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When we think of the Fourth of July, we usually envision fireworks, barbeques and, of course, independence. So what better way to celebrate America’s birthday than by empowering employees with a VoIP phone that gives them the flexibility to work wherever and whenever they want?
Better yet, VoIP phones provide more than independence. They foster more tightly knit teams with systems that are easy-to-implement and budget-friendly.
Let’s take a closer look at how VoIP phones will have your employees celebrating their independence at work…every day.
What independence means to your employees
First, we should define what independence actually means to your employees in the context of their work life. After all, you can’t give employees what they want if you don’t fully understand what that is. And as it turns out, statistics show many business owners and managers aren’t delivering on employee expectations in this respect.
For example, a recent HBR study identified a “flexibility gap,” where a whopping 96 percent of employees said they need flexibility to do their job, but less than half (47 percent) said they actually have it.
What do they mean by “flexibility?” The study breaks it down into six categories:
- Unconventional hours and shifts: An employee may want to work an earlier or a later shift to avoid rush hour or be available for their family.
- Micro-adjustments in hours: People may need to leave work early for their daughter’s dance recital and want to make up those hours later that night or over the weekend.
- Location changes: Workers want to be able to move from one location to another without interrupting their ability to work.
- Remote working: Employees want to work at home and other off-site locations with ease.
- Few to no travel requirements: While some people love to travel for pleasure, the study found that less is better when it comes to work.
- Part-time work: The opportunity to work in a reduced capacity gives employees the freedom to spend more time with their family or pursue other interests.
A VoIP phone system is a simple yet powerful way to support all of these requirements, delivering your employees the freedom they demand. Flexibility becomes the norm when your communications solution allows employees to seamlessly move from desktop to mobile and to have a single experience regardless of device, location and network. Flex hours, remote working and the transition from one workspace to another all happen effortlessly, with zero interruption in workflow. And, a VoIP phone’s collaboration tools keep travel requirements—and costs—to a minimum, without sacrificing quality or productivity.
How to grant independence with a VoIP phone
Now that you understand what your workers want, let’s get into the nitty-gritty about how a VoIP phone delivers independence and flexibility.
A smartphone mobile application gives employees access to in-office functionality no matter where they are. Whether they’re driving to a client meeting, visiting a supplier or leaving work early to attend their son’s baseball game, workers still have access to all communications tools and applications.
A mobile-first design that supports both iOS and Android, such as MiCloud Connect, lets employees start calls with just one click. With CRM integrated, they also have instant access to all the client information they need to have a productive call. Thanks to Siri integration and Bluetooth support, they’ll also enjoy a hands-free experience. Work doesn’t get any more untethered than that!
A frictionless experience means employees can start a conversation on one device and seamlessly continue it on another one, empowering them to move easily between the office, client sites and home. Another plus? Employees can text co-workers from their business line with SMS.
Why a VoIP phone fosters collaboration and productivity
You might think that giving your employees too much freedom is a bad thing. But when it comes to a VoIP phone solution, we think you’ll find the opposite is true. The same system that lets employees work from anywhere also makes it easier than ever for them to work together.
A single, unified experience across devices creates more time for productive and strategic work, since employees spend less time switching between applications and searching for information. Individual and group chat, along with persistent workspaces, foster collaboration, regardless of whether workers are in the same physical location. Ed can work remotely from his beach house, sharing files and comments with Renee, who’s in her home office.
Advanced VoIP phone systems even allow employees to create, share and track tasks for organizing projects. A personal dashboard, like that in Mitel Teamwork, shows employees exactly what needs to be done and when. If questions arise, ad hoc conferencing helps them get answers quickly.
How VoIP phones benefit the C-suite
As for business owners and executives, well, they’re not left out of the freedom party either. In addition to all of the benefits we’ve looked at, the C-suite and managers gain freedom from worry. Plug-and-play functionality means organizations can make a seamless transition to a VoIP phone system, and as their needs change, they have the flexibility to add or remove functionality in real time. Further, VoIP phones require little to no training, which means your workforce stays on task and productivity goes up.
Finally, there’s no need to worry about outages with solutions like MiCloud Connect, which is built on Google Cloud. You can rest assured that your VoIP phone solution is both reliable and secure.
The bottom line: VoIP phones not only give employees and executives independence, they free up time, increase productivity and foster collaboration. The entire organization will celebrate their VoIP phones like it’s the Fourth of July, fireworks and all.
