With travel restrictions eased and employers embracing remote working, this summer could see more people working remotely while traveling than ever before. And for good reason – a new study found that remote work increases employee happiness by 20%, and that’s not even taking into account happiness levels when working from a cruise, the beach, the mountains, or any kind of traveler’s paradise.
As a UC service provider, it’s not too late to give your customer’s end-users valuable tips to help them leverage their communication and collaboration tools to become more efficient while working remote this summer, or to help create boundaries and set up for success when going totally out-of-office.
Whether your end-users are packing up and checking off a bucket list destination, working from home while the kids are out of school, or simply going off the grid for the summer season, here are our best tips you can share with your customers to empower them through their UC tools.
Tips for Working Remotely
Working remotely brings additional distractions and sometimes-unusual circumstances that a user wouldn’t encounter in the office. To ensure users can still work productively and efficiently from wherever they are, we recommend the following:
1. Download your UC app on phone or tablet. and laptop.
Today, most UC functions can be carried out over phone or laptop. Be sure to download the UC app on both your mobile phone or tablet before switching to remote work so you can stay agile and don’t miss a beat or have to struggle with install on your own.
2. Find a quiet workspace with an appropriate background.
Working from the middle of a hotel restaurant might seem convenient at first, but a busy background with lots of noise and activity can be distracting – especially if video calls are on the agenda for the day. Instead, find a place that is quiet with a simple, professional background, like a business center, hotel desk, or simply a quiet corner in your home.
3. Bring preferred equipment.
To ensure you’re working as smoothly as usual, bring the typical accessories and equipment you use daily so your routine doesn’t change much. For example, you may want to consider picking up a small secondary travel monitor if you are used to working with two displays. And don’t forget to bring a portable battery and keep it charged at all times while traveling, or wherever your WFH location might be..
- Use a strong WiFi connection.
Nothing is more inconvenient to a productive work day than a loss of internet connection. Consider a mobile hotspot or tether from your mobile phone as a backup plan.
5. Update location services in the case of emergency.
In the event you need to contact emergency services from your UC App, be sure to update your physical location so emergency services can locate you. These features typically prompt you to update your location. Just to be safe, locate your self-service help article to avoid a call to Support.
6. Set up your voice mobility options.
If you think you may be a bit less available while working remotely, set up one of the cloud calling mobility features such as Office Anywhere or Simultaneous Ring. Ask your admin for a reminder on how to set it up or a quick self-service link that can walk you through the process.
7. Mind the time difference.
Don’t get too excited about your long-distance international trip if you haven’t taken into consideration the time difference between where you’ll be and where your work headquarters are. If your employer requires you to work normal business hours, you may find yourself working through the night in a new timezone.
Going Totally OOO?
If your customers are planning to go completely off the grid and take off work for a season in the summer, help them keep things running smoothly using these tips:
- Keep your calendar updated. Make sure your calendar is blocked off so no one can schedule any impromptu meetings assuming you’ll be there.
- Snooze your notifications. Don’t have your phone buzzing constantly the entire time you’re OOO – send them to silent.
- Set up your OOO responder on phone and email. Make it clear to anyone trying to contact you that you’re unavailable, and include a date you’ll be returning as well as someone they can get in touch with in the meantime.
- Update Webex, Cisco UCM, or other UC platform status. Ensure your Webex or other UC platform status is set to away while you’re out so it’s consistent across all communication channels.
A Work-From-Anywhere Type of Summer
The way it’s looking now, new projections show that one-quarter of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022. As a UC service provider, the summer can be a great opportunity to flex your WFH capabilities to your customers to show them how your tools can support remote work for a season or for the long-haul.
B-Lynk specializes in training end-users on your UC platform so they can understand how to leverage its functionality to support remote work or even OOO periods. To get started and set your customers up for success, reach out to our team today.