Over the last five years the potential for remote working has become a much sought after “perk” with many jobs. The flexibility to work from home and reduced commuting time is something that employees are increasingly seeking when considering what company they would like to work for. UK based research agency Savanta carried out a study this year on 1,509 senior white-collar workers on behalf of Barco Clickshare. They found that over half of their meetings currently involve remote attendees and this is expected to increase over the next three years.
Remote working is seen as beneficial to both the employer and employee as it allows the employee to have more flexibility in terms of saving time and stress associated with commuting to work and a better work-life balance. It also means the employer has access to a larger talent pool worldwide, increased employee productivity due to less distractions and saves on equipment and bills if hiring contractors instead of permanent employees.
With all of this in mind it’s no wonder employers are starting to offer remote working as an option more often. So why is every company not jumping on the bandwagon and taking full advantage of these great benefits? Well, with freedom comes responsibility and a whole host of other headaches like network loss or software or hardware malfunctions. Better facilities are needed in order for remote working to be a success across the board.
Of those surveyed by Barco Clickshare, 45% said they felt less important during remote teleconference meetings than those who were present in person. 43% also said they felt frustrated or disengaged during remote meetings. According to Guy Campos reporting for AV Magazine, respondents suggested that “for remote collaboration to succeed, it must be as seamless as in-person collaboration would be – meaning participants must be able to interact with each other in the same way as they would if they were face-to-face in a room. More than two-thirds (69%) said that screen sharing increased their engagement, while over three-quarters (77%) agreed that in the next three years, the typical meeting will feature video as standard to improve collaboration between in-person and remote participants.”
Lieven Bertier, head of product management at Barco ClickShare, said: “As business continues to globalize, remote meetings have become an integral part of day-to-day workflows: enabling employees around the world to work together, while also enhancing flexibility, decreasing operating expenses, and improving work-life balance. Employers must deploy a technology tool which provides the same capability for remote meetings and remote participants as for those in the room. For me, this is how meeting room technology will best revolutionize the meeting experience, increasing engagement, and truly facilitating the flexibility and connectivity that this generation of employees increasingly demand.”
Investing in the appropriate audio visual conferencing equipment for your company could be the answer to increased productivity and communications among your workforce. To speak to us about video conferencing options for your company contact us on 021 4323928 or email info@spectrumav.ie.
*Adapted from https://www.avinteractive.com/markets/corporate/remote-meetings-rise-frustration
