It’s a new era of work, with employees demanding more flexible schedules and options for where they get work done. According to a recent study from PwC, issues around flexibility represent the fourth-most-cited reason for employees leaving their jobs, right after career advancement challenges.
The study also shows that employee preferences for where and when they work are as varied as the employees themselves. While 22% say they want to work most days in the office, almost as many employees want to work entirely off-site (19%), with most everyone else preferring some mix. It’s all about work-life balance and new opportunities to perfect it.
Employers are doing their best to accommodate all these work styles. A third of companies surveyed by PwC say they plan to support a mix of in-person, fully remote, and hybrid (remote and on-site) workers, and only 19% say they’re insisting on all in-person work. But they’re challenged in keeping everyone on the same page with some people at home and others at the office.
That’s where a unified communications and collaboration (UCC) solution can help.
UCC for seamless contact
UCC solutions combine voice, text, video conferencing, and more in one cloud-based application that employees can rely on to keep them in sync with everyone else.
“A unified communications system gives you and your colleagues choices about where you work while keeping you efficient,” explains Ankita Dasgupta, a product marketing manager for UCC at GoTo. “There’s no gap in communication, no gap in collaboration. You still get the connection you need to meet your goals and deadlines.”
Having just one vendor for most communication needs also solves the problem of increasing complexity for growing companies. Separate video conferencing solutions, phone systems, and messaging platforms can quickly add up, as can the costs and time required to train staff.
In contrast, a single UCC solution offers seamless technology integrations, a simplified user experience, and lower costs with volume discounts and bundled services.
“UCC software can be set up quickly,” Dasgupta says. “So you can communicate with your co-workers immediately and hit the ground running—even when they’re not in the same building.”
Integrations for even greater connectivity
For maximum effectiveness, a good UCC solution also integrates with other elements of a company’s technology stack.
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems, customer support platforms, calendars, and more can all benefit from quick access to messages, calling, and conferencing capabilities, Dasgupta explains. “With integrations with Salesforce, or HubSpot, or Microsoft Teams, communications are a lot easier and more efficient.”
Benefits in the cloud
Besides connecting far-flung employees, a cloud-based UCC solution provides additional benefits. For example, GoTo Connect allows for call tagging to categorize calls by type. Dasgupta says that feature is handy for customer service agents and their managers. “You can tag the calls coming in to understand how many are about specific issues,” she explains. “So, let’s say I’m in the business of transportation, providing cars, and I’m getting a lot of calls about maintenance. I might want to tag those calls to focus on specific issues, which can be really helpful.”
Dial plans, another GoTo Connect feature, lets companies customize call routing using a simple-to-use drag-and-drop interface. With dial plans, users can quickly change how their calls get routed from anywhere without the hassle of a traditional phone system that might require calls to support staff.
It all adds up to effective ways to keep employees and customers working together effectively, even when they’re not in the same location. It’s a critical need in the era of hybrid work.
For more information about how a UCC solution can help your business stay in contact with customers, prospects, and employees wherever they are, visit GoTo.com.