Audio Versus Video Conferencing: Pros and Cons of Each
After many people converted to remote working in 2020, employers now are bringing them back to the office. While 70% of employers expect to have their workers back in the office by fall 2021, 77% also envision a hybrid working approach with employees splitting their time between working remotely and at the office. This new standard raises the need for audio and video conferencing to stay connected. However, which option is better for you and your employees? The answer depends on your workforce and meeting expectations.
Pros and Cons of Audio Conferencing
The benefits of audio conferencing include allowing workers to connect from anywhere. Even employees on the road can call into an audio conference using a hands-free phone connection system. Because they don’t have to be on their computer, there are fewer software issues. Plus, you don’t need to have as fast of an internet connection for those connecting to an audio conference through their computers.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Conferencing
Video conferencing gives you the chance to bring your conference room to remote workers. They can see slideshows, videos, and images that you want to share while watching the conference on their screen. Plus, you can share screens with workers at the meeting or allow others to take over control of your screen to point out things.
The major disadvantage of video conferencing come from network connections and computers that don’t accommodate the necessary software for video conferencing. In some instances, to overcome these, some participants may phone in to hear the audio-only from the conference. However, most modern programs for video conferencing don’t require more than the processing power in most smart phones. Plus, standard Wi-Fi often meets the network requirements for the conference.
Consult with the Commercial Audio and Video Conferencing Experts at Experience Audio Video Inc.
For more information about upgrading your conference room to the newest hybrid models of working, consult with our experts at Commercial Audio Video Installation Orange County. For more than 20 years, we’ve served businesses in the area with their automation, video, and audio needs. Let us know how we can help your business by calling us at (714) 744-4455.
Tips to Keep Workers Engaged During Video Conferences
In a recent survey of workers, a meager 20% reported actively participating in the video conferences. The remaining respondents were doing other things, zoning out, or silently paying attention. Unfortunately, these survey results illustrate a major concern for many employers – keeping workers engaged during virtual meetings. There are some ways to break employees out of their silence during the conferences to make your video meetings more productive.
Start Your Presentation Off with a Strong Hook
Draw your participants in from the beginning. Start off with a strong hook to draw them in to make them feel the situation you want to address. You may choose a shocking statistic or share an emotional testimonial from a customer who had a problem your company solved. When you start your meeting with workers engaged, you have to work less hard to keep them interested.
Engage Workers in Problem Solving with Breakout Groups
Break up the conference by assigning workers in groups of two to three to tackle problems every five to ten minutes. Many video conference programs have the ability to assign breakout groups in which you can set small groups to talk to each other. Use these small groups frequently during the meeting. By requiring each participant to actively contribute to small group discussions, you will keep them from having their attention wane during the meeting.
Minimize Excessive Amounts of Data
Don’t drown your participants in long slide shows or video presentations. Reduce the amount of data presented to the bare minimum. If you want to share additional files or data, send the files to participants to look at during their free time. By reducing data discussed during the video conference to only the most vital pieces of information, you can keep participants’ attention because everything that you say will have greater importance. Plus, make sure that you have your setup for presentations arranged before the meeting. You will lose participant attention if they must wait for you to overcome tech problems.
Improve Your Video Conference Audio and Video with Help from Experience Audio Video
Make the most of your meetings by improving your conference room’s audio and video capabilities. Consult with us at Experience Audio Video in Orange County to get automation, video, audio, and other upgrades to help you make your meeting space and video conferences professional. Phone us at (714) 744-4455 today to get started on a better meeting space for both in-person and video conferences.
Tips for Better and More Professional Video Conferencing
Comparing video conferencing before and after the pandemic shows a dramatic increase in remote meetings of 50%. With remote work and video conferencing the norm, making your setup more professional both at home and in the office is essential for putting forth a good presentation. The keys to both lie in the setup that you have and how you use the video conferencing system.
Better Video Conferencing from Home
At home, make sure to have a quiet place where you will not have interruptions. If you have family members, close the door and place a sign on the door to let them know that you cannot be disturbed.
Dress for the video meeting the same as you would if you were to go to the office. Presentation matters in video conferences just as much as it does when attending in-person meetings.
Next, always keep yourself on mute unless you are speaking. Even if you stay quiet, keeping your microphone active can cause interference with the speaker’s audio.
Make sure that the lighting and background are appropriate for your meeting. Don’t sit in the dark during the meeting. However, also, don’t use lighting that is so intense that it casts sharp shadows. Choose a light source that illuminates your face. Also, make sure that your background is as professional as your office workspace would be.
Put your full attention in the meeting. Therefore, look directly at the camera, stay off your phone, and don’t use your computer for anything other than the meeting during the conference.
More Professional Video Conferencing from the Office
When conducting a meeting from the conference room at the office, you should likewise have a good setup. If you need to upgrade the audio or video arrangement of the conference room, do it before beginning a major meeting.
Just as the lighting and backgrounds at home are important, they are also vital to set for a meeting from the office. Lighting, sound systems, audio, and other settings from professional A/V companies can make your office-based video conferencing sessions more professional.
Have a Quality Video Conference Room Setup with Help from Experience Audio Video in Orange County
When you want to put your best foot forward for your video conferencing meetings, pay attention to your setup. For your workplace, contact our commercial services at Experience Audio Video in Orange County by phoning our office at (714) 744-4455. We can help you to upgrade your conference room for remote and in-person meetings that are professional.
Optimize Office Spaces for a Growing Remote Workforce
Office workers largely became remote employees in 2020. The result for employers was a reduction in costs to maintain office space. While many employers are bringing some back to the office, some are choosing to allow more workers to remain remote, at least part of the time. With fewer in the office or spending less time inside the building, employers need to optimize their office spaces to reduce wasted energy on heating, cooling, and lighting. To accommodate an increasingly remote workforce, consider automation in your office.
State of Remote Workforce for 2021 and Beyond
Many people in the remote workforce will transition to returning to their offices in 2021. Whether they become full-time office employees or split their time working at the office and at home, your business will see a brief increase in operating costs. To keep workers at the office comfortable, you will need to once more have regular lighting, heating, and cooling systems in operation. The more time that workers spend at the office, the longer you will have to have these systems running. However, you don’t have to overspend on keeping your office comfortable for workers who return.
Savings from Office Automation
Automation throughout your office makes your workspace smarter. In fact, setting automation to limit HVAC operation to when the building is most likely occupied reduces energy use by 6%. Plus, maintaining setpoint temperatures for day and nighttime comfort cuts power use by 8%. Using motion-controlled lights is another way to automate power consumption based on occupancy.
Find Out How to Optimize Your Office Space with Help from Experience Audio Video in Orange County
Find out how to make the most of heating, cooling, and lighting to save money and make those returning from the remote workforce more comfortable. Phone us at (714) 744-4455 to reach our professionals in automation, video, and audio at Experience Audio Video in Orange County.