3 ways to maximize collaboration tools in a hybrid world
Are you empowering your workforce with digital parity?

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The workplace as we once knew it is a thing of the past. We’ve learned that employees no longer need to be tethered to their desks in the physical office to be productive. The one thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the importance of employee collaboration.

The hybrid work movement may have altered where and how people perform their jobs, but John Donne was right: No person is an island. (The original quote uses “man,” but we’re taking some liberty here.)

It’s rare that you find someone who is completely isolated from the rest of the company. Most individuals are part of a team that must work together to achieve a common goal. And that team is typically part of many teams that must all work together to grow an enterprise.

Collaboration exists in pretty much everything we do at work; yet it’s not always efficient, and it’s certainly not always effective. Now, more than ever, an enterprise-wide vision for collaboration should be at the core of your organization’s goals and objectives. But building a unified communications and collaboration (UCC) strategy in a hybrid world is easier said than done.

Luckily, we’re here to help. Here are three steps to put you on the right path.

1.      Audit your current environment

Over the past few years, organizations undoubtedly scrambled to support a growing and geographically dispersed workforce. Many accelerated the adoption of solutions and technologies to empower their employees and maintain productivity and collaboration.

Unfortunately, some may now be stuck with large quantities of duplication, both in subscriptions and technology. Having too many tools or ones that don’t meet your organization’s needs can hurt the business and confuse your end users.

So, before you do anything, perform an audit of your current environment. Determine what UCC tools you have and how they’re currently being used. With this information, you can eliminate duplicating platforms and functionality.

2.      Take advantage of utilization reporting

Speaking of how these tools are being used: When additional assets and services are added to the fold, they’re often underutilized or leveraged improperly. This hinders your ability to get maximum value on your investment.

With utilization reporting, you can nip this in the bud.

Learn if your tools are being used as intended. Gain a better understanding of your end users’ habits. Amass the information you need to improve overall user adoption.

3.      Invest in end-user training

Giving your end users access to these tools is helpful, but have you checked to see if they know how to use them? Many organizations often overlook this detail.

Combine the roll-out of new applications with continuous end-user training. This will help your employees familiarize themselves with the tools so they can take full advantage of the available resources.

Get ‘smarter’ about collaboration

By the end of 2024, over 25% of large enterprises worldwide will have deployed smart office solutions to enhance collaboration and productivity in the workplace, according to IDC. Which makes sense.

Collaboration helps you find and engage new customers around the world. With virtual, video, mobile, and social technologies, you can open up entirely new market segments and reach broader and newer audiences.

But as hybrid work becomes the norm, you must make sure you’re empowering both your on-site and remote workers with digital parity and a consistent experience. If not, they’ll have a hard time remaining productive, collaborative, and innovative.

Auditing your existing environment, leveraging utilization reports, and providing regular end-user training are three keys to achieving a unified UCC strategy in a hybrid world – but there’s more work to be done.

Check out our latest ebook “Create a UCC Strategy that’s built for the Hybrid Workforce” and learn how to take your UCC maturity to the next level.