The Return to Work: Reworking Remote Technologies for the Hybrid Workplace

It’s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed business forever. While working remotely and cloud-based tools aren’t new concepts in the business world, the global pandemic and the subsequent transition to the hybrid workplace has accelerated the need and adoption for new workflows and mobile technologies. 

By now, you’re probably acquainted, if not a daily user, with remote online tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Slack. And in just a year alone, each platform has recorded more than double, triple, or quadruple increase of active daily users. While putting a number to what we have experienced during this time may seem shocking, it signals the current trajectory of business as we know it and the increasing need for advanced remote technologies. 

Perhaps you’re one of the many businesses that made the plunge into incorporating digital reality platforms like virtual reality or augmented reality into your workflows. Not only are they mobile and easy to use, but they’re incredibly effective in helping you communicate your vision within your team and with clients regardless of location. It’s no wonder that many industries you would not often associate with using these types of technologies decided to create their very first virtual space during the height of the pandemic. 

However, now that we’re starting to head back to the office, you may be looking at these platforms you invested in and are wondering whether you should renew your license or revert back to your original workflow. Well, here’s the short answer: do not let them go - you’re going to need remote technologies for the hybrid workplace. 

Don’t Throw it Away

First and foremost, hold onto what you have been using. During March 2020, you and the majority of businesses were researching and investing in a whole array of remote technologies. You have already taken and overcome the hardest steps which were finding a platform that worked with your needs and learning how to use it in your workflows. And if you started onboarding during the start of the first lockdown, you would have up to 2 years of experience getting to know the application and actually using it in a business setting. Since you have already created a routine out of the remote platforms, making the switch back to how you connected with clients or reached out to prospects prior to the pandemic could be even more jarring than what you’d expect. 

One quick but useful exercise that will help you rework your tools for a hybrid work period is to draft up an index of all the remote technologies you have used during this time and how they currently fit into your workflow. Whether it be Google Drive or your VR presentation platforms, creating a visual mind map of what you have used in this time not only helps you organize and remember the tools you have at your disposal, but it will also give you the opportunity to revisit their function and how it can continue to serve you now and moving forward. 

Continue Being Agile and Ready

Especially during this extended (or even permanent) hybrid work period, technology and your remote tools are essential in helping you adapt to any circumstance and access whatever you need, anywhere at any time. The best part of remote platforms is that you can continue working like nothing has changed even if your environment has. And even though your workweek may now include a few in-person meetings, remote tech should still play a large role in your processes. So whether you’re connecting with clients on your company desktop or pulling out your laptop to make any last edits to your presentation at home, you will be working with the same tools every time. 

Even more importantly, with the resumption of client-facing meetings, you can now utilize your platforms to its full potential. So far, you’re really familiar with sending a Zoom meeting link to your clients, going through a brief introduction, and hitting the share screen button to kickstart your pitch. However, now that you can meet with your clients in person, you can up the ante and execute and deliver in a whole new way. Now you can utilize and include any tools in conjunction with your remote platforms. Just like with our Yulio platform, you can now break out your (sanitized) Oculus Quest and let your clients experience your projects in a fully immersive and engaging way. But even if you’re still video conferencing your clients, remote platforms make it easy to navigate your extensive clientele and their differing hybrid workplace setups. 

Making room for the tech

We’ve talked in the past about how you can make room for VR in your business, but the same goes for some of these remote technologies as well. We recently attended NeoCon 2022 where we got a chance to see some of the upcoming trends in office and workspace design. One of the bigger themes we saw was the design and creation of hybrid workspaces that offer solutions that make continuing the use of remote tools such as video calls easier by offering workplaces that offer places for people to connect with those working remotely. 

While NeoCon highlighted products that can help facilitate ease of work with remote workers such as video call booths, it’s an indication of a larger integration of remote technology overall. It also is a signal that even with your current office setup, it’s important to consider the logistics of having hybrid workers using these remote technologies. Offering semi-private spaces where people can join video calls can help by not distracting other workers. Consider larger meeting spaces that can accommodate cameras for those joining remotely that offer views of whiteboards or other collaborative tools. Many offices are changing their layouts as employees return and it is definitely the time to consider what you can change in your own office space.

Stay at the Forefront

Remote mobile technology isn’t just the way of the future, it’s what we should be using today, tomorrow, and beyond. We’re no longer just at the beginning of the digital transformation: we are completely immersed where our everyday routines are centered around advanced tech. And while the pandemic expedited the need for adoption, the business trajectory was always heading in the direction where processes and workflows became more efficient and effective because of these tools. 

Being “forward-thinking” is probably a buzzword you have heard throughout your career let alone these past few years. Although many may take this phrase lightly, at its core, forward-thinking means you are someone who champions innovation. Where experts have already found the solution to making your processes easier and all you need to do is trust and partner with their vision. Where ultimately you’re able to be better and impress your clients. And don’t worry, your clients will take notice. A business that values being forward-thinking and looking ahead to what will further enhance the client’s experience will stand out from the rest. So don’t look back at what you were working with before, look forward to what you can achieve with remote technologies now and moving forward. 

Looking for a remote VR presentation tool that will impress your clients? Sign up for our 30-day free trial to get full access to our platform and our extensive line of features. For users looking for support on our features, head over to our Knowledge Base for our step-by-step guides. However, if you’re looking for more support on how you can transition your hybrid work team members, reach out to our team - we would be happy to chat with you.

Updated July 27, 2022