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remote work

Frameable Announces New Integration with Microsoft Teams

We’re excited to announce the release of our Microsoft Teams integration for our virtual office product, Spaces. Our new integration is available to any team that uses Microsoft Teams for remote and in-office collaboration.

With more than six times the number of people working from home today compared to 2019, according to WFH Research, a data-collection project, distributed work is not going anywhere. Microsoft Teams is utilized by more than one million companies and has seen explosive growth as users increased from 145 million in 2021 to 270 million in 2022. This integration highlights our commitment to provide our customers with the best and most comprehensive remote work experiences. We are excited to continue to expand and improve our offerings to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers.

With this integration, organizations can access Spaces within their existing Microsoft Teams environment. Spaces greatly improves your existing Microsoft Teams infrastructure, adding everything you need to interact more naturally with your colleagues. With this integration:

  • Meetings and statuses sync from Outlook in real-time, providing a birds-eye view of office activity.
  • Rely on persistent project spaces, offices, and war rooms to meet and collaborate, store documents, files, and links.
  • View ongoing Teams calls and increase visibility across the entire organization or department.
  • Review actionable engagement metrics including aggregate and individual meeting time, talk time, and average meeting size.

In the future, Frameable has plans to make the Spaces application available for download in the Microsoft Teams App Store. Learn more about how our integration can enhance your Microsoft Teams video calls and book a demo to get started today!

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remote work

6 Smart Ways to Ensure Remote Workers Find Work-life Balance and Prevent Burnout

Many remote workers have brought attention to their work-life balance as the separation between work and home has become smaller than ever. A 2022 Conference Board survey found that 47% of remote workers in the US are concerned about the blurred boundaries between their jobs and personal lives. While remote work can lead to a desirable work-life balance for some, it can be even more difficult to unplug and set clear boundaries for others. As the remote work workforce continues to grow, employers should focus on creating a culture of healthy work-life balance and ensuring remote employees prevent burnout. 

Read on for six ideas on how to maintain work-life balance and avoid employee burnout.

Encourage breaks

About 20% of workers say they don’t take lunch breaks because they’re worried about feeling guilty or judged when they step away from work at midday. It turns out that while these employees may have had positive intentions, they are actually doing a disservice to both themselves and the company. 94% of employees feel happier when they can take a lunch break during the workday and agree that taking a break gives them a chance to return to their work with a new perspective. These employees exhibit higher productivity levels and are more likely to stay at a company where bosses encourage employees to take breaks.

If you manage remote employees, encourage them to take full advantage of their lunch break by taking at least 30 minutes to step away from their work and from all notifications. Encourage them to go outside, take a walk, grab a bite to eat, or do something that will help them to recharge and refocus. Remind them that taking the time to refresh and reset will allow them to be more productive and successful in the afternoon.

Establish boundaries

During the virtual onboarding process, make sure that remote managers and employees discuss expectations and boundaries. 

Managers should prepare a list of guidelines regarding the following:

  • Working hours: What are the expected hours of availability, breaks, and overtime expectations?
  • Job responsibilities: Who will assign tasks, and how are deadlines communicated?
  • Communication standards: How does the organization use different communication methods? 

Employees should consider what their idea of a healthy work-life balance means and communicate any concerns.

Recognize achievements

Research has indicated that insufficient recognition can lead to burnout, with a 48% increase in employers reporting burnout when they don’t receive recognition. There are both informal and formal ways to recognize the achievements of your employees. Organizations should use a combination of the two to ensure that employees feel appreciated and motivated to continue to perform at a high level.

Informal forms of recognition are exactly that—informal. Informal recognitions are spontaneous and unplanned, and can be as simple as verbal praise, a thank you note, a celebratory team lunch, or positive feedback. These types of recognition help employees with immediate feedback and helps to build a positive company culture.

On the other hand, formal recognition is a structured program with defined processes. This type of recognition includes awards, bonuses, certificates, or promotions. It is important to note that you should save formal recognition for the most exceptional employees, and the company should clearly define—and communicate—the criteria. When employers do formal recognition correctly, it can be a powerful motivator for employees and show them that their hard work is appreciated and valued.

Look into employee recognition software such as Achievers and TINYpulse as tools to heighten employee engagement and ensure your employees are receiving the recognition they deserve. Programs like these can eliminate administrative time and effort while ensuring employees are recognized, rewarded, and heard.

Offer flex time

Flex time allows employees to work outside of the traditional 9 to 5. This can mean adjusting your day’s start and end times, or taking an extended break during the middle of the day for personal obligations. People can use flex time to accommodate different lifestyles, such as parents needing to pick up children from school, or to simply allow employees to take advantage of when they are more productive. Flex time allows employees to adapt their work schedules to their personal needs and preferences. This flexibility can help prevent burnout by enabling employees to take breaks when they need them, work when they are most productive, and manage their workloads more effectively. Clearly communicate your flex time policy in the hiring and onboarding process so that employees and potential employees can know what to expect.

Provide support

Providing support to employees can come in many forms, such as mentorship, coaching, and feedback. Mentoring programs can allow employees to develop their skills, receive guidance from experienced colleagues, and build relationships with other team members. Coaching sessions can provide more personalized support, allowing employees to discuss goals, challenges, and possible solutions in a constructive and supportive environment. Regular feedback is also important, as it enables employees to receive insights into their work performance, and gives them an opportunity to reflect on their behavior. Consider hosting virtual networking sessions within your organization or pairing new hires with current employees to establish mentorship opportunities. All these support forms can help employees feel valued, develop their skills, and contribute to a positive and productive work environment.

Invest in technology

There are many ways technology can help organizations prevent burnout. While there are obvious opportunities, such as using task management software, automating routine tasks, and streamlining processes, consider other ways your organization can use technology to improve work-life balance. Providing employees with fitness trackers or watches can remind employees to stand up, stretch, and make sure they are getting steps in throughout the day. Online wellness programs or access to virtual therapy and counseling may be another helpful resource for employees to manage stress and increase overall wellbeing.

Increase organization visibility with Frameable

We know that it can be challenging to separate your work from your personal life while working remotely. Managers must recognize burnout and make conscious efforts to ensure employees can have a work-life balance. 

Frameable Spaces takes virtual meeting software to the next level, creating a persistent virtual space where coworkers can easily see what others are working on and invite each other to collaborate outside of scheduled meetings. Our software is optimized for teams with flexible working schedules, ensuring users can communicate their availability and create a culture of shared values and mutual support. Learn more about Spaces and try it for free today.

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remote work

4 Tips for Welcoming and Engaging New Remote Team Members to Your Virtual Office

Are you doing enough to ensure remote team members are set up for success?

Quickly and effectively onboarding remote team members is a lot easier said than done. It can be hard to make sure they feel welcomed, comfortable, and ready to hit the ground running when your first meet-and-greet is through a screen. But it can be done! Here’s how our fully remote team has learned to run the most effective onboardings into our virtual office and workstyle.

Share Common Verbiage, Workflows, and Meetings

The first day of joining a new team is scary enough without the added stress of learning new phrases, workflows, products, and projects. Sharing a document with common company lingo, meeting styles, and key project names right away will set your new hire up for a successful first few days. It will also make their transition into your team smoother by eliminating the need to ask others to define every term they hear. This will also aid in their feeling of inclusion from day one.

A recent McKinsey report found that since the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing employees’ sense of inclusion in the workplace has become A recent McKinsey report found that since the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing employees’ sense of inclusion in the workplace has become more and more crucial to maintaining a productive work environment for all — especially with so many now working a remote or hybrid schedule. Giving new employees a leg up on day one by laying out as much of the shared knowledge as possible is one of the most straightforward ways to ensure all new hires, regardless of location, feel included in their new team.

Initiate Relationship Building on Day 1

Make a point to have your new team member meet 1-on-1 with colleagues they will be working closely with. For smaller organizations, schedule time with all the employees! These meetings will be key to helping new team members get to know their coworkers and understand how their role fits into the bigger picture of your organization. Pre-scheduling these conversations makes joining a new team less daunting in addition to encouraging a culture of relationship building throughout your entire organization.

While using a virtual office for your hybrid or remote team comes with many benefits, oftentimes, teammates will navigate and use a virtual office differently. Having your team reach out to set up 10-15 minute meetings will provide the new hire with greater context to workflows and help them get acquainted with their new role. These quick meetings will also be a great introduction to how different hybrid or remote employees use your remote office and tools.

Encourage Engagement Throughout the Virtual Office

On a recent episode of McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, Nicholas Bloom discussed how integral a sense of connection with colleagues is to creating a successful remote or hybrid work environment. It can be difficult for hybrid and remote new hires to know how to go about engaging with their new colleagues within a virtual office space. Modeling how your team uses your virtual office before sending off your new hire to do so on their own can accelerate their learning curve and invite more opportunities for them to engage with their new colleagues.

One of the main benefits of a virtual office is the visibility and reachability of your teammates. Encourage new hires to occupy a virtual office or desk, venture to different virtual “locations”, and use statuses to convey their availability. Share how different team members use the space’s functionalities and tools and encourage new colleagues to try out the various aspects of your virtual workspace to identify their preferences.

Pair Your New Hire With A Buddy for a Day

The first few days of a new job are typically filled with onboarding and administrative tasks. Once your new hire has completed these, pair them up with another colleague who shares similar responsibilities for a day. Encourage the pair to attend the same meetings, discuss their tasks, and frequently debrief throughout the day. Depending on the size of your organization, this can help speed up collaboration between two crucial team members, or give your new hire an established team member to reference when it comes to producing great work within your organization.

Boost remote employee engagement with our free Virtual Office Manager e-book! Click to download now.

Setting your remote team members up for success does not have to be overly complicated. Learn how upgrading to Frameable Spaces can transform your virtual office and employee experience.

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remote work

Data Roundup: Employers Want People Back In The Office, But Workers Say ‘Pass’

Man working from home at his kitchen table

After more than 15 months of almost exclusively remote-based work, many companies intend to bring their workers back to the office this September. However, the stakes are high for brands if they cannot appropriately meet their worker’s needs given a growing movement in the U.S.: The Great Resignation. 

As we saw from employee surveys nearly a year into the pandemic, more than half of workers wanted remote-based work to be their primary way of working moving forward. We even questioned if it was time to say goodbye to the corporate office forever. 

Now, as companies finally prepare their return to the office, employees are standing their ground and may even quit their job to preserve their work-life balance. But not all employers are willing to adopt a hybrid-first workplace model. 

Let’s explore the latest data around employer and employee expectations for the future of work to understand where the disconnect is.

Employees View Workplace Flexibility As Essential

It should be no surprise that workers are hesitant to return to the “old way” of work. However, given the right tools, employees are just as productive at home and can more effectively balance their work and personal needs.

Studies up through July 2021 reinforce the employee demand to maintain flexible work policies:

These surveys show that employees enjoy a range of benefits from workplace flexibility, including the freedom to set their preferred office hours, the ability to create a personal, distraction-free workspace, and relaxed workplace attire requirements. 

To further increase their workplace satisfaction, workers hope to re-imagine how productivity is measured, with 86% of professionals surveyed by Citrix preferring to work for a company that prioritizes outcomes over output.

Employers Split On Hybrid And In-Person Models

Despite the clear enthusiasm from workers for remote-friendly working policies, a portion of companies would prefer to return to predominately in-person work:

Already, this data suggests that employer and employee desires are misaligned. But perhaps the most alarming of the data is that only 8% of C-suite and HR leaders expect their employees to quit once COVID restrictions are fully lifted. 25% believe that no one will quit. 

Bridging the Future of Work Divide

As seen by these recent studies, a company’s hybrid working arrangements (or lack thereof) will be a significant factor for employees as they decide whether to join in The Great Resignation. 

Companies simply cannot afford to neglect their employee needs when planning a return to the office. Employees are not bluffing, and they will leave your company in search of more flexible work if it is a priority for them.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach for teams to plan a hybrid work arrangement, but it starts with a simple conversation. Talk with each of your team members. Seek to understand their preferences for the future of work. And use your actual team feedback to build your plan, instead of relying on executive orders and trusting unfounded assumptions.

The Role Of Technology in Hybrid Work

Regardless of the exact breakdown between in-person and remote-based work at a company, one thing is clear: employees need robust, standardized, and integrated virtual tools that help them collaborate with their colleagues, no matter where they’re based. 

Learn more about how the Frameable suite of collaboration tools was built to support a healthy remote and hybrid working team culture, with intuitive features that can increase productivity and enhance collaboration no matter where employees are located.

Give your team the Class-A virtual office they deserve with Frameable Spaces.

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productivity

Enhancing Workplace Productivity In The Age of Remote Work

man working on a laptop at the kitchen table with toddler on his shoulders
man working on a laptop at the kitchen table with toddler on his shoulders

In the past, many companies equated “working from home” with “slacking off from home,” fearing the potential productivity losses their company would face if employees had greater workplace flexibility.

Now, a year into the largest remote work movement the business world has ever seen, these fears have been largely overcome. Productivity in the U.S. rose 4.6% in Q3 of 2020, marking the largest quarterly productivity increase since 2009.

But there’s a catch: not every company is seeing productivity boosts with its mostly remote workforce. One study of 800 employers found:

  • 67% of companies reported similar productivity levels as pre-pandemic days
  • 27% reported an increase in productivity 

So what’s separating those seeing gains in productivity from the rest? It could be in how they define productivity and the tools they’re using to track it. 

Continue reading “Enhancing Workplace Productivity In The Age of Remote Work”
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