It’s hard to understate the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on businesses around the world. Not only did it make businesses focus on how to hedge their bets and diversify their output in several key areas, but it also normalized remote working in many industries. Sure, there’s still a tug-of-war between businesses and workers trying to ascertain what these new arrangements should look like, and some firms have even implemented a non-negotiable return-to-office order much to the chagrin of some.
That being said, for the most part, remote work is at least part of the conversation when it rarely used to be before, despite convenient laptops, online access, and other accessible functions being present for a great number of years before the pandemic.
As it’s been a few years since then, we’ve seen a few norms shift. In this post, we’ll discuss some areas you may find success, but understanding how new norms could define your own enterprise. Without further ado, please consider:
Remote Interviews
The art of remote interviewing has evolved significantly since those early awkward Zoom calls where everyone was figuring out their mute buttons and not to turn on the camera before they’d sat down (too many pajama bottoms were shown). Today’s virtual interviews often feel more natural and can actually provide better insights into candidates. Many businesses have found that remote interviews let them see how potential hires handle technology and remote communication, even if they can set up a microphone and webcam well enough if not integrated into their laptops – after all these skills are increasingly valuable in modern workplaces.
Some companies even report that candidates seem more relaxed in remote interviews, perhaps because they’re in familiar surroundings. This can lead to more authentic conversations and better hiring decisions instead of the hyperformal rigamarole we’re all used to. Better yet, the time saved on travel and room scheduling means more candidates can be interviewed in a day, or interviewed for longer.
Virtual Team Meetings
Most people remember when everyone thought virtual meetings would be a temporary fix to an issue that none of us were expecting. Now they’re often more efficient than traditional gatherings and businesses often prefer them.
Such businesses have learned to make these meetings count by keeping them focused and implementing clear protocols and briefs for each minute. It saves time, it allows everyone to hear less bluster and conjecture, and everyone can still provide their input. Moreover, virtual team meetings can include people who might not be contributing. It’s easy for an executive to listen to a virtual meeting with their phone mic muted and the sound hooked up to their car speaker system as they travel from place to place. That’s how accessible (and yet still private) modern business norms can be.
Virtual Call Systems
When you talk about a call system within a company, most people still think of VoIP or even an office phone system that people can use throughout the day. But with a virtual phone system, communication norms are even easier than before, and that provides the space for more options.
Such tools can integrate with your CRM, track customer interactions, and provide valuable analytics where they’re needed. That means conversations don’t have to be without context, they can be accurate and up to date with the relevant info your business needs.
Some businesses have found that these systems improve customer service by ensuring calls are directed to the right person the first time, as opposed to being thrown around several departments and referrals. Moreover, they can be integrated so that intra-team discussions and easy voice connects are possible, so it’s not just a strategy for customer support either.
Cloud Schedules
Cloud-based scheduling tools have become the “parent structure” of how remote teams organize, schedule and coordinate their daily plans. After all, when people are free than ever before thanks to being unchained from the desk, working from several areas, even several states or countries at once, something still needs to connect you.
That’s why scheduling tools, which can be as simple as mutual cloud calendars, can help teams work across time zones, plan projects, and maintain work-life boundaries – something that was possible beforehand but much less accessible. Many businesses now use these tools to track not just meetings but also focused work time and collaboration periods. That means the argument of “well, you can’t track anyone or their schedules with remote integration!” doesn’t particularly hold water in 2024 and beyond.
The real benefit is transparency between managers and employees – as everyone can see what’s happening and plan accordingly, which reduces the back-and-forth that used to plague schedule coordination.
Cloud Document Repositories
Modern cloud storage solutions have made document management system brands use much more straightforward. Teams can work on the same document simultaneously through mutual collaboration tools, and that means they can track changes automatically, and access files from anywhere.
Yes, we all know that this is possible with tools like Google Docs, but of course, a “document” or “file” isn’t just text-based. Now video editors can work on the same video timeline with one another to determine the best cuts and dubbing, without even occupying the same room at all. If this is better or worse than the norm remains to be seen, but it’s hard to deny that for production cycles this is absolutely convenient and a comforting norm.
Temporary Serviced Office Use
Many firms have simply given up on the rental costs associated with permanent premises, especially if most of the firm is digital anyway. Of course, this approach offers flexibility – you can scale your office use up or down based on actual needs rather than being tied to a fixed space that you need to redesign over and over.
These new norms often lead to more efficient operations and happier employees, because when you need to come in for a particular meeting, say to woo a client, you can rent a space that seems impressive for a day, It means you’re not rootless, but you get to decide where the roots are.
With this insight, we hope you can consider some of the values and virtues of remote integration, or perhaps just understand your business more intimately thanks to that thought experiment.