Remember when going to work meant interacting with your superiors, co-workers, and subordinates on a regular basis? Today, that is not a fact. According to The State of Telework in the US, a report by GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, as of October 2012, more than 3.1 million employees in the United States are telecommuters. While telecommuting has its benefits, it also has its costs, one of which is a lack of regular interaction with other employees. In fact, the lack of face-to-face interaction was one of the reasons behind Marissa Mayer’s recent decision to reverse Yahoo! about working from home.
While banning telecommuting is drastic and widely unpopular, it is not necessary. The same technological evolution that made telecommuting a mainstream option has also led to innovations that bring remote employees back together. Webcasting turns face-to-face interactions a simple matter of point, click, and smile.
What exactly is webcasting? At its most basic, webcasting involves the use of software to broadcast live video and audio. For example, if you’ve ever used Skype or Facetime to video chat with a friend, you participated in a basic webcast. Likewise, if you’ve ever watched a live event on your computer or logged into a live video conference or webinar, you’ve experienced a webcast.
A webcasting platform can bring your entire team together, regardless of where people are. Whether a small team needs to collaborate on an upcoming project or needs to deliver a video presentation to the entire global workforce, webcasting makes it possible to do so with full-motion video and crystal-clear audio.
Video brings an additional dimension to interactions: visual cues. For example, while your employees could certainly collaborate using voice or text-based tools, they cannot read the body language of others. This can be especially important when employees come from different backgrounds. A simple smile or shrug can overcome language barriers. Facial expressions convey a great deal of information that is lost over the phone or via email. Also, being able to see a person’s lips move while speaking helps listeners better understand what is being said, especially if the speaker has a heavy accent or if the listener is hard of hearing.
In an increasingly disconnected workplace, webcasting can also break the ice and build stronger relationships. When emails can seem demanding or impersonal, video meetings remind employees that there is a real person on the other end who needs help.
Webcasting can also bring together employees who would not otherwise have the opportunity to work together. For example, one of your star customer service representatives in Singapore could give helpful customer service tips to new call center hires in the United States without traveling. What about the time zone difference? The webcast can be streamed live or recorded for later. Not only can you use the initial webcast now, you can also use it to update future employees.
The possibilities are virtually limitless. If your employees are separated by distance, bridge that gap and bring them together with an enterprise-wide webcasting solution.
