Remote work became a part of our everyday life as a result of coronavirus outbreak. Home office is a perfect solution for this unexpected problem of ongoing pandemic, but, on the other hand, it is also a challenging issue. One of those challenges are virtual meetings that are an essential part of many professions. However, holding a video conference may be difficult because of numerous technical issues, including faulty devices and limited access to the internet. Fortunately, Ailleron knows how to make such difficulties a thing of the past – our experience makes all the problems disappear!

Technology in service of teleconferences

1. Make sure you have a stable internet connection.

One of the biggest obstacles one can encounter during an online conversation is technology that made it possible in the first place. Problems with software, devices and internet connections are still common and they constantly stop the virtual meetings from happening. However, in Ailleron such situations are extremally rare, as we always try to prevent them from happening. Thus, before the meeting begins, both the organizer and the participants should make sure that they can connect with each other without any technical diffuculties. It is especially important during remote recruitment – including the one that is currently held in Ailleron. Its success depends on the technology we use!

In my team we rarely have some technical difficulties. If we do have some, they are usually funny, especially when the screen freezes in an unexpected moment or when we try to talk to someone we can’t hear. When we organise smaller meetings, we tend to use Microsoft Teams. If we know that more participants are going to attend, we switch to Zoom to make sure that our connection is stable.

Katarzyna Olszówka, People and Organization Development

2. Use technology to enhance the experience.

On the other hand, technology can be one of the biggest advantages of every online meeting. Using digital tools such as virtual questionnaires, online quizzes and video sharing makes it easier for participants to take part in the conversation and, therefore, come up with more creative and innovative ideas. Those home office solutions can also be used to communicate with customers. They allow us to create a sense of relationship and enhance their experience even more.

Advanced communication software is widely used in Ailleron, too. Wide variety of avaliable solutions help us organize everyday meetings, as well as huge conferences for all the employees of our company. Like every other project, those meetings are prepared in advance to make sure that all the necessary features work as intended. It includes not only the basic options, such as sound and video, but also less important options, such as chat or background settings.

3. Choose video calls over voice calls, if possible.

First, every organizer has to make sure that people are focused on what they are doing. Multitasking is never a solution for a successful meeting – listening to other members of the team is. To make this happen we can use video calls that help us see other employees we work with. What is more, visual connection between people creates a sense of closeness, making it easier for them to engage in the conversation. This solution was implemented in Ailleron, too. Thanks to that our employees are more engaged in their projects and they can be shared more information with – I.e. via screen sharing and virtual presentations.

4. When solving technical issues is not enough

However, in many cases we do not have access to a stable internet connection that could support a video call. It often happens in Work From Home model, as we cannot guarantee that each and every employee will have an access to stable internet connection. That situation forces participants to use voice calls combined with other methods of engaging people in planned activities. One of the best ways to do that is to introduce a problem that needs to be solved. This allows us to start brainstorming and it may help us find new solutions to the given issue. It also forces the employees to think about the problem and suggest their own ideas, creating the sense of community.

This method is not only very entertaining, but also effective. It can lead to finding the new solutions that could be used for customers’ or company’s advantage, depending on the given task. According to the statistics, around 12 to 15 percent of ideas created during such a discussion have a practical value. That is why brainstorming is widely used in many companies seeking for creativity – including Ailleron.