The days of gathering around a conference table or meeting space with all of your employees, or even just team members working on a specific project, are quickly disappearing. The reasons for this can vary from market conditions to employee preference to cost control and more, but the fact is that a distributed workforce, remote employees and virtual offices are here to stay. A study by Fortune showed a 26% increase for open remote job postings in 2014. And Forrester forecasts that by the end of 2016 the telecommuting population will reach 63 million, or 43% of the United States workforce.
Technology continues to advance making remote work not only cost-effective but productive, a New York Times survey found that working from home increases productivity by 13%. IBM has also reported that their telecommuting base is 50% more productive than their office bound counterparts. However this practice isn’t necessarily new, it’s just expanding. Aetna, the insurance conglomerate, has been promoting remote, or telework, for over 20 years. In fact over 31% of their employees work remotely. The option and ability to work remotely can also be used as a talent acquisition tool. The same New York Times survey showed that 37% of technology professionals would accept a 10% pay cut for the opportunity to work remotely.
So the numbers and trends show that more companies and more workers are opting for this type of workforce, but how? The answer is simple and getting easier. The best part is you don’t have to be a multi-national, Fortune 500 company to leverage its benefits.
Benefits of Video Conferencing
- Cost Savings
Video conferencing on a regular basis can reduce travel costs by as much as 30% (possibly more depending on your company). There are tremendous cost saving opportunities that will quickly pay for the technology upgrade and still allow your company to meet face-to-face, no matter where that face might be.
- Increased Interest
The cost and time saving parameters offered by video conferencing have piqued the interest of CFOs across all industries. In fact 56% of CFO’s have said they would invest in the technology simply to reduce travel expenses. As more executives become familiar with the platform, and the affordability continues to grow, companies of all sizes will adopt.
- Enhanced Communication
One thing that is lost via phone conversation is body language. In fact studies show that 93% of communication is non-verbal. Furthermore according to Forbes, 55% of that is facial expressions and body language. When employees and team members can actually see each other, meeting efficiencies increase while miscommunication decreases.
- Less Travel
While we’ve touched on the substantial savings gained by less travel, there are other tangible benefits that come along with videoconferencing. 70% of people would rather video conference than travel to a meeting. The time savings alone of no longer having to wait in line, fly, rent a car, check-in to a hotel, etc. is substantial. The resulting increase in productivity alone makes video conferencing an easy choice.
- Growing Access
The cost of entry is also decreasing. What once would have been an investment and endeavor only undertaken by large enterprises is now available for businesses of all sizes. 75% of senior management leaders agree that video conferencing will be implemented at their companies. Traditional conference call systems are being enhanced and upgraded for little cost.
A Wainhouse Research study showed that the utilization of video conferencing increased productivity in 94% of the businesses studied. Whether you have offices across the globe, the country, the state or even across the street, Link Integration Group has the HD video conferencing solution for your business. This commercial integration firm will design and install a customized audio/visual platform that meets your specific needs.
