Sales Director
This post explores how working habits are changing in the UK and how VoIP phone systems have become an essential lynch pin in the shift to hybrid working.
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What the past few years have told us is that hybrid working is becoming the future. Many employers are discovering the vast number of benefits of their employees working from home, including increased productivity and employee well-being. Statistics show that 85% of employees want a ‘hybrid’ approach of both home and office working in future (source) and 21% of respondents who had quit their jobs in 2021 reported doing so because of lack of flexible working hours or location (source). Hybrid working is here to stay, meaning that businesses need to adapt to make hybrid working easier and more streamlined.
This change has required offices to adapt their telecoms to allow easy in-office and at-home working. Streamlined and easy communication is vital for every business, whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, it's the backbone of any business.
If you are a business that is adopting hybrid working, you are most likely looking for an efficient communication system that allows your employees to connect and communicate seamlessly. Implementing a VoIP Cloud-based System into your business might be the solution you are looking for to allow your communication to become smooth-running and efficient. This guide will look at how VoIP can boost and improve your hybrid working set-up, therefore making employee communications uncomplicated and more practical.
Fixed line phone systems, such as those running on ISDN, make flexible and hybrid working very difficult. Using fixed-line phone systems restricts your employees to be fixed to one location. Landlines are secured to one location which requires you to physically be there to answer, meaning that your employees cannot work remotely unless they provide their home or mobile number. Yes, you could forward calls, but as soon as you do that, you lose all the features a phone system provides. Because of this, past hybrid working wasn’t feasible. That’s why 31% of businesses now primarily use a VoIP service (Multicominc, 2021), with 55% of businesses still using a mix of VoIP and traditional phone services (Blueface, 2018), therefore playing a big role in the move to hybrid working.
There are many other disadvantages of integrating or maintaining the old ISDN or phone system model into your business communications. Not only is it expensive to set up and maintain, as you have to replace and upgrade the equipment every 5-7 years, but there is no flexibility for your workers. VoIP phone systems are becoming increasingly popular and the preferred option to fixed-line phone systems due to VoIP’s flexibility, price and limitless possibilities for employees.
As fixed-line phone systems are not allowing smooth communication between those who are working from home, VoIP is fast replacing the traditional fixed-line phone network. VoIP transmits voice calls through the internet, similar to how we send pictures, emails and messages to others across the globe.
By integrating VoIP systems into your business, employees can work from anywhere with all of the integrated features that go with them. Using a cloud-based VoIP system means that your phone system is located in data centres, much like your email or other web services. Being that your phone system runs over the internet, it frees you from the disadvantages of having a fixed line for your phones.
Using an application that only requires an internet connection, it allows your employees to be flexible in where they work, without the worry of missing important phone calls.
A high-quality VoIP phone system can bring many groundbreaking solutions to your business adapting to hybrid working. As long as you have a phone or device with an internet connection, you can stay connected to your VoIP phone system. Here are just several other important benefits to expect from switching from fixed-line phone systems to VoIP:
Implementing a cloud-based VoIP system will allow flexibility in where your employees work. Flexibility is an important thing that many job seekers look for when applying for jobs. A study conducted by CareerBuilder found that 61% of workers said they worked better remotely than in an office setting. It simply doesn’t make sense to have an office phone, only to be used at the office, the only thing that is holding them back from working in a way that makes them more productive and efficient. By allowing your employees to work from home with a smooth-running communication system, you can boost workforce productivity.
By using cloud-based technology, you are allowing employees to connect with each other wherever they are in the world. Whether an employee is working from the office, home, or abroad, they can easily communicate with colleagues regarding office updates, reports and other key tasks. As long as your employees have the internet, they will stay connected, regardless of where they are based. By using VoIP, employees can straightforwardly conduct call transfers on their mobile devices, meaning they can pass calls between team members regardless of where they are.
VoIP systems are compatible with other apps too, such as Microsoft Teams, Skype and Slack. Making VoIP systems easy to use so employees can do everything with just a few clicks.
Using VoIP systems allows your employees to work anywhere. By downloading the app on your mobile, you are allowing your employees to answer work calls using their mobile phones while using the same number as they would in the office. As long as you have a stable and reliable internet connection, employees can make and receive calls. There is also no need for remote or hybrid workers to give out mobile numbers, VoIP systems allow employees to take on their office numbers on their mobile devices.
Never miss a vital part of an important conversation during calls with colleagues or clients by using call recording. VoIP allows you to automatically record and store voice data, regardless of the device you are using. Utilising call recording on your VoIP system allows you to store and play back vital data from phone conversations with clients and suppliers. Using call recording while working remotely is really important as it gives you full control over your business' call quality, regardless of where your teams are working.
When your employees are located in numerous locations across the region, and possibly the globe, VoIP makes employee connectivity even easier. Conference calls become more straightforward as all your employees are connected to the same system. Whether they are video chatting, messaging or file sharing, remote team members can collaborate effortlessly regardless of their location.
With VoIP systems, you can select many advanced features and technologies to best suit your business needs. Depending on your business requirements, you can opt for features, including conference calls, auto attendants, caller ID, advanced call queuing, voicemail, call recording, call centre capabilities and many more.
Having a phone system that allows for advanced customisation and technology is a great solution for both small and large businesses working in a remote setting. Not only that but it's a great solution for hospitality, retail and construction.
On average, fixed phone line systems cost businesses over double the amount of VoIP plans each month. Not only that but with fixed phone line systems, there is a lot of expensive hardware to set up and maintain. With a VoIP system, there is no need for physical hardware because the system is hosted in the cloud and eliminates that need.
The simple answer? Yes. To adapt to the times of allowing your employees to work from home while ensuring easy communication, VoIP systems will slowly become a vital part of any business. Using older fixed-line phone systems will not allow easy, streamlined and efficient communication between your employees and external parties.
Hybrid working is the future. To adapt to the rise in demand of employees that prefer to work from home, your business needs a solution for workers to stay connected with the office and external calls while they are working from home.
To get the most out of your VoIP Cloud-based System and for easy set-up, get in content with T2k. T2K has been helping a wide range of businesses get the most from their telephone systems for more than 25 years. Our expert advisors are here to help you find the most beneficial VoIP Cloud-based System for your company. We’re here to assist you to find the easiest, most beneficial VoIP systems for you and your employees. For a jargon-free conversation on how VoIP can make your construction business run better, contact T2K today.
Having worked for T2k for nearly 25 years, it's fair to say that Lee is an expert when it comes to all things telephony and business communications. Overseeing the commercial side of the business, he has helped the company evolve and grow through the decades. In recent years, and with the advent of VoIP and hosted telephony, Lee has made sure that T2k is at the forefront of technological developments. With a firm interest in helping businesses navigate the world of telecoms, Lee is responsible for the majority of the content on this website.
