By Nicole Olsen
For many organizations, corporate travel is a necessary part of doing business. But what if a virus or other threat impacted your employees’ ability to travel? Would your organization suffer?
Whether a natural disaster, terrorism, or the spread of a disease, their effects can reverberate across the globe. As evident in the last few weeks with the spread of COVID-19, the virus has altered the business world, sending financial markets into correction territory.
Companies doing business in China felt the effects first. For example, Apple warned investors that the supply of iPhones (which accounts for the bulk of its revenue) would be hampered by the spread of COVID-19. Elsewhere on the globe, a large telecommunications trade show was called off in Spain, and Facebook canceled one of its most anticipated events. And even though the RSA conference went ahead in San Francisco, IBM, AT&T, and Verizon all pulled out of it.
Meanwhile, employees at Amazon’s worldwide operations were supposedly advised not to travel domestically, or internationally until further notice.
To ensure employees are safe, many organizations around the world are taking preventative measures and rethinking how they conduct business. One such way is through the use of enterprise video platforms.
Video drastically reduces or eliminates the need for in person face-to-face communication. Townhall meetings, product launches, training sessions and even sales presentations can all be delivered via video. Video-centric organizations are benefitting in the following ways:
- Reduced travel: Video meetings can happen anywhere at any time and without the need for travel.
- On-demand access: Video technology provides organizations with a single, searchable portal where they can make all of their video assets discoverable and shareable.
- Consistent employee onboarding: Pre-recorded video training is the best way to ensure that new employees are given a consistent introduction to the organization.
- Extended reach: An enterprise video platform also allows organizations to rapidly extend the reach of important communications. Unlike in person communication, video allows leaders to quickly reach and connect with thousands of employees at once, which can be critical in an emergency.
Finally, an enterprise video platform allows leaders to put their face in front of their people during a crisis. This increases organizational trust and transparency for all employees. They will better understand the scope of the situation being presented by leadership, the companies official response to the situation, the role that they as employees are expected to play, and what kind of messaging should be presented to customers. And because of interactive features (commenting, chat, and surveys) available in enterprise video platforms, employees can play a role in the discussion and voice their own questions or concerns.
