be attached to your laptop and delivers an adjustable colour temperature.

You can also produce the softbox effect cheaply and easily by shining a bright light onto a wall behind the camera. This effectively uses the entire wall as the lighting surface, though make sure that you use a white wall –⁠ you don’t want to change the color of the light.

This isn’t the first time we’ve touched on lighting –⁠ if you’d like to find out more, check out our recommendations on tips for improving webcam quality. And the next time you’re setting up for a video conference, remember to make sure your lights are in front of you and not behind.

How to Run a Hybrid Office: Top Apps

Even before COVID-19 forced the workforce to move home, office hybridization was on the rise. It gives workers the freedom to manage their lives around their workload. Removes the need to commute, and offers a better work/life balance. However, personal choice and job necessity mean that some workers prefer to be based in an office. Managing these dual requirements can often be a challenge, especially in terms of scheduling and communication. Leaving some businesses scratching their heads over how to run a hybrid office. Thankfully, there are several software solutions to help you, including time management and video conferencing packages.

How to run a hybrid office with Chat tools – Slack and Teams

Two of the top apps for a hybrid office are Slack and Microsoft Teams. For years, Slack has been the go-to tool for managing remote teams, such as a group of freelancers. Offering a clean, easy-to-use app for both mobile and desktop computers. At one point, Microsoft was considering buying the company for $8 billion, before it decided to create its similarly-styled Teams software. At first glance, both offer many of the same features including:

  • File storage
  • Audio and video calls
  • Screen sharing
  • Chat messages

There are some notable differences worth calling out, however. Teams currently offer a higher storage capacity – 10GB vs Slack’s 5GB – and also allows guest access. Users of Slack’s free version will also only be able to see the last 10,000 messages, which you can quickly reach in large organizations. Teams users, on the other hand, can go back through any of their chats without limitations.

Microsoft’s offering has its own limitations, however. Prior to the pandemic, meetings were restricted to 60 minutes. Afterward, this was increased to 30 hours, with no word on if it would eventually revert back. It’s also designed for integration with Microsoft Office 365, so if you work in a different ecosystem, it may not be the best choice.

A person sat on a sofa using a laptop in a room with large paintings behind them on the wall as they learn how to run a hybrid office.
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

The best video conferencing apps – Zoom and GoToMeeting

While Teams and Slack are handy for day-to-day comms between colleagues, sometimes you might want something a little bit more advanced to fulfill your video conferencing requirements. Tools like Zoom and GoToMeeting, for example, offer more features and cater to larger conferences for big business.

Zoom became synonymous with video calls in 2020, although the company was founded almost a decade earlier. Zoom supports up to 100 participants for free, and up to 1,000 with its premium packages. With 49 participants (plus the host) being displayed on the screen at any one time. It also has useful features such as polling, screen share, calendar integration, breakout rooms, and the option to go old-school and dial in on a phone.

Another option is GoToMeeting from LogMeIn. It offers similar features to Zoom, but with arguably better mobile app integration and quality (based on reviews). The other advantage is that its highest price tier can accommodate up to 3,000 participants – three times that of Zoom. LogMeIn also offers a cloud-based phone system with GoToConnect included as part of that package, so larger businesses looking for a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) solution may find that it saves them money in the long run.

Video presenting software – XSplit Suite

When managing a hybrid office, you need to have solutions for running remote presentations and other interactive sessions such as training or pitching. The XSplit Suite has a wide range of top apps for a hybrid office, including:

  • Presenter
  • Capture
  • VCam

Presenter gives you the tools to create stunning and engaging presentations. You can import slides from PowerPoint or Google Slides, videos from YouTube or Vimeo, and then run the presentation through Zoom, Teams, or any video call service. You can even add your own camera with background removal enabled and add guest speakers! Recording the presentation to be shared later is just as easy!

Capture is like a handy snippet tool for both screenshots and videos. You can specify the area of the screen you want to capture, record, or take a still image, and then add annotations or even a voice-over.

Finally, VCam takes the features to blur or replace your background on Teams or Zoom and ramps it up. The intelligent software can add a blur or simply strengthen the depth of field, giving your presentation a more cinematic quality. It also offers a high-quality background replacement, removing the need for a green screen while keeping you in focus. You can even use videos or YouTube videos as your backgrounds, adding lower thirds or company logos with ease for external calls.

Top Apps for time management and organization – RescueTime and Toggl Track

Calendar meetings and reminders are useful for scheduling, but what about the rest of your workday? That’s where you may want to try using an app to help you maximize not just your time, but that of your entire team as well.

RescueTime vows to help you take back control of your time. It does this in a number of smart ways, including tracking websites, blocking distractions when required, and assessing your schedule. It also has a smart coaching feature to keep you on track of what they term ‘Focus Work’.

While RescueTime is more focused on an individual, Toggl Track has a wider scope. It is more focused on your internal teams and external clients. With the aim of reducing time wasted on timecards, billing, and invoicing. It also has tools to look at new projects, with the ability to forecast timelines, budgets and track the overall progress. It can generate easy-to-read reports for clients that show them the progress being made.

With these tools at your disposal, you should find your hybrid office team working in a more streamlined way as they achieve a better work-life balance. If your team members are continuing to WFH, they may find our blog on the importance of keeping a schedule at home useful.

Online Security When Working From Home

With the increase in working from home, there are a number of things we need to think about in order to stay secure online. These new challenges aren’t too difficult, but keeping your data safe is very important! We’ll take you through some of the key things to consider for online security in this blog.

Stay secure online

When data is at risk, it’s very important to ensure that your connection is secure. The best way to do this is to have a VPN set up so that all your connections go through a network. This ensures that any data that goes across the internet is fully encrypted, even if you’re using insecure protocols such as SMTP or HTTP. A VPN will also protect you if you’re using a public wifi connection, such as at a coffee shop – you’ll be protected even if someone else on the network is trying to snoop your data.

If you’re part of a company, the other big advantage of using a VPN is that it allows you to access all of the network services in the office as if you were actually there yourself. This includes servers, printers, projectors, and anything else that’s available on the network. With everyone on a VPN, those services don’t have to be made open to the internet in general, greatly improving the office network security.

A person sat on a bed using a laptop with a large open window behind them looking out on to a tree looking to stay secure online.
Photo by DocuSign on Unsplash

Personal data security

If you’re using a laptop outside the home or office you need to think about keeping your data secure. The first things to consider to stay secure online are:

  • Anti-virus software, which helps protect from viruses that could steal or encrypt your data – ransomware attacks where a criminal demands money to unencrypt your files are sadly getting more frequent.
  • Disk encryption will protect the data on your computer if somebody steals it – without your password, they won’t be able to read any of the data on the computer or even start it up without wiping it. This doesn’t get you your computer back, but at least it means you can be sure the data is safe!

Speaking of losing your computer, making regular backups is important as well. Keeping files on the office servers means you don’t have to worry about hardware loss or failure, and your IT department should already be backing up the servers. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re familiar with what real and scam emails look like. Phishing attacks, where an email tries to convince you to go to a dodgy website, are also common. Remember to check the domain name in any links to help stay secure online.

Giving away information

Sometimes the simplest security slip-ups are the most damaging when you’re trying to stay secure online. Imagine doing a presentation to a supplier or client, but when you share your screen, you accidentally show your desktop where there’s a document about a deal with their competitor. Or perhaps, during a meeting, you’re sharing your screen when an email notification about a sensitive or personal matter comes through and a notification pops up. You can avoid these moments by using XSplit Presenter to share just a single application, rather than sharing your entire screen.

You can also use XSplit VCam to blur the background of your webcam if you’re in a call, which helps if your home office isn’t quite as private as you would like it to be.

Using complicated, random passwords and saving them in a password manager also helps enormously, giving you all the security of never repeating a password whilst still only having to remember one.

Whilst there are plenty of potential pitfalls in online security, there are also a lot of solutions. As long as you’re careful, you shouldn’t have any problems and can be confident that you will stay secure online.

How to Pitch Your Non-Profit

Pitching and fundraising are probably the most important parts of operating a non-profit. They’re also the most challenging aspects. There is a lot of competition for grants and investments, and it’s more important than ever to try and distinguish yourself from others. Here’s how you can use XSplit Presenter to give yourself an advantage when pitching to non-profit investors.

Keep it professional to pitch a non-profit

We’ve all been in presentations where someone’s desktop or messaging notifications have popped up on the screen and interrupted or distracted them. At best, this comes across as a bit unprofessional, at worst this could cause potential investors to lose interest altogether. 

This is a danger specific to presenting by sharing your screen directly on pretty much all video meeting platforms. Fortunately, there’s a way to erase the worry about unwanted messages popping when trying to pitch your non-profit’s cause to interested parties. Because XSplit Presenter functions as a virtual camera pointed at your pitch deck, not your desktop. It shares your presentation, and only your presentation, with your audience. No need to worry about an errant Slack message disrupting your flow or distracting your audience.

Integrate your existing web and social presence

A common story for non-profits is limited bandwidth to generate creative and promotional assets. XSplit Presenter allows you to show off the hard work you’ve put into building your online presence. You can show this directly in your presentation by integrating your existing web pages and social media accounts with your pitch deck.

And this is not just a static screenshot: you can seamlessly add web pages with full functionality to your pitch. Within Presenter they act the same way as a slide in a conventional presentation. This allows you to show off things like apps, client portals, or even just media and promotional material in their native environment. You can also easily add videos from YouTube or files directly.

Multiple people sat around a large meeting room table with their laptops open, looking towards the far end of the table where someone is pitching a non-profit.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Stay in the picture

We’re sure we’ve all also experienced that moment of disconnect that happens when an online presenter in a meeting switches from their webcam to sharing their screen, visually pops out of existence to become just a disembodied voice speaking over their slides. So much of compelling non-profit investors to join your cause while pitching a non-profit is forming connections. In these online meetings, losing the connection to your face unquestionably makes that harder.

XSplit Presenter allows you to add your webcam as an overlay to your presentations. This lets you stay a visible part of your pitch. Not only that, but it has a number of attractive formatting options to help integrate your cam into the overall style of your deck. Want to bring in a co-presenter or specialist on a specific slide? You can do that, too, adding additional NDI sources such as Skype calls as overlays. This allows you to bring in additional voices easily and in an attractive manner.

While this guide may feel directed mainly toward remote presentations, you can actually use all these features in your in-person presentations as well. Looking for more ways to improve your online presentations? Check out XSplit’s video guide to leveling up your presentations with Presenter for more tips and tricks.

Easy Communication Tools to Make Your Life Easier at Work

Collaboration is the new normal in the workplace, with employees encouraged to work together to share ideas, increase productivity and accomplish common goals. However, there is more to collaboration than meetings and messaging. For far-flung teams, especially, it may make sense to use easy communication tools to organize work, share documents, give feedback and collaborate. Here are a few of the best apps available on the market today.

The original easy communication tools

Microsoft Office is the most-used office suite around and is likely already at the center of many workplaces. Using Microsoft 365 gives teams the ability to collaborate directly on the same set of documents. Workers can share and edit documents together, speeding up the workflow. What makes Microsoft 365 more attractive is that it’s cloud-hosted, meaning it can be used not just with Windows, but also Mac, Android, and iOS.

Asana is another veteran in the collaboration arena and has been used since 2008 by companies like Uber and Intel. It’s designed to make tracking and organizing projects easy, using Kanban-like project boards or lists. Asana allows users to create to-do lists, set reminders for upcoming deadlines, send requests and facilitate conversations and comments on work.

Communications and collaboration tool Trello is another app that’s easy to use. Similar to Asana, it lets users set up project boards, set up to-do lists, and delegate work. Trello also has the advantage of integrating a number of apps, such as Evernote, GitHub, Google Drive, and Slack, to make collaborating with your coworkers even easier.

A desk with a laptop connected to a monitor with a well organised set of tools that could be helped by easy communication tools.

Communication tools focused on collaboration

With more and more people working on mobile platforms, it makes sense to use easy communication tools that are optimized for mobile. Collaboration platform Podio is equipped with mobile apps that make it easy to use on the go. In common with many other business collaboration apps, Podio comes equipped with tools for sharing files, checking the status of ongoing projects, and sharing feedback, along with third-party services and apps, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and Zendesk.

Flock offers a communication focus, somewhat similar to Slack. The app offers channels for group communications or one-to-one, as well as audio and video calls and screen sharing. In addition, it offers collaboration tools such as polls, note sharing, and the ability for users to assign tasks. There’s also integration with third-party apps like Google Drive and Twitter, with notifications appearing directly in channels.

You can also use XSplit Capture to record or screenshot your desktop and share it instantly during meetings. It even lets you add voiceover and annotations quickly and efficiently. You can then generate a unique link to share with the necessary people and find these captures again from your account, as they’re stored in the cloud!

Ones to watch

Basecamp has positioned itself as an all-in-one collaboration and communications platform. It offers a wide variety of standard features, like chat, message boards, to-do lists, and scheduling, and automated check-in. However, it also acts as a single place to store all documents, files, and folders, making it a useful all-in-one collaboration platform.

Drag-and-drop functionality and ease of use make Monday a very good workflow management and collaboration platform. It also integrates with Slack, Trello, Google Drive, Dropbox, and other apps, which means it can be used as a central nexus for collaboration on a range of projects.

There is a huge variety of online collaboration tools out there. No matter which one you chose, they’re all designed to make sharing ideas easier and to work faster and more efficiently – whether you are working remotely, hybrid or in-office.

Virtual Onboarding: How To Run a Remote Induction

It’s so important to make new team members feel welcome – but how should you onboard remote employees? With hybrid and remote working now so common, virtual onboarding is an essential tool in management’s kit.

A good induction aims to immerse a new employee in the company and their role as effectively as possible, while also making them feel happy to be part of the team. In the days of the physical workplace, inductions followed a pretty standard pattern: introductions, presentations, tours, a slightly awkward lunch, and shedloads of paperwork. But how can digital onboarding replicate – and even improve upon – the onsite onboarding process?

Preparing for virtual onboarding

Onboarding starts with that initial job confirmation communication and carries on well after the new employee has started in the role. So, the first stage of the virtual induction is really the pre-onboarding period between the offer being accepted and the induction day.

This can be a good time to complete paperwork, carry out any outstanding checks, and get any other necessary admin completed. If you’re providing your remote colleague with hardware and software, getting that organized before they actually start will help them hit the ground running. Finally, make sure the joining instructions and agenda for their first day are clear and sent well in advance.

A remote induction day takes a bit more planning, but it can be a very effective way to focus on the essentials of the company and the job. Don’t assume everyone is virtual meeting-savvy though. Not everyone spent 2020 on Zoom, so check everyone’s understanding and think about a pre-induction training session if necessary.

Five people in an office around a large table while on person is on a screen at the end of the room on a zoom call taking part in virtual onboarding.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Welcome and induction day

This will look slightly different depending on whether you’re onboarding a single new person or a few employees. Either way, start with an informal online meeting so everyone can introduce themselves.

It’s tempting to simply send all the necessary health and safety information across as documents and ask them to read it. You can definitely do this; however, you have to make sure that all the essential and legal aspects of onboarding are properly covered. You could either pre-record short presentations using XSplit Presenter or run through them in real-time – whichever way you choose, it’s a handy tool to help you flag the main points succinctly. You can easily add videos and slides using Presenter too, which helps to keep people engaged. 

While it is harder to get company culture across remotely, again, a presentation can help. You might find it useful to make a short film about the company, perhaps giving more info on the area where their department is based. Make sure there are opportunities for questions, and why not try a virtual coffee break where you simply chat?

Role-specific digital onboarding

After the induction day, you can focus on individual onboarding. What will this look like? Your new team members need to feel confident with their role and supported by the company, so schedule regular check-ins. Daily is best at first, followed by two or three times per week for the first six weeks.

Don’t let these become a substitute for regular, informal communication, but make sure the channels are open and clear. Comms platforms like Slack help to keep the whole team in constant contact.

For individual job training, a mix of meetings, presentations, and webinars will help to keep things lively. Again, schedule and plan these so you know that everything is covered. Lastly, with the potential for information overload, try to keep things light and sociable for your remote team with events like virtual coffee breaks and Zoom quizzes.

Remember – onboarding and working with remote staff is all about flexible approaches, so don’t feel like there’s a one-size-fits-all approach. At some stage during this initial period, it might even be feasible to invite your new employee to visit the physical workspace. For more tips, take a look at our blog on managing your remote team.

Getting Started with a Hybrid Meeting Space

Just when we’d become used to 100% virtual meetings, another new way of working has developed. The hybrid working pattern means a team might be made up of a blend of onsite and remote employees. This can be really beneficial for the individuals and the organization, but it can present us with a few logistical issues. How do we create and manage a hybrid meeting space?

With the help of some reliable AV equipment, a supportive tech team, and some fantastic remote working software, you can easily bring everyone into the boardroom, wherever they’re based.

Two people sat in a hybrid meeting space with people behind them as they talk.
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Audio equipment needed for hybrid meeting spaces

Let’s start with the tech. We’ve all learned from experience that poor audio can be one of the most stressful things about virtual meetings – often more so than poor video. This can feel especially fraught in hybrid meetings when inconsistent audio can lead to the remote attendees feeling alienated from the action in the room.

In the physical meeting room, make sure you find a mic that can pick up multiple users. You can easily get hold of omnidirectional Bluetooth conference microphones from places like Amazon. One suggestion from our team? The Anker PowerConf S3 looks nice on the table and delivers good quality at a reasonable price point. Ideally, your virtual participants will also have access to a good audio setup. If they’re your employees, you may need to sort this out for their remote workstation. 

It’s also a good idea to set up clear “speaking in turn” protocols, which can help avoid cross-talking during more free-flow meetings like brainstorming sessions.

Three people sat around a table in a hybrid meeting space. One with a laptop and the others discussing.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Getting the visual aspect right

Okay, sound’s done. Now, what about video? If it’s a straightforward meeting with no presentations or documents to share, set up a webcam to capture the whole room. This gives remote attendees a participant’s eye view of their colleagues. A good tip is to make sure that the remote attendees aren’t tiny, as we don’t want them to be overlooked. If they can appear on a decent-sized screen, that will help those in the room engage better with their teammates.

What if you need to share a presentation? Just switch over to XSplit Presenter, giving remote participants a great view of the slides (and the presenter, if you wish), while those in person can follow along. If someone can’t make it, you can also record your presentation using Presenter, and send it out afterward.

Combining physical and hybrid meeting spaces

The first thing to think about when setting up the room is the remote attendees’ sightlines. This will determine where to put the webcam. Consider who or what they need to see, as well as where the screens need to go so you’re not blocking the physical attendees’ views.

Which room should you use for your hybrid meeting space? One with a fast internet connection or none of this is will work well. A good source of light is also handy, so everyone can see each other well and keep visual distractions to a minimum. You might also like to advise remote attendees on how to blur out their background with our XSplit VCam software if they’re working from home. The day before the first hybrid meeting, why not have a test run to make sure everything runs smoothly?

The key to the smooth running of a hybrid meeting is the facilitator. Choose your hybrid meeting host wisely: are they someone who can bring everyone in, at the right moment, like a skilled conductor? For more tips, read our blog about managing remote meetings.