How Microsoft Teams is revolutionising hybrid working

For many people, living through a pandemic has completely changed their perception of what makes a healthy work / life balance. Remote working has left a lasting impression, and a large percentage are now reluctant to give up this new-found freedom. And whilst there may still be a real need for teams to meet in-person in the office on occasion, hybrid working appears to be winning out as the working model of choice for countless businesses and organisations across the globe.

In this blog, we explore why that is. Plus, we turn the spotlight on some of the best features of Microsoft Teams – a tool that has proved itself to be the essential element in enabling businesses of all sizes and sectors to find a more productive, efficient, collaborative, and creative way to work. And most excitingly, a tool that is continuing to evolve.

Why hybrid is the working model of choice for many

According to new research by Microsoft and YouGov, more than half of UK workers who currently have the choice to mix remote and office working would consider leaving their company if this hybrid option was removed. And this isn’t just empty talk – ‘The Great Resignation’ of 2021 has shown just how serious workers are about quitting jobs they no longer feel satisfied in.

The pandemic opened the doors to flexibility to so many workers and now they have had a taste of this freedom, they understandably don’t want to give it up! Choosing to work whenever and wherever suits them best has had a positive impact on their mental health, plus the reduction in commuting has had a positive impact on the planet. As a result, many businesses have witnessed a marked improvement not just in team morale, but in productivity levels too.

What matters most to employees?

Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index was based on a survey of 31,000 people in 31 countries, along with an analysis of trillions of productivity signals in Microsoft 365 and labour trends on LinkedIn. The research sought to uncover ‘What motivates employees to stay or go, what they want out of an in-office experience, and the role technology plays in creating a worthwhile work experience.’

Based on the data, beyond pay, the top three aspects of work that employees view as ‘very important’ are for an employer to provide:

• A positive culture
• Mental health/wellbeing benefits
• A sense of purpose/meaning

In short, they want a better employee experience.

How Microsoft is helping businesses create a better employee experience

Microsoft is continuing to evolve and respond to the ever-growing adoption of hybrid working by addressing three key needs of businesses:

• The need for more engaging meeting experiences
• The need for better collaboration
• The need for greater flexibility

To that end, Microsoft has a range of impressive features that could revolutionise the way you do business. The IT experts at incovo have picked out their top three.

Three of the best Microsoft Teams features revolutionising hybrid working

1. SharePoint in Teams
   SharePoint empowers teamwork with dynamic and productive team sites for every project team, department, and division. Share files and collaborate effortlessly and securely with team members inside and outside your organisation, across computers and mobile devices.
2. Teams phone system with direct routing
   Microsoft Teams Direct Routing from incovo is a fully managed high performance solution that connects your Teams and Office 365 deployment to the PSTN network. This enables your users to make and receive external calls from anywhere on any device running the Teams application. This simple solution delivers all the features you would expect from a traditional phone system but saves you time and money by removing the need to install and maintain an on-premise phone system.
3. Teams and channels
   Channels are dedicated sections within a team which organise conversations by specific topics or projects. You have the power to choose if you would like your channels to be open to all team members, selected team members, or selected people both inside and outside the team.

Want to know more?
If you would like to find out more about how Microsoft Teams is changing the way hybrid workers stay connected, or if you’d like to go ahead and start taking advantage of all it has to offer, call 0345 450 8400 or email enquiries@incovo.com today.