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The increased use of education technology and greater reliance on blended learning approaches have helped give rise to the flipped classroom model, where students are introduced to a topic through independent study at home and then attend regular classes to expand their understanding under the guidance of the teacher.
Keep reading to learn about flipped classrooms, including the benefits and the criticisms, or visit the Viewsonic Education page for more classroom insights and EdTech solutions.
The flipped classroom model is a teaching approach that has started to gain traction in recent times, coinciding largely with the rise of blended learning – where students benefit from a combination of online and classroom-based learning methods.
In this article, we explore the flipped classroom model in more depth, defining the concept, explaining the structure, and outlining the key benefits associated with this approach. Furthermore, we will also look at some of the criticism surrounding the flipped classroom model, allowing you to get a sense of both the pros and cons.
As the name suggests, the flipped classroom model flips the two fundamental learning stages of conventional classroom-based education. Traditionally, students would be introduced to a new topic in the classroom and then complete homework and assignments to individually explore or expand on the topic. In the flipped classroom model, students engage with new material individually before class and then use classroom time to expand on their understanding of it as a group under the guidance of the teacher.
While not exclusively reliant on digital technology, teachers employing the flipped classroom approach often introduce new topics through online videos, supporting articles, and may sometimes make use of online discussions. Classroom time is then used to build upon this foundation knowledge in various ways, allowing educators to achieve more during lessons with the time saved by removing topic introductions.
The flipped classroom model has two main stages: the introduction of new learning concepts and the further exploration of the topic, often with a problem-solving element.
While on the surface the flipped classroom model may seem like simply the reversal of the conventional classroom model with the addition of digital recourses, there are a number of benefits to the flipped classroom model for both students and teachers.
The benefits of the flipped classroom model for students are numerous, but arguably one of the most significant benefits is the development of independent learning skills. Moreover, lessons become more focused on applying knowledge, potentially making them more interesting and resulting in improved student engagement.
Another area where the flipped classroom model truly excels is in relation to student absences. When the core foundational knowledge is obtained through online resources rather than in the classroom, all students will have the most essential information to look back on, even if they miss occasional lessons.
When research and preliminary discussions occur before the lesson, it also increases the amount of time that students spend on putting their new skills or knowledge into practice with supervision from teachers. Furthermore, when teachers produce their own video content, students benefit from more time learning directly from those teachers.
The flipped classroom model can be beneficial for teachers because it allows them to spend more time acting as facilitators rather than delivering basic information to students. With this extra time, teachers can further explore topics with students in lessons that are more tailored, hands-on, and in-depth.
The reduced amount of time spent by teachers providing foundational information also allows more time to be spent interacting meaningfully with students in order to gauge their strengths and weaknesses, allowing for a better assessment of their understanding of the topic and to guide the classes that follow.
Although the flipped classroom model can enhance the learning experience for students and allow teachers to have more meaningful interactions with students, there is still some criticism surrounding the model.
Much of the criticism of the flipped classroom model centers around the idea of the digital divide, which refers to the widening gap in greater society between those who have access to the latest technology and those who do not. Students from poorer backgrounds are likely to have reduced access to a computer of their own with a reliable internet connection. This can mean that the flipped classroom model may inadvertently leave the most disadvantaged students behind and reinforce some of the structural links between privilege and academic achievement.
It is also worth noting that some students will not be suited to independent learning. And while the flipped classroom model does attempt to address this through discussions in the classroom, it can still result in some students lacking the foundational knowledge of the topic and therefore being at a disadvantage in the phase of further exploration.
The flipped classroom model is growing in popularity as more educators and learning establishments move towards education 3.0 and the use of EdTech increases. The approach has much to offer as teachers can facilitate a deeper understanding of a topic rather than simply delivering the foundational content. But schools and teachers will need to be cautious as not all students will have equal access to the required technology that is commonly used within the flipped classroom model, which can leave students at a disadvantage to their peers and further the global issue of the digital divide.
For an in-depth look at the role technology can play in education, read Blended Learning in Education 3.0. Or visit the ViewSonic Education page for more valuable classroom insights and innovative EdTech solutions.
Hybrid meetings have become the standard way modern organizations collaborate. With digital-first work models now fully established, teams expect seamless participation whether on-site or remote. But with this format comes new aspects that need to be considered to ensure meetings remain effective.
Keep reading to find out how to successfully prepare, present, and follow up hybrid meetings or visit the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for hardware and software solutions that support the hybrid workplace model.
Hybrid meetings represent the present and future, allowing on-site staff and remote staff to communicate, collaborate, make important decisions, and plot the course for changes of strategy. This approach has become increasingly necessary as flexible and hybrid work models have become standard across industries
Nonetheless, effective hybrid meetings require the right steps to be taken across three main stages: preparation, presentation, and follow-up. In this article, we explain what hybrid meetings are and why they are beneficial, and also explore the steps that need to be taken to conduct efficient, effective, and genuinely useful meetings of this kind.
Before going further, it is a good idea to explain precisely what hybrid meetings are and why they can be beneficial. The basic definition of a hybrid meeting is a meeting where some employees are attending in-person, while others are participating remotely through the use of video conferencing technology.
This has become more and more necessary in modern workplaces as companies look to become more agile and dynamic while also responding to the demand for more flexible work arrangements.
Hybrid meetings can be advantageous because they remove the importance of physical location. This potentially opens each meeting up to more people, makes meetings easier to schedule, reduces travel, and allows companies to reimagine meeting spaces within central offices. For more on the benefits of hybrid meetings, read Hybrid Meetings: Saving Time, Money, and Space.
Many organizations still struggle with meeting effectiveness. In hybrid environments the root cause is rarely the meeting format itself. It is usually inadequate preparation. Modern teams expect meetings to have a clear purpose, defined outcomes, and supporting materials provided ahead of time. Without these foundations even the best hybrid technology cannot compensate for confusion or misalignment.
Preparation is especially important in hybrid settings, where presenters must ensure a fair experience for both in-room and remote participants. This means preparing inclusive materials, testing the meeting tools before the session, and using digital-first planning methods that share agendas and documents with everyone at the same time. When teams take the time to prepare thoroughly and design meetings with equal representation in mind, participation becomes more balanced and the meeting becomes far more productive.
When preparing for any meeting, the first and most important step is to precisely communicate what exactly you are calling the meeting for. You should clearly identify the specific aims and objectives of the meeting, not only to outline the agenda and guide the course of the meeting but also to measure the success of the meeting itself.
By outlining the key points and objectives, it becomes much easier to maintain control and keep the meeting on track. It’s also highly advised that you share any material that will be addressed in advance so attendees are not seeing it for the first time during the meeting. We cover these fine strokes and more about general meeting preparation in How to Plan an Effective Meeting.
A key characteristic of any successful meeting is equal access to information for all attendees and equal representation of all attendees. In hybrid meetings, this is largely reliant on display solutions and how the physical meeting room is set up to allow equal and fair representation of remote attendees.
First, ensure that the video conferencing platform that remote attendees will be using is able to display their faces (or avatars) clearly on the meeting room display and that the audio support is able to make their opinions and insights clearly heard by in-person attendees. Secondly, for those attending in person, ensure that everybody is sat in such a way that they can be clearly seen and heard by remote employees. Key to the success of the hybrid workplace model is the elimination of any instance where remote workers are at a disadvantage. Meeting hosts, therefore, need to take active steps to ensure fairness, which begins at the preparation stage.
It is also advisable that all these technical aspects and considerations regarding seating arrangements are handled beforehand to avoid wasting valuable time at the start of the meeting.
While planning is important, the presentation phase is likely to have a far greater bearing on the overall success of the meeting. With hybrid meetings, the stumbling block of many is the failure to effectively bring remote attendees into the conversation and ensure equal access to information for all.
In our previous article on How to Implement the Hybrid Workplace Model in Your Company, we highlighted the importance of adopting a digital-first approach in which remote participation is treated as a standard part of collaboration. This also applies to hybrid meetings, where all information from the invitation to the shared materials and the follow-up should be accessible digitally to ensure equal footing for every attendee.
During the meeting, nothing should occur that creates an advantage for in-room participants. If new material is introduced, present it on screen for everyone and make sure it is shared digitally with all attendees after the session.
The purpose of most meetings is to gather input and insights from key team members. If remote attendees are overlooked, the meeting loses valuable perspectives and becomes less effective. Ensuring equal access and participation strengthens both the process and outcomes.
Alongside this effort to create a framework of fairness for both kinds of meeting attendees, there will also need to be a conscious effort to encourage involvement from all employees, especially those attending from remote locations.
In-person meetings naturally drive active participation from attendees, while online meetings can leave the door open for passive participation. Hybrid meetings have the potential to make organizations more dynamic, but the onus is on the host to bring this element out during meetings by facilitating productive discussions between in-person and remote attendees. To avoid passive participation, be sure to:
Find out more on how to communicate better in meetings here.
Hybrid meetings rely heavily on hardware and software solutions to help attendees from various locations connect, communicate, and collaborate.
This type of meeting, where both in-person and online attendees are present, is most effective when the meeting room is equipped with a large interactive display to provide visual information and other forms of multimedia to drive the meeting forward. Combined with the myViewBoard software suite which is compatible with Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, and more, meeting participants can not only communicate effectively but also collaborate through useful features such as multi-person casting, on-screen annotation, and digital whiteboarding for brainstorming and ideation.
Understanding the potential of wireless presentation displays and how they support hybrid meetings will help you conduct more effective meetings that are inclusive, collaborative, and ultimately more successful.
Perhaps one of the biggest (and easiest to avoid) shortfalls of any kind of meeting is the lack of an effective follow-up. With it, action is taken, decisions are made, and feedback is obtained. Without it, momentum is lost and time is wasted. Hybrid meetings are no different, however, there is a larger importance placed on the digital documentation of the follow-up and relevant action points.
Effective follow-up today relies on a clear, structured, and transparent process. While the specific steps will vary depending on the meeting’s objectives and decisions, it’s essential to define who is responsible for follow-up, what will be delivered, and when attendees can expect it.
In most cases, the meeting host will manage the follow-up, but shared responsibility is increasingly common—especially in hybrid teams. Modern platforms now generate AI-powered summaries, action items, and timelines automatically, so the key is ensuring these digital deliverables are shared with everyone at the same time. This guarantees equal visibility for remote participants and eliminates the risk of decisions being perceived as “in-room only.”
As highlighted in our best practices for following up after meetings, a clear recap remains an important foundation. However, current hybrid-work expectations call for a more comprehensive digital package. Recommended follow-up elements include:
Finally, take the time to actively seek out feedback from employees and make changes, if necessary. Hybrid meetings are still relatively new so there is bound to be a period of adjustment. Speak to those who attended remotely and ask what difficulties they faced and if improvements could be made. Speak to those who attended in person and find out if the hardware and software solutions adequately supported the necessary communication and collaboration between all team members. With honest feedback, positive adjustments can be made for more productive hybrid meetings going forward.
Digital transformation has drastically changed the workplace, providing new opportunities in the way we work and the way we meet. With the technology available today, hybrid meetings can be just as fluid as their in-person counterparts, yet there are a few best practices to remember. Firstly, embrace the remote-first approach, it should already be the default setting of any forward-thinking company. Secondly, be inclusive. It’s natural to pay more attention to those that are near you but for hybrid meetings to be successful it is vital that remote attendees are brought into the conversation. And lastly, look to optimize your meeting rooms with the right display solutions that support collaboration within the modern workplace as the choice of hardware and software you choose will have a significant impact on the effectiveness of all hybrid meetings within the organization.
You may also be interested in reading 10 Tips for Managing Hybrid Teams. Or, for innovative hardware and software solutions that support hybrid workplaces, from monitors to meeting rooms, visit the Viewsonic workplace solutions page.
A hybrid meeting combines both in-person and remote participants in the same session. Unlike a fully virtual meeting, hybrid formats need to ensure a seamless and consistent experience for people in both environments, which requires balanced audio, video, and shared content tools. The goal is to make it feel like everyone is in the same room regardless of location.
Creating equal participation begins with designing the meeting for digital access. This means sharing all materials online, using platforms that support clear audio and video for all speakers, and actively inviting remote attendees to contribute. Structured check-ins, shared documents, and accessible visuals help minimize gaps between in-room and remote experiences.
Effective hybrid meetings rely on a combination of room hardware and collaboration software. Common essentials include a high-quality camera, clear microphones, front-of-room displays, stable connectivity, and a platform that supports screen sharing and live interaction. Newer solutions also offer AI-assisted features such as automatic framing, live captions, and real-time summaries.
Hybrid preparation requires a digital-first mindset. You should share agendas and documents ahead of time, test your meeting tools before starting, and confirm that both remote and in-room participants can access everything. Planning should account for how discussions, visuals, and new materials will be shared with the entire group at the same time.
A strong follow-up includes a clear recap of the meeting, shared documents, defined action items, and specific timelines. Many platforms now generate AI summaries and transcripts, which provide a consistent reference for everyone. Sending the follow-up digitally ensures equal access for remote and in-room attendees and reduces the chance of miscommunication.
Hybrid teams, comprised of both remote workers and those physically present in the workplace, can help businesses lower costs, increase productivity, and become more agile during times of adversity. But with this new system comes a new set of challenges for managers who have been trained within the parameters of the traditional workplace.
Keep reading for 10 tips that will assist you in managing hybrid teams, or head directly to the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for more valuable insights into the modern workplace.
Hybrid teams can be defined as teams made up of on-site workers, remote workers, and those who have the flexibility to work on-site on some days and off-site on others. The system essentially combines the benefits of remote work for employees and employers while still retaining the value of a centralized office and in-person collaboration where necessary.
With that being said, the combination of two work models and the flexibility on offer for employees to move between them does also present operational difficulties if not carefully managed. In this article, we provide 10 tips that can assist managers of hybrid teams in getting the most out of their teams as well as the hybrid work model.
The first step to successfully managing hybrid teams is to establish a set of unifying rules that apply equally to both on-site and off-site workers. Doing so will help the workforce to feel more like a single team and will provide the necessary consistency of a well-managed team.
With a remote-first approach, where the majority of communications occur online to include all workers, rules will need to be established for employees to clearly understand how and when to communicate and collaborate with colleagues who are not always physically present. Examples include establishing clear communication channels for contacting team leaders, setting rules for when employees can begin and end their day if flexibility is offered, and defining the times that employees are expected to respond to communications.
By clearly defining equal parameters for all employees, you can eliminate any potential confusion and avoid a division between on-site and off-site employees.
One of the best ways you can keep employees on-task, regardless of whether they are working on-site or remotely, is to set clear goals. More specifically, there should be a combination of collective goals, which further the aims of the business, and individual goals, which help with personal development. These goals also need to be SMART, meaning:
When targets or objectives are too vague, too unrealistic, or impossible to measure, they become more of a hindrance than a help. However, SMART goals can serve to give hybrid employees purpose and a clear focus without the physical presence of a manager.
Hybrid teams rely heavily on video conferencing software for optimized remote collaboration, so platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams are likely to play a key role.
However, beyond this, staff should have other communication channels available to them too. Depending on the nature of the business, this may mean providing company phones, establishing an internal messaging system with dedicated channels, email, or all of the above. But as mentioned, rules and protocol for when and how to use each channel need to be clearly outlined by managers to avoid important information being lost in casual chats or, conversely, channels that should be reserved for important information being clogged up by irrelevant conversation.
Also, be wary of communication overload. A remote-first approach requires that most communication is done online, but constant notifications can be distracting. Therefore, managers should find a way for employees to stay up to date with important developments without having to respond to every notification.
In our previous article, How to Implement the Hybrid Workplace Model in your Company, we looked at the importance of establishing a centralized, cloud-based system such as Microsoft Office 365 or the Google Workspace collection to ensure everyone has equal access to tools and information, regardless of where they work from.
These integrated platforms offer a level of automation that can save hundreds of manhours if used correctly, especially for hybrid teams. With actions taken within one application automatically registering across all relevant applications within the platform, managers can ensure that team members are always receiving the most up-to-date information. However, it is up to the manager to ensure that platforms are being used to their full potential and that all employees are properly trained to use the relevant software.
Meetings within a hybrid team take on a slightly different form as they may include a mix of in-person and remote attendees. However, with the growing familiarity of video conferencing and telecommuting, these kinds of meetings have become far more commonplace and fluid than they once were. Yet, the same issues that plagued traditional meetings have not disappeared – lack of direction, time-wasting, and unnecessary invites.
However, the transition to hybrid work can present a good opportunity for managers to address meeting formats and best practices within teams. Training in how to present a clearly defined agenda, knowing who to invite to avoid wasted manhours, and how to follow up can be combined with a basic rundown of how to run efficient online meetings. Despite most video conferencing platforms being extremely user-friendly, mishaps around connecting, screen sharing, and collaboration are still all too common.
For more tips on how to run successful meetings, read How to Run an Effective Meeting – The Complete Rundown and Wasting Time in Meetings? (And What to Do About It).
Possibly the biggest factor influencing the rise of the hybrid work model has been the direct demand for greater flexibility for employees, with much being written about the benefits of flexible work schedules and their ability to boost employee morale.
While the hybrid work model answers this call by giving employees the choice of location, there is still room for greater flexibility. For instance, flextime arrangements allow people to decide when they start work, rather than sticking rigidly to a 9 to 5 arrangement. Similarly, you might want to consider allowing people to work condensed workweeks or any of the other types of flexible work arrangements.
As a manager of hybrid teams, this will require finding the perfect balance between a team that is motivated by greater autonomy, a healthy work-life balance, and more control over their professional lives, and still ensuring that company goals and objectives are met.
In any setup where people are working remotely, it is important that you take steps to prevent feelings of social isolation from developing. This problem becomes more likely to manifest as people spend longer periods out of the office and can be especially significant for any employees who live on their own and work from home regularly.
Aside from encouraging meetings, it is important to check in with remote staff and speak to them about their work/life balance and other issues. Where possible, it may also be worth encouraging remote workers to make appearances at the office from time to time so they can benefit from more conventional social interactions with colleagues.
As social isolation is not the only challenge managers face when managing remote workers, you may also be interested in reading 10 Challenges of Working from Home for Employers (And How to Solve Them).
When it comes to remote and hybrid work, the word that comes up most often is productivity. And while there is evidence to show that WFH employees can achieve equal or greater levels of productivity, it would naive not to take the quality and ergonomics of both workstations into account.
With hybrid teams, it is important to focus on both office ergonomics and ergonomics for remote workers as productivity and output expectations will remain the same within both areas. This means making sure staff know about the appropriate positioning of their monitors, investing in ergonomic desks and chairs, buying equipment designed with ergonomics in mind, and encouraging staff to take breaks at the right times.
The 2020 pandemic triggered an explosion of communication and collaboration software platforms designed to support remote and hybrid workers. This wave, however, is unlikely to slow down. New platforms will emerge, and current platforms will become more finely tuned to support the evolving needs of a shifting workforce.
It is therefore important to keep up to date with the latest technology trends to best support the operations and management of hybrid teams and avoid situations where competitors gain an advantage by acting faster.
Other solutions such as digital whiteboarding may play a valuable role in helping hybrid teams share ideas. There may also be value in providing dual monitors or second screens to improve multitasking capabilities or USB-C monitors to help hybrid workers move seamlessly between workstations.
The final tip for managing hybrid teams is to lead from the front. In simple terms, this means you need to exhibit the sort of behaviors you want to see in your team.
If hybrid work is new to your organization, team members will be looking at managers and following their lead when establishing best practices. From communication style to meeting formats to output expectations, team members are likely to look to management to set the bar.
The management of hybrid teams may differ from traditional management, but many of the same principles still apply. Good communication has always been a part of effective management, the only difference in hybrid teams is that communication has moved online. The same can be said of effective meetings. Again, people management is nothing new, but in a hybrid workplace, it needs to happen on a far more individual level as the group experience is now broken up into individual experiences that may differ from each other.
Just be sure to always follow up with team members to see what challenges they face, optimize systems and operations where necessary, and lead from the front to set an example for your team.
For more useful management tips, read Remote Team Management: 15 Best Practices for Leading Effective Teams. You can also visit the ViewSonic workplace page for a range of innovative solutions that support the full spectrum of modern business.
For businesses, employee morale plays a major part in optimizing productivity, creating a positive company culture, and ensuring the best staff are retained. Flexible work schedules have been directly linked to boosted employee morale, with hybrid work offering the most impact as workers benefit from the best of two systems.
Keep reading to learn more about the hybrid approach and how it can improve employee morale and overall job satisfaction, or visit the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for more valuable insights into the modern workplace.
The importance of employee morale is difficult to overstate as unhappy workers are less likely to be productive, more likely to want to leave, and more likely to be absent from work. Therefore, it makes sense that employers would explore ways in which to boost employee morale, with hybrid work model being one such way that is already delivering positive results in numerous organizations and sectors.
Hybrid workplaces are those which combine the use of cloud-based platforms and a remote-first approach to communications to remove the importance of location, providing employees with greater autonomy over where they work. This will typically mean that a single workplace may have some remote workers, some office-based workers, and some workers who have the flexibility to switch between the office and remote work depending on objectives and preferences. As the name suggests, hybrid work combines the best of two systems, offering all the benefits of remote work while still providing the structure, stability, and social advantages of a centralized office.
We previously covered the benefits of hybrid work and flexible work schedules, so for this article, we’ll focus on how these benefits can boost employee morale and job satisfaction.
The connection between a good work/life balance and employee morale needs little explanation. According to an article by CompareCamp, companies that offer better work-life balance have a 25% lower employee turnover, and 24% of employees who enjoy some form of work-life balance program, such as working from home at least once a month, are significantly happier and more productive.
What should be of note to businesses is that hybrid work offers these improvements without additional costs or reducing the total number of employee work hours, it simply gives workers more flexibility to balance personal responsibilities with professional obligations. The ability to choose between working in the office or working remotely provides the necessary flexibility for workers to fit in other responsibilities, such as caring for loved ones, picking children up from school, or attending evening classes. Reducing the time spent commuting also reduces stress and provides more hours in the day for leisure activities and recuperation.
Apple, who has always favored in-person collaboration, recently announced that they would run a one-year hybrid work experiment in which employees will be able to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays, while also being able to work remotely for two weeks of the year “to be closer to family and loved ones, to find [a] change of scenery, manage unexpected travel, or [for] a different reason all your own.”
Linked closely to a healthy work/life balance is the level of control that employees have over their professional lives, as those with greater control over when and how they work tend to be more engaged, more productive, and more fulfilled.
One study, carried out by a psychology professor at Saint Mary’s University, highlighted control as a fundamental ingredient for happier workplaces. Notably, the study also found that employee burnout could be greatly reduced by giving staff some level of control over their work hours.
Hybrid work puts employees in control over when and where they are able to get their best work done, providing a centralized office for trainings, in-person meetings, and presentations, while also allowing employees to complete individual tasks remotely if they choose. According to a poll by Personnel Today, of the 1000 employees that were polled, 40% admitted noise at work made them feel stressed, while 65% said it affected their ability to complete work in an accurate and timely manner.
While there will likely be an adjustment period as management learns the best practices for managing remote teams, the successful implementation of the hybrid work model, and the control it gives employees over their professional lives, can help create a far happier workforce that can potentially lead to greater productivity, improved company culture, and better staff retention.
Mental health within the workplace is seldomly addressed, despite some reports that estimate that as much as 12.7% of all sick days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions, costing UK businesses up to £8 billion per year.
There is, however, growing evidence to show that flexible work schedules, such as hybrid work, may help alleviate those affected and work towards improving employee morale within the workforce. According to this report, a study by Durham University found that flexible working arrangements that “increase worker control and choice” have the potential to improve sleep quality, tiredness and alertness, blood pressure, and mental health, while also creating a better sense of community and social support within the workplace. The same report also cites a separate study by Kingston University that found that workers on flexible contracts tended to be more emotionally engaged, more satisfied with their work, more likely to speak positively about their organization, and less likely to quit.
Mental health is an incredibly difficult issue for employers to tackle but providing employees with greater flexibility is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. As recommended by the Durham University study, the hybrid work model provides a greater level of control and choice by giving employees the ability to decide whether to work at home or within a shared workplace, preventing the social isolation experienced by some full-time remote while also providing the freedom to work from home if needed. This can be particularly useful for those experiencing depression and anxiety disorders, who may, at times, find the thought of going into a busy office challenging.
Employee morale has the potential to impact every facet of an organization, from productivity and output to company culture and staff retention. Now, with a growing amount of evidence to support that hybrid work and other flexible work arrangements can increase employee morale through choice, control, a better work/life balance, and improved mental health, businesses who can accommodate a hybrid work model would be well-advised to start making the transition sooner rather than later to capitalize on a workforce that is happier, more productive, engaged, and committed.
If you are interested in exploring other flexible work arrangements, check out 8 Types of Flexible Work Arrangements Explained, or visit the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for more ways to improve the way you work.
An increasing number of businesses are coming to understand the benefits of flexible work schedules, with hybrid work having the most to offer in both benefits and flexibility. These advantages extend to both employees and employers and range from cost-saving and improved morale to reduced absenteeism and the ability for companies to become more sustainable.
Read on to find out more about hybrid work and the benefits associated with workplace flexibility, or jump to the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for further insights into the modern workplace.
With a hybrid approach to work, the importance of being physically present in a centralized office is greatly diminished, allowing for far more flexible work schedules amongst employees. In most cases, this means some employees working on-site in the office, some employees working off-site – either from home or remotely from another location – and some employees who have the flexibility to switch between the office and working remotely, depending on tasks, deadlines, and personal needs.
For employees, the hybrid model can function as a ‘best of both worlds’ approach to work. It provides many of the key advantages of working from home, while still offering the structure, stability, and social advantages associated with having access to a centralized office, as and when it’s needed. At the same time, the hybrid approach allows businesses to break free from many of the restrictions of the conventional office too.
The advantages of doing so are numerous and include operational benefits, recruitment advantages, and financial savings. In this article, we explore some of the most significant benefits that are associated with adopting the hybrid work model and moving to more flexible work schedules.
When businesses adopt hybrid work models, which rely heavily on a remote-first approach, the entire concept of location is removed. By connecting to the workplace using cloud solutions, video conferencing technology, and similar tools, employees do not need to be physically present in the workplace in order to do their job – although they can be if they prefer to be, or for situations where face-to-face communication is better suited. Going further, they do not even need to be in close proximity to the office either.
This can offer a number of benefits for both employees and employers. For instance, on days where bad weather might prevent people from getting into the office, they are still able to work from home. Likewise, if major events make it necessary to avoid the workplace – as was the case with the COVID-19 pandemic – there will be minimal disruption to operations.
Moreover, as a Forbes article explains, the removal of geographical barriers can be extremely advantageous in terms of recruitment, allowing employers to gain access to a wider talent pool, making it easier to find qualified candidates and build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. With flexible work arrangements now amongst the top benefits sought after by job seekers, companies employing the hybrid model are better positioned to compete for top candidates.
Providing employees with the autonomy to decide where they work has the potential to drastically improve job satisfaction, morale, and mental health.
With the ability to choose between home and the office, employees are able to better balance personal responsibilities with work objectives. Working parents, for example, can be at home when childcare is needed but have the opportunity to work in an office environment when necessary. Others may prefer to replace the morning commute on some days with an exercise routine followed by a day of highly focused work in the absence of office distractions.
According to research by ZenBusiness, 64.4 percent of workers with the ability to work from home said their mental health had improved as a result of their working arrangement. Yet only 56.2 percent of full-time remote workers reported the same impact, indicating that flexibility is an important factor in improving mental health.
One of the more significant benefits of remote work for businesses is the ability to greatly reduce staff absenteeism, and this also applies to hybrid workplaces, where people have the ability to work from home when it suits them. On a basic level, this occurs because people who feel unwell find it much easier to stay at home and turn on a computer than to travel into the workplace and interact with other people in person.
Going beyond this, reductions in sick days may also be attributed to the fact that people with illnesses that spread easily – such as colds and influenza – can be kept away from the workplace, limiting the spread. Additionally, the aforementioned mental health benefits can be associated with fewer days off linked to stress, fatigue, and depression.
Meanwhile, research from Indeed shows that 47 percent of people explore whether a company has a remote work policy before applying for a job, and 40 percent would even consider a pay cut if they could gain the ability to work from home. Findstack also reported that 74% of workers say that having the option to work remotely would make them less likely to leave a company, demonstrating the sheer demand for workplace flexibility and the pressure for companies to explore the option if they hope to retain their best staff.
In many organizations, one of the biggest expenses is the office space itself, an expense that is compounded by additional daily operational costs such as air conditioning, electricity, and supplies. The hybrid work model offers the prospect of lowering these costs, an enticing prospect for any business with the infrastructure to go hybrid, but especially to small businesses with a restricted budget.
On a basic level, fewer people in the office each day means lower electricity bills, fewer supplies, and a longer lifespan of office equipment through reduced usage. However, for employers looking to go further with their cost-saving strategy, the hybrid model also offers the opportunity to downsize office space for significant savings on building rental. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical employer can save an average of $11,000 per half-time telecommuter per year.
The hybrid model is still somewhat reliant on a centralized workplace, which will be used by a significant number of employees each day. Nevertheless, in some arrangements, this could be kept to a very small number which opens up the possibility of moving into much smaller premises, having people work in a co-working space, or renting office space on a very short-term basis, only when there is an actual need for it.
Another major benefit associated with flexible work schedules and the hybrid work model is the ability to make a business more sustainable. This is important because research suggests that employees are more likely to take a job and stay in a job with companies that have a strong environmental agenda. Additionally, 64 percent of millennials say they would not take a job with a company that did not have a strong commitment to social responsibility.
The most significant environmental impact made by the hybrid work model is the largely reduced amount of travel among employees. The effects of this are especially significant when employees have long commutes, which require using their own cars. In fact, according to Green Child Magazine, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 54 million tons every year if employees worked out of the office for half of the week.
Hybrid workplaces tend to have more meetings using virtual conferencing technology, again reducing travel but also other things like paper handouts. Fewer people coming into the office is also likely to reduce the carbon footprint associated with the office itself. All of this can combine to help boost a company’s green credentials and aid in positioning the organization as a forward-thinking company in the eyes of job seekers and customers.
Over the course of recent years, the hybrid work model has grown in popularity, and this is in no small part due to the high demand for flexible work in the modern workplace. With the necessary technology to support hybrid work now readily and cheaply available, many businesses are now discovering that they too stand to benefit from hybrid work and flexible work schedules. From a healthier, happier, more skilled and diverse workforce to reduced costs and greater sustainability, the hybrid work model is quickly emerging as a win-win system for employee and employer in organizations able to successfully make the transition.
If you’re interested in what other flexible work arrangements are currently being used by organizations, check out 8 Types of Flexible Work Arrangements Explained. You can also visit the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for further useful insights into the modern workplace.
Interactive whiteboards are making a significant impact in schools that have chosen to embrace EdTech in the classroom. The upgrade from the traditional talk and talk lesson is monumental and the learning opportunities they bring to the classroom are endless. But choosing an interactive whiteboard can be daunting as there are several technical features to understand, especially within the context of how and who they serve.
In this article, we’ll explain which features to look for and why they matter. You can also visit the ViewSonic education solutions page where you’ll find additional valuable insights into EdTech and the modern classroom.
Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are an important step to meeting tech-savvy learners on common ground. With instant access to multimedia, touchscreen collaboration, and digital gamification baked into lessons, teachers now have the tools to engage modern learners in a way that feels familiar, relevant, and fun.
In this article, we’ll explain the key features to look out for when comparing interactive whiteboards in a rapidly growing and increasingly competitive marketplace, and how they relate to each of the three users: students, teachers, and IT support.
An interactive whiteboard replaces the traditional chalk or marker whiteboard with a large interactive display capable of digitizing the entire lesson process, from planning to presentation to collaboration and even revision, quizzes, and games.
With internet access, audio and video support, touch screen functionality, and digital whiteboarding software, interactive whiteboards empower teachers to create engaging lessons that resonate with all kinds of learners to improve student outcomes.
Choosing the best interactive whiteboard for your classroom will depend on various internal factors such as budget, classroom size, student age, use requirements, and available IT support.
But understanding the functionality and importance of the following features will help you make an informed decision within those parameters.
USB-C provides teachers with plug-and-play access to the interactive whiteboard via a single cable for video, audio, and power. Lightweight, reversible, and capable of lightning-fast data transfer speeds, USB-C connectivity replaces multiple clunky cords with one elegant cable, allowing teachers to connect with ease and keep their device fully charged without the need for an additional power outlet.
Not only more efficient, USB-C is now also the universal standard connector for electronic devices, positioning any USB-C enabled display as a future-proof investment.
Teachers with older laptops that do not support USB-C, or those looking to connect additional devices, will need to make use of the input/output (I/O) ports. Front-facing I/O ports are highly beneficial as they allow teachers to connect devices seamlessly without disrupting the flow of the class, sparing the laborious effort of having to plug in devices with the I/O ports located underneath or behind the display.
Touch technology drives the interactive element of the display, replacing outdated (and often limited) classroom supplies with a fresh digital toolbox that empowers teachers to create exciting lessons in which students can actively get involved.
Three factors to consider are the IWB pens, the writing experience, and touchpoint capability.
Quality audio allows teachers to fully leverage the educational benefits of in-class media while also working as a powerful tool to grab students’ attention, inject energy into lessons, and encourage student participation.
While adequate sound is subjective to the size of the classroom, the following points are worth keeping in mind:
A microphone array is a series of microphones within a device that work together to capture a more dynamic range of sound. For example, a 2-mic array with microphones placed on the left and right of the device will be able to capture separate sounds from either side of the room which then combine to create a surround sound effect. And so, the more mics within the array, the more dynamic the sound capture will be, offering a better audio experience for the listener.
This is an important feature for many schools as distance learning and hybrid learning become more established. A quality microphone array will deliver more precise sound capture from all parts of the classroom for those learning remotely, eliminating the worry of students missing important points. With some IWB’s offering as many as 8 microphones within the mic array, teachers delivering or recording classes can ensure crisp and clear sound capture from anywhere in the class.
For classes with students present, voice detection and noise cancellation are additional features that will offer a further improved audio experience for remote listeners as they ensure the right voice is heard with distinct clarity.
IWB displays with eye-care technology take into account the effect of extensive screen exposure (a particular concern amongst parents in the digital age) by offering hardware and software solutions that provide a healthier learning experience for students.
Blue light filters and flicker-free technology work to reduce the amount of blue light waves and on-screen flicker respectively, which in turn reduces the eye strain and drowsiness often experienced after long periods of screen use. For a more in-depth look, check out our previous posts Blue Light Filters & Eye Strain – What You Need to Know and How Flicker-Free Monitors Contribute to Eye Health.
Additionally, while anti-glare coating is common among IWBs, it is not necessarily standard. Be sure to check this when considering interactive whiteboard displays, especially for classrooms with large windows.
Remote display management streamlines the role of IT support through simple and simultaneous management of multiple displays, meaning a single staff member with management access can control all the IWBs within a school from anywhere with an internet connection.
A significant benefit for schools investing heavily in IWBs, remote device management allows for actions such as software updates, message broadcasting, power on/off, and display changes to be orchestrated simultaneously across all classrooms, in groups (e.g., high school classrooms only), or individually, allowing IT support to easily respond to technical requests on-site or when working from home.
Some interactive whiteboards offer basic digital whiteboarding software, while others can provide an entire solution capable of streamlining and digitizing every stage of the learning process, from lesson prep to presentation to revision and testing. IWBs with access to the latter will be beneficial to all users as EdTech continues to develop and provide schools with more efficient, exciting, and engaging tools to improve the way we learn.
myViewBoard by ViewSonic offers a full suite of tools, features, and functions within a single platform that provides cloud storage for teachers to access their lessons from anywhere, digital annotation tools and multiple presentation options for better engagement, and a built-in platform for video-assisted learning with over 2 million vetted educational videos with customizable lesson plans.
Entirely program agnostic, myViewBoard allows teachers to plan their lessons in whichever program they are comfortable without the worry of compatibly issues. Once lessons have been uploaded to the cloud, teachers needn’t even bring their laptop to the class as their lessons can be accessed via the myViewBoard companion app on their phone.
For an interactive whiteboard that has been specifically designed to support lessons that flow, the ViewBoard 52 Series offers a market-leading IWB that comes as a 65″ display, 75″ display, and 86″ display to fit any classroom. Complete with user-centric design features, best-in-class collaboration tools, advanced eye-care technology, an integrated soundbar with an 8-mic array, and a browser-based remote management system, the ViewBoard 52 Series leads the way in interactive whiteboards for education.
When choosing an interactive whiteboard for your classroom, be sure to consider each feature in terms of how it assists the user. Connectivity and digital software are a particular pain point for teachers as they worry about facing technical issues and compatibility problems when heading into every class. Touch technology, audio, and eye-care will all have a significantly positive impact on student engagement if supported properly. And finally, for schools considering multiple IWBs, a comprehensive management system will greatly reduce the strain on IT teams and instead show just how efficiently daily operations can be streamlined through EdTech.
If you found this article helpful, you may also be interested in reading 6 Ways to Boost Classroom Productivity with Interactive Flat Panels. Or, for more valuable EdTech insights, be sure to visit the ViewSonic education solutions page.
With a growing number of team leaders facing the challenge of managing remote teams, often with little in the way of previous experience, it can be important to understand what is needed for success and how the role differs from managing teams in a more traditional office environment.
Keep reading to learn more about the best practices for remote team management or visit the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for further insights into remote and hybrid work.
With the continuous global shift towards working from home and the business benefits of remote work continuing to stack up, many team leaders are now being tasked with managing remote teams. While this is perfectly viable, it does present some unique challenges as some established team management practices within the workplace may not translate well to a remote environment.
With this in mind, we take a closer look at 15 best practices for remote team management.
The first step to successfully managing remote teams is to set the ground rules early and make sure they are enforced. The precise rules here will vary from team to team, but employees need to know what is expected of them.
For instance, you might establish early on that the team will have a daily meeting to report progress and bring up any issues. You might also need to set out the best way for team members to contact you and the best times. Setting rules and expectations early will help to ensure the team adheres to them and can also provide a level of consistency.
As Jason Aten highlights in an article for Inc.com, daily check-ins can play a vital role if you are required to remotely manage a team. For some people, switching to remote work can be unsettling, so the routine of checking in with the wider team each day can be extremely valuable, especially in those early days and weeks.
You can use these daily check-ins to assess progress, provide feedback, and see if there are any questions team members need to ask. As the team becomes more settled, the frequency of these group sessions can be reduced.
Another of the best practices for managing remote teams is to make sure the team has a number of different contact options available. This could mean video calls, telephone calls, instant messaging, email, and more.
Clearly, there are significant benefits to video conferencing and this may be the best method of communication for team meetings. Yet, when a team member has a non-urgent question to ask, you probably will not want them to video call you. Provide various options and try to establish which form of communication is best for different situations.
The lack of in-person monitoring means productivity is always a concern with remote working arrangements. Although studies have suggested average productivity does not suffer in most cases, individual productivity might.
There are options available for monitoring activity levels, but these can feel intrusive and may not necessarily provide an accurate reading of all kinds of activity anyway. A better way to keep productivity high may be to work with team members and set individual goals or targets, along with broader team objectives that will help guide individual decision making.
Next, you need to make sure your team is equipped with the software they need to effectively carry out their roles and perform the tasks required. The exact options here will depend on what your team does.
Away from specialist software applications, team members need access to communications software like Microsoft Teams or Zoom, and core applications, like Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. Furthermore, it is important to ensure all team members are using the same versions of the main applications in order to avoid compatibility issues, and also to provide training for employees who are unfamiliar with certain remote work software.
Flexible working is valued by many employees. According to statistics compiled by SmallBizGenius, 76 percent of workers say they would be more willing to stay with their current employer if they could work flexible hours.
Remote working provides an ideal opportunity to introduce or expand on this kind of flexibility. Depending on the work being done and how much real-time collaboration is required, you could opt to be flexible on work start times. In many cases, this has resulted in increased team morale and longer tenure from valued personnel.
One of the more interesting advantages associated with remote work is the ability to hire people from anywhere in the world. After all, when people do not have to attend a physical workplace, they do not need to live close by.
Use this to create a more dynamic, diverse, and specialized team. On a basic level, remote work provides a deeper talent pool to explore, which could result in new hires with superior skills. Beyond this, however, you can also benefit from workers being available at different times of the day or gain valuable local insights by having boots on the ground staff in key regions.
To get the best results, one recommendation from Brent Gleeson, writing in Forbes, is to try to mentor more than you manage. Mentoring means different things to different people, but the aim is to assist with personal development.
This means sharing knowledge and experiences with your team and taking an active interest in their progress. It may involve providing a certain level of emotional support – especially important with remote workers – and it also means making a conscious effort to lead by example and serving as a role model for team members.
Remote work has a number of benefits, but one of the single biggest drawbacks associated with it is the potential for loneliness or social isolation. This can have a devastating impact on the mental health of team members, leading to absenteeism, lower morale, reduced productivity, and increased staff turnover.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take, such as encouraging social interactions via your chosen communication methods. Many organizations set up specific channels for employees to share personal stories such as weekend plans, trips away, birthday wishes, etc. It may also be possible to arrange outings, in-person catch-ups, and other social sessions outside of work time.
Also see: 10 Challenges of Working from Home for Employers (And How to Solve Them)
While regular communication is important for the team, it is also crucial that you take the time to check in with those you remotely manage on a one-to-one basis too. This does not need to occur every day, but it should happen regularly.
You may have some team members who are dealing with issues that they feel unable to share with the wider team; depending on the nature of team meetings, they may not have been able to make points they would have liked to. One-to-one check-ins also offer a good opportunity to provide some coaching and to check on progress.
Careful management of your team is essential, but you will need to find the right balance and avoid becoming overbearing. In particular, micro-managing can become a big problem and can hinder your team’s effectiveness.
When managing remote teams, it is crucial that you provide clear instructions, set deadlines, and ask for progress updates. However, you also need to trust your team and have faith that they know how to do their job. This means knowing when to take a step back and allow them to take charge of the situation.
Many of those who are asked to remotely manage a team do not take the necessary time to ensure that all members of the team each have the equipment they need. This can then have long-term repercussions, especially if people are experiencing physical discomfort when working at home or if they are struggling to do their work effectively.
In particular, you need to think about basic ergonomics. Do your team members have an appropriate desk? Do they have an adjustable chair with the right support to reduce back and neck issues? Are they aware of how to position their monitor? These are all issues that can be monitored in an office environment, but they are easy to miss remotely. For help on this, read Setting Up a Home Office: The Ultimate Guide to Productivity at Home.
Morale is important in any team setting, but remote teams may require an extra level of encouragement. After all, team members are not likely to experience some of the smaller interactions that can help to keep people motivated.
For this reason, it is worth taking the time to provide positive feedback when a team member does something well, or even more generally when the team does something well. Words of encouragement can help team members to feel valued, while a lack of encouragement could lead to situations where team members do not feel valued and lower their effort levels.
Aside from providing feedback to the various team members, it is also useful to take the time to request feedback from them. This feedback could be on the way tasks are organized, the way the day is structured, the workload, etc.
Once you do this, it is important that you actually listen to what is said and understand it. You should also try to identify any clear trends within the feedback, such as issues raised by more than one team member, as these may need to be addressed as a priority. When feedback is heard, people feel more valued, and practices can be improved.
Finally, when managing remote teams, it is best to accept that there will need to be a period of adjustment, where team members get used to working in this way. It is almost inevitable that some unanticipated problems will arise, and certain team members may initially feel unsettled or overwhelmed.
Technical issues are common but can almost always be resolved, while long-standing work habits formed in office environments can take a while to dissipate. Try to stay calm and adopt a patient approach in the early stages.
Getting used to managing remote teams can take time, but the new challenges thrown up by remote work do have solutions making it a perfectly viable arrangement. By using the 15 best practices provided, you can lead an effective team remotely, achieve high levels of productivity and avoid problems to do with morale, well-being, and social isolation.
To ensure remote team members have an optimal display for virtual communication, check out our guide on how to choose a video conferencing monitor. Or, visit the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for more ways to optimize the way you and your teams work.
The idea behind the face-to-face model of blended learning is to use online resources to train and educate individuals who may require additional assistance on specific issues. Simultaneously, the mainstay of the teaching is conducted by the teacher presenting to the entire group. The other main aspect of the face-to-face model is that it will often be used to stretch high achievers beyond the teacher’s standard learning.
Read on to learn about how the face-to-face model of blended learning is so advantageous to a wide range of students or visit the ViewSonic education solutions page for further insights.
The face-to-face model of blended learning has become increasingly popular in many educational settings. The majority of teaching remains conventional insofar as it will be delivered to a group (usually a class defined by educational level) by an individual (usually a teacher). Digital technologies are only deployed within this model of blended learning to augment or add context to teacher-led education. Although the face-to-face model can be used to further the education of any student, the approach tends to be favored for the outliers of a group, either as a revision-aid to help students who may have fallen behind or to offer greater learning opportunities to the brightest students.
As its name implies, the face-to-face model of blended learning involves a great deal of student-teacher interaction. It is primarily, although not exclusively, delivered through classroom teaching, where students will be in physical attendance along with a number of their contemporaries. It is suited to all ages of students, too, from junior schools up to those who are in adult education receiving remedial instruction. In some educational systems, the face-to-face model of blended learning is referred to as the face-to-face driver model. There is no distinction between the two terms, and they are often used interchangeably.
In the face-to-face model, nearly all of the education that is delivered will be offline. This means that it will be given to students in person in the same way that traditional education has always operated. The online elements are there to try and deal with specific issues that may arise for certain students. For example, if a student has started to become disruptive because they have become bored, then a teacher might use an online resource to re-engage that particular student.
This might be the case because the student in question has already mastered the concepts in the lesson plan and is left unchallenged by the teaching that the rest of the class is receiving. In such cases, rather than allowing disruptive behavior to interfere with the majority of the students’ education, a teacher might elect to try the face-to-face model for the most advanced students by setting them more challenging work online. This could be within the classroom while the rest of the student body continues to give their attention to the teacher.
It might also be the case that a teacher needs to continue with the education of the class so that they can achieve a certain standard by the end of a term. However, if they are constantly having to go back to assist students who are struggling, then the progress of the rest of the class may be held back. In such cases, adopting an online face-to-face model may be of use. In this scenario, digital equipment might be used by less well-achieving students to run through reminder sessions online or to cover the ground that they may have missed earlier in the academic year.
In this sense, the face-to-face model is really a blended learning approach that is used to supplement standard pedagogical techniques. It uses in-classroom technology, such as a class tablet, to act as a teaching resource for individual students in such a way that the rest of the class can make solid progress with face-to-face teaching.
The face-to-face model is particularly beneficial when it is deployed among high-achieving students who may feel they are being stifled by continuing at the class’s average pace and capacity for learning. It is equally useful for students who are behind the average learning rate and need extra help. The only difference with the face-to-face model is that such additional assistance is offered via digital means rather than by the teacher or teaching assistant directly.
The main advantage for educators is that the model provides a straightforward means of supporting all students’ needs in an adaptable way. By utilizing the latest educational software tools, teachers can continue to support the needs of the majority of their students directly while not becoming too distracted by the needs of students at either end of the educational scale.
Because it does not need more than a few digital devices to be available in the classroom for students to use, the face-to-face model of blended learning is relatively inexpensive to deploy. Handheld devices, as well as common computer terminals that have access to online educational resources, are enough to proceed. Headphones are also useful where students will be listening to educational content via videos, for example, since these will allow the rest of the in-classroom face-to-face teaching to continue without distractions.
In most cases, the face-to-face model allows students to complete work that the rest of the class is not doing at the same time, within the same physical setting. It is also possible that some digitally assigned learning tasks will be completed at home. If the face-to-face model is used in this way, students will need to either have compatible computer equipment at home or be able to borrow the school’s digital resources.
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A key aspect of the face-to-face model of blended learning is that it allows standard educational techniques to continue to drive engagement. It is a model of blended learning that is associated with traditional teaching methods because it uses digital technology to facilitate lesson delivery without undue interruptions, all for the greater good of the whole class.
If you are interested in learning more about blended learning, we cover the topic in its entirety here. Or, if you would like further insights into the relationship between technology and learning, please feel free to visit the Viewsonic education solutions page.
When contemplating the various challenges of working from home, the focus is often placed on how workers can resolve them, but it is important to understand that employers face a number of challenges that they must find solutions for too. These range from ensuring productivity remains high and collaboration is still possible, right through to making sure employees still feel connected to the organization.
Keep reading to find 10 examples of challenges of working from home for employers, along with possible solutions. You can also visit the ViewSonic workplace solutions page to find out more about optimizing the home office workspace.
In recent years, much has been made of the various benefits that are associated with home working arrangements, but the challenges of working from home also deserve some attention. After all, telecommuting has fundamentally altered the way many people think about work, and the way work is carried out, and any transformation of this kind will have hurdles that need to be cleared and difficulties that need to be addressed.
For this reason, in this article, we will provide 10 examples of challenges that are associated with working from home, and we will also offer realistic solutions for employers and those who are managing remote teams. After all, there are a number of ways in which remote work arrangements can benefit employers.
One of the main advantages of office-based working is the social element that is built into the arrangement. While employers do not want any of this socializing within the workplace to impact productivity, it is clear that interacting with other people on a daily basis is good for workers’ mental health and morale.
Communications technology can assist with this particular issue, providing something akin to typical work-based social interaction. Solutions like Microsoft Teams and Zoom can at least limit the negative impact. Management should work to create a company culture in which employees use online communication tools as much as possible, and not only for business-related conversations. Creating a channel for personal sharing can encourage employees to discuss things such as trips, weekend plans, and social events. It may also be sensible to provide a degree of flexibility so that staff can attend the workplace at times if they feel it will help them.
Although research indicates that productivity among remote workers tends to be high, this will not be the case for each and every remote worker. For employers, a key challenge involves making sure employees maintain the levels of productivity they typically achieve in the workplace, despite them working away from any in-person supervision.
Regular contact with staff can help to keep productivity levels up, especially when combined with clear target setting. When further action is required, performance and activity monitoring software may be able to help employers to identify the remote workers that are not working hard enough, but this needs to be balanced against privacy concerns. Furthermore, ensure employees are equipped with a monitor setup that is conducive to productivity as working from a laptop can be slow and inefficient. For help choosing the right monitor, see our guide on how to choose a computer monitor for business.
When purchasing chairs and desks, many employers prioritize ergonomics. In doing so, you can potentially limit issues associated with physical discomfort, which can lead to a loss of productivity and increased absenteeism. However, remote workers may not have access to good equipment, and this could lead to physical discomfort in the long-term.
Taking the time to educate your workforce about issues related to physical discomfort – including how to sit, how to position their screen, and the importance of light – can be important. For a detailed breakdown of all these factors, read our guide to setting up a productive workspace at home. In many cases, employers may also need to bite the bullet and invest in desks, chairs, and other equipment for their employees to use when working remotely.
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The physical separation of your workforce and the reliance on remote teams can lead to issues with collaboration. At the same time, employees also miss out on the kind of chance encounters that often spark new ideas. These various issues can then potentially have a knock-on effect on creativity and innovation within your organization.
Again, Microsoft Teams and similar software solutions play a key role in remote collaboration, but management will also need to pay careful attention to discussions in order to encourage universal participation. While digital collaboration software is quickly advancing, it is also important that employees be equipped with the right hardware. Monitors that are optimized for video conferencing will go a long way to facilitate more efficient online collaboration between remote team members.
In an office environment, it is easy to control access to software, and this means you can ensure all employees can use the tools they need to do their job. When managing remote teams, potential issues can develop, with some employees not having access to the right software, or with employees using different versions, leading to compatibility problems.
Cloud-based software solutions like Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace can help to provide consistency across the board in terms of the software employees have access to. Platforms such as these provide the kind of comprehensive solution to a centralized communication and information sharing strategy that is vital to the success of remote teams.
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Having a team of workers accessing your network remotely, sometimes from their own devices, potentially opens your organization up to a range of security threats, from viruses, malware, and ransomware, through to phishing and other forms of social engineering. Minimizing any associated risk, therefore, needs to be a top priority.
All computers being used for remote work should have up-to-date virus software installed. A remote-access VPN can be used to encrypt the connection between employees’ devices and the company network. Regular cybersecurity awareness training should also be provided, and a strong password policy should be adopted. In some cases, it may be best to invest in dedicated work computers for employees, rather than allowing them to use their own devices.
Concerns about sedentary lifestyles are common in relation to office environments, but they apply to remote work too. After all, when dealing with remote teams, it becomes more difficult to enforce breaks and lunch hours, and the commute to and from the workplace is also removed, which could reduce daily exercise.
Organizations should clearly communicate the importance of taking scheduled lunch breaks and rest breaks. If you get wind of employees who are failing to do so, discuss this with them and re-iterate the associated problems. It may also be worth scheduling a team meeting to discuss the importance of exercise, and sit-stand desks could also help.
Work/life balance is among the biggest challenges of working remotely, and it can have consequences for employers. The issues here could involve over-working, where employees spend too much of their time working or thinking about work, but they could equally involve doing too little work, especially if there are distractions at home. In the US, Gartner found that a proper work/life balance is more valued by employees than health benefits.
Monitor how much time your employees are actually spending at work. While overtime can play an important role in some companies, it needs to be balanced against ensuring a proper work/life balance is maintained. When possible, offer access to a physical workplace, too, as this could allow employees to escape home-based distractions.
When employees are in the same workplace, ensuring everyone understands the tasks they have been assigned is relatively simple, and management staff and colleagues are typically available to assist anyone who is struggling. When staff are working remotely, it becomes harder to identify those who are having difficulties.
With this particular challenge, constant communication is absolutely critical. Apart from team meetings, also make time to have regular one-on-one meetings with individual employees. You should also encourage employees to ask if they have a problem and take care to avoid making them feel like a nuisance if they do so. In some cases, it can also be helpful to encourage workers to contact their colleagues for remote assistance and support.
Finally, one issue you may encounter is a reluctance from some employees to work from home regularly. There may be all kinds of reasons behind this reluctance, from distractions at home to being in a long-term habit of going into the workplace. Simply ignoring this issue may cause unhappiness and even lead to people looking for work elsewhere.
The best solution here is to provide choice, where possible. Allow employees to work in the office if they genuinely prefer it, and provide a level of flexibility, so they can change their work arrangements on occasion, in order to break things up. It may also help to offer incentives for working from home, such as flexible start times.
While managing remote teams can present a number of issues, many of the challenges of working remotely that impact employees can actually be resolved by employers. The main things to prioritize include regular communication, provision of the right equipment, and adopting a degree of flexibility in working arrangements when possible.
If you are exploring the possibilities of remote work, you may also be interested in How to Optimize Productivity with Remote Work. You can also visit the ViewSonic workplace solutions page for more insights into remote and hybrid work.