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Working From Home? Here Are 5 Benefits Of Video Conferencing

September 29th, 2021 | Posted by ATS in Biometric FaceScan | Business Software Automation | Employee Productivity | FaceScan Time Clock | HR | Payroll | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time and Attendance Canada | Time and Attendance On-Demand | Time and Attendance Toronto | Wellness | Work-Life Balance - (Comments Off on Working From Home? Here Are 5 Benefits Of Video Conferencing)

While the pandemic restrictions have somewhat eased, business executives need to make decisions about how to achieve an optimal remote work strategy. And, unlike the reactive shift, that began in 2020, this new “back to normal” is one that should include some form of remote/hybrid return to work experience going forward.

Video conferencing, while nothing new, permeated every business, both small and large during the height of COVID-19 and continues to be the way the format many businesses, use today to connect with their employees and customers.

In a recent article, for HR Daily Advisor, titled “5 Benefits of Video Conferencing for HR” Luke Smith espouses the use of video conferencing:

“1. Personal Connection  The HR department is composed of many different positions, and they can all benefit from video, even when your team is only discussing topics among themselves. From assistants who respond directly to employee questions to managers who handle all the tiny details, everyone on the team can use video to communicate clearly and efficiently at the touch of a button.

The greatest benefit of video conferencing software is the ability to communicate and meet in person even if we’re far apart. By connecting over video, you can share all necessary details with your coworkers without having to go back and forth in e-mails or direct messages. Plus, the human connection is essential when we’re all isolated and working from home.

2. Easier Interviews: Video conferencing allows you to interview candidates with considerably less effort than it used to take. In the past, in-person interviews severely limited the number of candidates a company could consider. Now, with widely accepted remote options, employees can interview and work from almost anywhere. This helps you find the perfect fit for any position! Furthermore, HR can send recorded videos of interviews to other decision-makers within the company for review.

3. Reduce Costs: While interviewing is easier with video conferencing, it’s also less expensive. Not only do employees not need to pay for travel, but there are also fewer expenses when there is no physical office (lighting, utilities, rent, etc.).

In the past, when interviewing for high-ranking positions, many companies would fly in candidates, put them up in hotels, provide rental cars, and then pay to send them home. That, too, is a thing of the past, and the savings can be exponential.

4. Mental Health Considerations: While the interviewing aspect is great, video conferencing can also help with the needs of your current employees, especially when your department is working to improve employees’ mental health. The ability to speak to HR or anyone at the office without having to be physically present creates more opportunities to allow employees to work from home and work flexible schedules.

With COVID-19 still a factor, many working parents are dealing with extra responsibilities, including caring for their kids and homeschooling. If HR can provide the chance for employees to start later in the day so they can take care of their kids and still be face-to-face for an important meeting via video conferencing, it will make a big difference in your employees’ lives, and they will truly appreciate the gesture.

5. Easier Presentations: On the topic of presentations, HR can also use video conferencing software to schedule high-quality webinars for management or staff. In addition to showing your face during the meeting, you can also utilize the benefits of screen-sharing.

Just about every video conferencing tool has a screen-sharing option, and it allows you to show the content on your screen to your audience in real time. Slideshow presentations are particularly powerful in this medium, and you can also record your screen during the show so your webinar can be watched again at a later time by any employees who missed it”.

Bottomline: The pandemic has forced employers to re-think their approach to work. Video-based apps and connected device services have proven how important ease of use is for technology adoption. And, while many of us slowly make our way to offices the popularity of video conferencing has not become a business staple for now and the foreseeable future.

To learn more about ATS, register for a bi-monthly webinar or download a demo from our website. And, to reach us by phone, call 866.294.2467.

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Why are Some Employees Feeling Anxious About Returning to the Office?

July 29th, 2021 | Posted by ATS in Benefit Accruals | Contactless Time Clocks | Digital | Employee Productivity | Employee Self Service | Google | HR | Leave Management | Office | Productivity | SmartPhones | Talent Management | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time and Attendance Canada - (Comments Off on Why are Some Employees Feeling Anxious About Returning to the Office?)

Before COVID-19 the way we work have been defined by predictable patterns involving who is doing the work, where it occurs and when it happens. And, while technological advancements, have impacted some of these norms, the pandemic upended it altogether and, accelerated the arrival of new ways of working. Many employees who initially felt anxiety about working from home, have come to embrace it after 15 months of lockdown.

Today, as many employers start to unveil their post-pandemic plans for a return-to the office, they are getting pushback from some employees, who are keen to retain their work from home privileges. But is this indicative of a more widespread resistance among workers who do not want to revert to pre-pandemic patterns or is it something else? It is possible, that employees, after working remotely for so many months, feel they can be productive at home – and that the reasons their employers want them back in-office does not add up.

While there are several factors at play, as to why, some employees, are pushing back about returning to the office — below are 3 reasons for the possible hesitancy by some workers.

  1. Lockdown fatigue is real- COVID-19 has been debilitating for all of us and we’re tired of lockdowns. The constant anxiety of living and working through a pandemic has left many of us feeling low in energy, and the thought of driving and working in an office alongside others-in and of itself, is exhausting.
  2. Office work doesn’t allow for a healthy work-life-balance-Lockdown has been isolating and although we have craved the company of coworkers, we have also been able to separate work and leisure time. We have been able to exercise, read and spend time with our loved ones without feeling guilty because we were late getting home for dinner, after the commute from the office.
  3. Going back to pre-pandemic work is the cause of our anxiety- In addition to wearing face masks, we would be following social distancing guidelines and staring at stickers telling us how to behave correctly and politely, while on the subway or standing in a crowded elevator.  This is an added layer of anxiety to an already stressful time, that not everyone is looking forward to.

Bottomline: It’s still early to say what the post-pandemic work environment will look like, and not all employers are scheduling employees back to the office. In fact, some are doing it in stages, while others are delaying a return to the office for some staff. Many employers are still being lenient with policies as the virus lingers, vaccinations continue to roll out and childcare situations remain erratic.

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About ATS
ATS offers a broad portfolio of time and attendance solutions that streamlines the collection, calculation, and reporting of employee hours for workforce management and eliminates the manual tasks of payroll preparation, increasing efficiency and reducing errors in corporate payroll departments.

Thousands of organizations across North, Central and South America and Europe- including more than half of the Fortune 500 – use ATS TimeWork OnDemand, Workforce Planning, Employee Scheduling HR and payroll solutions to manage their workforce.

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