Businesses around the world are going through testing times and facing some usual challenges. It’s testing their overall resilience, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost all the companies have adopted work from home to avoid possible exposure to the virus.
Remote working was a growing trend before this serious situation came into the picture. In 2018, there were more than 4.3 million remote workers in the USA, making up 3.2% of the total workforce. Considering the current scenario, the number of remote workers worldwide have been dramatically increased. As a result, companies are looking for ways to utilize existing technologies to maintain employee efficiency while they are not in the office.
However, organizations need to have some appropriate tools to help remote employees access company data and communication tools. Companies that are actively using Microsoft Teams will more likely support remote work requirements. It will help employees stay productive and frequently communicate even if they aren’t physically present in the workplace.
Here are some of the key capabilities of Microsoft Teams that make it the best tool for remote working:
1. Emergency communications and resource deliveries
Microsoft Teams is a boon to HR and crisis management teams due to its real-time messaging and resource sharing capabilities. You can create a group in Teams where all the active users can send or receive messages in real-time. This feature is relevant when there are some crucial announcements, exchange of communication between employees and management.
Employees can also access and share the essential files that might be critical resources during this period, including guides, policies, etc.
2. Teams file tab to access work files
The file tab in Teams helps you upload documents and make those accessible to anyone with the appropriate membership.
MS Teams can support file share and storage to bring increased flexibility to remote employees. As the data is stored in the cloud through Teams without using a VPN, file sharing isn’t just restricted to the office network.
3. Use computers for verbal communication
Not all companies use the VoIP system to access voicemail and business numbers from the remote working location. But companies using MS Teams can receive calls directly on their machines and mobile phones. This feature is convenient for those employees who don’t want to share their numbers.
4. Team meetings support collaboration
When team members can no longer meet in the same meeting room, having a platform like MS Teams is a must. This collaboration tool helps you host or attend virtual meetings while you want to communicate on projects or any business-related topics. Other than verbal communication in meetings, it supports content sharing through screen-sharing feature, that’s critical for business success. Besides, Teams helps companies host video conferences with blurred background and whiteboard for idea-sharing.
5. Security while working remotely
With remote work comes a set of security risks. It is especially in the case when employees are using their own devices to work. But MS Teams is here to mitigate all these security risks at once. Employees can use a web browser to access company data without the need to connect to the company network. Also, this platform offers safeguards through O365 compliance and security to detect data leaks or any other threats in the system.
Before a communication tool like MS Teams, most of the organizations could think of work from home as an efficient way to work. With Teams, companies can establish processes to ensure that their employees are productive while working remotely.
Learn how useful is MS Teams for your business communications: