The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways. Kitchens have become offices; commutes have decreased, and video calls have become part of our everyday lives.
Working from home raises many important questions like:
- Can my staff get as much work done at home?
- How do my team all stay connected?
- Is it necessary to have as many meetings as I did before?
If you asked many companies the same three questions, the results would of course be different, but one thing is for sure, COVID-19 has forced every business to learn how to stay connected, motivated, and productive in new ways.
In late October, HubSpot teamed up with Canva to better understand how COVID-19 has impacted marketing leaders, their resources, and their staff.
They surveyed 502 marketing leaders (mostly at a senior level) and asked them how the pandemic has impacted processes, priorities, and their staff. The result? Quite simply, a new way of thinking.
Here are some of the key stats that came from the survey:
- Of the 502 marketing leaders surveyed, 73% reported that their business has been operating remotely for over three months.
- 48% of employees will likely work remotely for at least part of the time after the pandemic, versus 30% doing so beforehand.
- Over 50% agreed that their team’s ability to make decisions has been negatively impacted.
- Over 70% agreed that it is becoming more difficult to give and receive effective feedback while working remotely.
- 72% agreed that their planning has been more difficult.
- Over 66% agreed that their team’s productivity has dropped.
- 50% said they have struggled to motivate their teams.
Do some of these findings resonate? You are not alone. It is very clear that COVID-19 has been tough all round, no matter the size of your team or business.
The new normal
Gone are the days that we could walk to a colleague’s desk to talk about workflow, or effectively host client and team meetings in person. These conversations have been replaced with Microsoft Teams and Zoom meetings and telephone calls.
75% of survey respondents reported that instant messaging and video calling solutions were good or exceptional for supporting collaboration, and 72% rated the same level for the usability of these tools.
If businesses, of any size, were not using instant messaging and video call technology before the pandemic, they almost certainly are now. Being able to interact with your colleagues instantly has never been more important.
Telephone calls have also never been more important. Missing out on potential business because staff are not physically in the office is a growing concern. If you have a good VOIP system in place, the calls can go through on staff mobile phones, meaning you never miss that potential piece of business.
Whilst this technology will never really be as effective as being in the same room as someone, being able to collaborate with colleagues and clients in this way will be the normal for a little while longer at least.
Technology and workspaces are changing all the time. To ensure you have the correct communication tools, speak to the experts at Hive today.
Call us on 01722 777999
Use our online chat on the website during office hours.
Email us at support@hivecommunications.co.uk