The arrival of Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has forced organizations around the world to reconsider how their businesses operate, and many are now looking at remote working as a possible solution. That’s where Microsoft Teams comes in. Below, we look at how COVID-19 is affecting businesses, and why introducing Microsoft Teams into your workplace might help your employees stay safe and productive.
Impact of COVID-19 on business
There’s no doubt that COVID-19 is changing the workplace, at least in the short to medium-term. The reality is that commuters don’t want to travel to work right now – in a recent survey, nearly 40 percent of respondents admitted that they’re feeling very hesitant about their daily commute. It’s on employers to figure out a solution to the problem, which is where remote working policies and cloud-based platforms come in.
In response to the outbreak, and to help you keep your business functioning, Microsoft is offering a freesix-month trial for its premium tier of Microsoft Teams. This isn’t an offer you want to pass up. Let’s take a look at why.
Microsoft Teams: how it works
How Microsoft Teams works is simple. It’s a streamlined, unified communications platform that allows remote teams to work together in a common space. It doesn’t matter where your employees work from – all they need is an internet connection. Day or night, your teams can come together to get the work done. The key benefits of Microsoft Teams include:
- Chatting remotely
- Instantly hosting conference calls
- Accessing, sharing, and editing documents in real time
- Setting up video calls at the touch of a button
Here’s a closer look at these benefits and why you should introduce Microsoft Teams today.
How Microsoft Teams can keep your company operational
Although there are multiple benefits of setting up Microsoft Teams, there are a few advantages that stand out during challenging times like the COVID-19 outbreak.
Bring employees together
The key benefit of Microsoft Teams is how it brings employees together. Whether they’re working from a home office or a coffee shop, they all come together when it counts. Employees can blur out their work space – or kitchen – during video calls, and they can quickly drop in and out of conferences with no disruption. They can also easily set up meetings and plan a team schedule, which helps to keep everyone productive and unified.
Encourage collaboration
Coworkers are still coworkers, even if they’re miles apart. With Teams, collaborating just got easier than ever. Microsoft Teams allows everyone to share, edit, and save Office documents in real time, which encourages coworkers to exchange ideas and innovate. What’s more, you can even record calls and meetings to let absent coworkers catch up.
Centralize communications
Teams revolutionizes how your team communicates by centralizing everything. Now, your team can jump instantly from chat to video call at the touch of a button, and all communications are kept in one place. Plus, coworkers can share their availability by setting status messages, so everyone knows how and when to reach them. It doesn’t matter how big your team is, either – whether it’s five or 500, there’s no limit on conference call sizes.
Improve morale
Microsoft Teams isn’t just about work. It’s about your team. The platform makes it easy for employees to chat and share what’s going on in their daily lives, which helps keep morale high. Employees can send each other stickers, emojis, and gifs, which can brighten the workday and take everyone’s mind off COVID-19. Remember, remote working can be isolating, so encouraging some casual chatter between employees is a great way to stay social.
Boost efficiency
Without a lengthy commute to work and back, employees have more time to be productive – great news for you! Microsoft Teams is all about efficiency and streamlining your daily processes. From instant document sharing to scheduling conference calls at the touch of a button, your employees can work quickly and effectively through the platform.
Introducing Teams into your workplace
It doesn’t take long to get started on Microsoft Teams. If you’re not already licensed for Teams, contact us now, and we’ll help you get up and running as soon as possible. If you are licensed for Office 365, you’ve already got Teams, and we can help you roll it out.
Microsoft Teams – work remotely without feeling isolated.
Written By:
Caroline Blivet
As Softlanding's Marketing Lead, Caroline and is responsible for driving lead generation, developing a go-to-market strategy and, delivering marketing campaigns. Outside of work, Caroline enjoys hiking the beautiful trails of British Columbia.
More By This Author
