In recent years, working from home, or remote working from anywhere within the UK has grown very popular. Not only does it help to cut business costs by reducing office space, not needing as many supplies and lowering maintenance costs too, but it also gives your employees a better work-life balance and improved mental wellbeing.
With VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology, remote working has been made even easier and more accessible for many companies. And the best part? You won’t need to buy expensive equipment or new software to make it work. All it needs is a reliable internet connection. This means that employees working from home can use their own broadband connection to make phone calls and video calls as if they were in the office.
With more and more businesses moving to VoIP – especially as the big analogue phone switch off is fast approaching – we’ve put together this list of how to make the most of VoIP systems for remote working.
1. Integrate Different Communications Systems
The key to a smooth transition between remote and office employees is effective communication. When an employee is working from home and doesn’t have the same equipment as those in the office, it can be tricky. But, with VoIP, you can bridge that gap and integrate multiple communication channels into one.
From voicemail, instant messaging, email and video calls, it makes it very easy for employees to at home to speak to customers and clients as well as employees while being able to see all previous communications too.
2. Utilise Group Audio and Video Calls
For many, group or conference calls is a daily part of the job – even more so with the recent shift to working from home. Luckily, VoIP makes it easy for users at home to seamlessly be part of these important calls without any additional hardware needed.
So long as your employees have a device with a camera, such as a phone, laptop or tablet, a VoIP system can quickly and simply turn a phone call into a group call in seconds, and audio calls can turn into video calls just as instantly. Group video calls are a great way to keep morale high amongst staff as those working from home won’t feel like they’re missing out.
3. Switch Between Multiple Devices
Landline telephones are soon to be a thing of the past, with VoIP telephone systems making it possible for users to work from anywhere and answer calls on any device. This gives employees a lot more freedom and the ability to work on the go.
Whether they’re heading to a meeting and need to call the office for extra information or they’re doing their weekly food shop and calling into a virtual internal meeting, VoIP provides a flexible, reliable and effective business communication solution, where employees won’t need to be tied to their desks.
4. Set Up Group Chats
Sending or responding to emails can feel like a drag sometimes. Whether you’re waiting a long time for a reply or trying to find some information that was sent a while ago, it’s not always the easiest system to use. Utilising group chats and instant messaging with VoIP telephone systems is a great way to allow remote workers to stay in the loop and work coherently together with those in the office.
Sending pictures, videos, messages, files, and even group calling from this service will allow your team to collaborate smoothly, even when they’re miles apart. A VoIP messaging system can be installed as an app on your phone or laptop and used freely throughout the day, no matter where you are.
5. Configure an Auto Attendant
VoIP systems also allow you to configure an auto-attendant which is an automatic answering machine that gives callers several options for which department or person they need to speak to. This is incredibly useful for remote workers as it means they won’t miss those important phone calls even while out of the office.
With this system in place, you are in complete control of your call flow. The answering machine can either let the caller know that the person they need to speak to is working from home or direct the caller straight to the remote worker. If you need to make a change to the system, this can also be done in an instant without needing the provider or engineer to come out and install, making it quick and efficient and not resulting in any downtime.
Take a look at our phone systems and business broadband solutions page for more information on how we can help get you set up with the best service for your business needs.
Also, discover the best business telephony networks in 2022 to help you decide which provider would suit your business.
