{"id":39960,"date":"2020-04-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/why-video-is-essential-to-collaboration-for-todays-remote-workers\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T01:41:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T08:41:55","slug":"why-video-is-essential-to-collaboration-for-todays-remote-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/why-video-is-essential-to-collaboration-for-todays-remote-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Video Is Essential to Collaboration for Today\u2019s Remote Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"

It wasn\u2019t long ago that collaboration meant huddling together in an office with your colleagues to hammer out a business plan. When work technology was still centered around emails and intranets, remote work was the last thing on businesses\u2019 minds. That\u2019s all changing faster than ever before.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent major advancements in communications technology and internet reliability have made remote work not only possible, but popular too. Between 2005 and 2017, <\/span>remote work grew by an incredible 159%<\/span><\/a>. What\u2019s more, in just the last 10 years, <\/span>83% of businesses have adopted or plan to adopt a flexible work policy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Collaboration is more than simply reaching across the table now\u2014it\u2019s reaching across the city, state, time zones, and the world. And video has a vital role to play. Here\u2019s why:<\/span><\/p>\n

Voice and messaging alone aren\u2019t enough. Communication needs nonverbal cues.<\/b><\/h3>\n

Consider that two colleagues, Jane and Alice, are on a phone call discussing a project together, and Jane presents her ideas for theory, execution, and predicted results. After her presentation, Jane asks Alice what she thinks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alice says: \u201cI love your idea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What Jane doesn\u2019t know is that Alice was secretly ambivalent. But how could Jane tell? As far as she\u2019s concerned, Alice honestly liked her idea. At the same time, Alice is too shy to speak up\u2014something we see quite often in the workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Studies show that <\/span>93% of communication comes from nonverbal cues<\/span><\/a>, with only 7% of what we mean actually expressed through words. Here\u2019s the problem: <\/span>organizations are still heavily reliant on voice, messages, and emails as their main sources of communication<\/span><\/i>. These forms of communication aren\u2019t adequate for expressing how colleagues really feel, which hinders productivity in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video enables us to communicate with and understand colleagues.<\/b><\/h3>\n

Remote workers comprise around 3.4% of the total US workforce<\/span><\/a> and that number increases every year. That means we\u2019ll be communicating and collaborating with colleagues using technology more and more. Text is simply not going to cut it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, video meetings are the best alternatives to in-person interactions. Video allows us to see and be seen, which helps us develop stronger relationships with our colleagues that we don\u2019t see often (or at all). It also simulates random encounters in the office\u2014an important part of developing bonds with our colleagues. Remember the last time a conversation was struck up by walking past a coworker\u2019s desk? Businesses can facilitate those interactions by making video a regular part of a remote employee\u2019s day, such as <\/span>randomized coffee breaks using video meetings<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In project meetings, video allows us to pick up on nonverbal cues that give context to communications with coworkers\u2014an advantage that voice, messages, and emails lack. We\u2019ll also be able to <\/span>retain information much better<\/span><\/a> when we can see our fellow participants. At the same time, when they screen share, we get a glimpse into their workflow\/thought processes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To get your teams to adopt video, it has to be effortless to use.<\/b><\/h3>\n

When your organization decides to implement a new video meeting solution, getting employees to fully embrace video is going to be the biggest challenge. After all, sending messages, writing emails, and making calls are all pretty easy. Why would they break those habits?<\/span><\/p>\n

In order to change their behavior, your video meeting solution has to be effortless from start to finish. Imagine if two colleagues working remotely wanted to start a video call<\/a>. They\u2019d have to download an app, install the software, register for an account, enter meeting credentials, and so on. If it takes 10 minutes just to set up any kind of meeting, no one\u2019s going to use it.<\/span><\/p>\n

If we want the same level of communication and collaboration in an increasingly remote workforce, starting a video call needs to be as easy as opening our mouths to speak with colleagues and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your video meeting platform should be able to:<\/span><\/p>\n