BlocksInform
With the obstacle of repeated online encounters, startups are now looking to solve the next piece of the problem concerning virtual work, the lack of team spirit. The answer is likely to be virtual office spaces that team members log into while working, Bloomberg reported.
When COVID hit and work was forced to be done remotely, services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams seized the opportunity to keep people connected and continue to work. For many people, the work has become a series of online meetings that they can attend day in and day out.
What was wrong with them were the informal discussions that took place before the meetings or in the break room afterwards, This gave them a sense of unity and belonging. Now, startups are looking to put that in virtual work via virtual desktops.
What are virtual desktops?
Virtual desktops are online spaces that people can access when they work, even if they don't have a meeting scheduled. It isn't anything like Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse-based vision of a futuristic office, where people float around in their avatars.
Instead, Team members are present in a space they can customize to resemble an office, which may include a boardroom or even a kitchen if desired by the team. Other team members' availability can be color coded and spontaneous conversations can occur by simply tapping a member when available to speak.
Virtual office start-ups believe that providing employees with the ability to log in beyond online meetings will increase connectivity. If necessary, a desktop dog might be added to the space, adding more personal touches to the area.
Why should this matter?
When work became remote during the pandemic, business owners were worried about lost productivity. However, the freedom to work from anywhere resulted in greater productivity, and many companies are turning to a hybrid working model.
However, there is a loss of employee engagement. Research has shown that relationships among colleagues have been lost for the first time in this decade as a result of the pandemic. Given that informal communication outside of scheduled meetings contributes to the team unit, a virtual office space can provide a platform that online meetings do not provide.
The fact that meeting platforms do not engage users beyond the length of the call is not lost on zoom or microsoft tastes. Last month, Microsoft launched business games to help colleagues connect with the game.
Zoom, also, wants to transition from a meeting tool to a business platform where users can stay online throughout the day while using their email and calendar tools. But the most they need to do is to revive the sense of belonging seen in a physical office on their virtual platform, or lose to startups working towards it.
Businesses will be expected to pay fixed fees per-user-per-month in an attempt to keep their team members connected as we move into a new world where virtual work is rapidly becoming the norm.
