Strengthen your hybrid work culture with the right tools and strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed how we think about work. According to one survey, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025, which is nearly double the pre-pandemic rate.

The transition to hybrid and remote work can be challenging for managers to navigate. Fostering a strong work culture and keeping the lines of communication open is tricky when your employees aren’t always gathered in the same location. The right equipment can help bridge that gap and make meetings more productive whether everyone’s in the same room or spread across time zones. Here’s how to leverage technology to create a thriving workforce.

The challenges of modern collaboration

Because the shift to remote and hybrid work was prompted by a global emergency, many companies didn’t have the time or resources to invest in making that transition as seamless as possible. Though employees say they’re better able to balance their work and personal lives, 53% have a hard time feeling connected to their coworkers. That makes it difficult to build a positive company culture.

Believe it or not, the answer isn’t to increase the frequency of communications with apps and additional meetings. Remote, hybrid, and onsite employees are already feeling burnout from digital communications. Instead, you must find new ways to foster collaboration and make every employee feel like they’re part of the team.

Did You Know?:With a sleek and lightweight design, you can take the Meeting 360 to any conference room and enjoy its 360-degree panoramic camera and three-microphone array. Click here to learn more.

Finding the right tools to bridge the gap

The trick to enhancing team collaboration isn’t more meetings — it’s making the meetings already on your calendar more productive. To do that, you must ensure everyone can be seen and heard. Relying on laptop cameras and microphones may not be enough; you need dedicated technology to open the lines of communication.

Start with your conference rooms. When some workers are onsite and others are remote, it can be difficult to hear who’s speaking in a crowded room, let alone what they’re saying. Rather than using a single static webcam, consider a panoramic camera that automatically highlights the speaker. Similarly, you need a microphone — or ideally, multiple microphones — that can pick up sound from all directions.

If presentations are common at your workplace, ensure that both onsite and remote employees can clearly see visual aids like PowerPoint decks. Sharing the presenter’s screen using meeting platforms like Zoom is simple enough, but those in the room may not have their laptops with them. High-quality projectors with internet connections offer the best of both worlds.

One of the simplest ways to boost worker output is with an extra monitor. According to one research firm, multiple displays can improve productivity by 42%. Equipping a hybrid workforce with monitors for home and the office may not be practical, however. Portable monitors solve this dilemma, provided you choose models light enough to make them highly mobile. And if your employees can keep communication apps open on one screen and their current task on another, they can better keep up with conversations and respond to any urgent messages.

Did You Know?:PCMag called the wireless Portable Monitor 150BW “an awesome piece of kit” and “a tour de force of mobile display technology.” Find out more in this review.

Best practices for integrating new collaboration tools

Without the right strategy, introducing new technology into existing workflows could cause confusion and frustration. Follow these steps for a smooth integration:

• Assemble a team: First, decide who will be in charge of researching, purchasing, and delivering new equipment to employees. Ideally, this team will be a mix of managers and IT professionals who can answer employees’ questions along the way.
• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis: Buying new technology is an investment in your company, but the upfront cost could make executives wary. To get buy-in, calculate how increased productivity could boost profits or save money elsewhere.
• Work in phases: Not everything has to happen at once. For example, if you’re planning to upgrade conference rooms and dole out portable monitors, don’t do both at the same time. Once one stage of the rollout is complete, you can move on to the next.
• Make time for training: It goes without saying that new technology should be intuitive, but not every employee is working at the same level of tech savviness. Schedule training sessions to help your team get the most out of their tech.
• Collect feedback: Finally, your employees should feel like they’re part of the process. After every phase of the rollout, gather feedback to find out what they think. Was everything implemented successfully? Were the training sessions helpful? Any opportunities to improve next time? These are the kinds of questions your team can answer.

Our recommendation: RICOH projectors, portable monitors, and Meeting 360

At Ricoh, we understand the unique challenges of fostering collaboration in the modern workplace. Our technology was designed to streamline processes, improve communication, and ultimately increase workplace productivity.

With dual high-resolution cameras and a three-microphone array, the RICOH Meeting 360 is a smart way to upgrade your conference rooms. This lightweight device provides panoramic views of the meeting space, allowing those calling in from home to feel like they’re right in the room. Advanced speech detection automatically highlights active speakers, which gives everyone a seat at the table.

Meanwhile, RICOH projectors offer striking visual fidelity thanks in part to an advanced laser light source. Whether you’re presenting in a small office or a massive auditorium, our lineup offers the perfect solution. From the compact, portable PJ WUL5A50 to the 9,600-lumen PJ WUL6690, RICOH projectors enhance every presentation.

Finally, our portable monitors help workers stay productive no matter where they are. Available in wired and wireless versions, each monitor features an intuitive touchscreen interface, varied connectivity options, and a built-in kickstand for multiple angles — all in a slim, lightweight design. Click here to learn more about how Ricoh makes meetings more productive.

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