It’s no secret that the way business is conducted is changing. While offices still exist, it’s not out of the ordinary for your fellow employees to work from home, or be based in another region entirely. That’s why it’s important that you work towards introducing online collaboration tools into your workplace.
Here at TitanFile, we’ve got half a country between our offices. And while some people may find that challenging, we’ve embraced the opportunity to be able to meet top talent in two diverse locations. Due to our distance, we’ve become masters at online messaging, video conferencing, and secure file sharing. Here are some of the benefits we’re seeing from online collaboration:
1: Less email
We’ve all become slaves to our inbox, constantly checking for updates, and being interrupted during our day-to-day tasks to make sure we aren’t missing anything. It’s no wonder that sometimes it’s not the most effective way to communicate with your team. Too often someone opens an email with the intention of replying, only to be sidelined by another task or request. By introducing other means of communication, including an online chat service or a file sharing provider that has messaging capabilities, you’ll have messaging functionality that takes people away from the email trap and puts them squarely where they need to be – focusing on the task at hand.
2: Increased productivity
It can be challenging to get a group together for an in-person meeting. Once you’re all congregated in a board room you’ve lost time not only getting together, but also in engaging in the idle chitchat that comes with setting up a meeting. Allowing everyone to dial in directly from their desk means they’re in a workspace that’s comfortable and they’ve got all the resources necessary to get the job done. At the end of the meeting everyone can quickly return to their original tasks, cutting out the time required for shutting down projectors and tidying up the space.
3: Work anywhere
Telecommuting is opening up a whole world of possibilities for the workforce. Many people find it refreshing when their commute to work consists of stopping in the kitchen on the way to their home office. Once you’ve figured out the best way to collaborate online, including the channels that work best for your team, you’ll be empowered to complete tasks in the location that works best for you.
4: Attract top talent
Young adults are joining the workforce, and they’re no longer content with data entry and photocopying. By presenting your office as a collaborative workspace during interviews, you’re telling new faces that you’re interested in hearing their opinions and involving them in group discussions. The transparency that comes with group work will be appealing for potential employees who are looking to actively contribute to your organization.
5: Become a better communicator
When you’re unable to walk down the hallway to provide clarity on points in your latest correspondence, you’ll become better at clearly expressing what you want. Streamlining how you convey your thoughts in an online request helps you become more effective at communicating your needs, cutting back on empty missives.
How collaborative is your workplace? What works for you? Leave us a note in the comments on how you’re seeing success in teamwork