The modern hybrid workplace is designed to support a distributed workforce of both in-office and remote workers. In a flexible, hybrid environment, with some employees on site and others in remote locations, meetings can be a challenge.

The good news is that there are ways to integrate physical and digital technologies that ensure everyone’s voice can be heard and teams can truly collaborate.

Regardless of where they work, your employees are going to expect seamless access to video calls, messaging and phone calls. This is essential so they can remain connected, their managers can keep in touch, and teams can work together – and it’s also key to maintaining a positive corporate culture and ensuring everyone feels a sense of inclusion.

Technology like Microsoft Teams, which is part of the Microsoft 365 family, enables this level of communication and connection by combining meetings, chats, calls and document collaboration in a single place, integrated with Office apps and business process automation tools.

Microsoft added more than 100 new features to Teams in 2021 alone and continues to innovate continuously. Microsoft recently introduced a new product called Microsoft Viva, the first integrated employee experience platform designed for hybrid work. Consider these and other technologies, based on what will best support your operations, and plan to invest strategically to give everyone the tools they need to succeed in the hybrid workplace.

In addition, a calling and meeting room solution such as Microsoft Teams Rooms lets everyone participate equally in meetings, even if they aren’t in the same space. Look for features like:

•  meeting room cameras that can frame the people in the room
•  intelligent audio that identifies who is speaking
•  live captions so people can follow along and easily join in
•  digital whiteboards that can be accessed either in the meeting room or remotely

Another option for connecting your physical and digital environments is Microsoft Teams Panels, which lets users easily view and book boardrooms and keep track of scheduling, whether they are on-site or remote.

It can be far too easy in a hybrid workplace to create two separate employee experiences: one for those on-site and another, less engaged one, for those working remotely. By incorporating technologies that naturally integrate all members of the team, you will ensure that everyone gets a chance to be fully involved in team meetings – regardless of where they sit.

Contact us today to learn about how FSi Strategies can help you ensure your technology is set up so your teams can collaborate, communicate and innovate in the hybrid world.

For more information about your hybrid approach, watch our webinar on “the six components to conquer your hybrid workplace strategy.“