Empowering Employees to Work Remotely with Microsoft Teams
When Microsoft employees choose to work remotely, they rely on Microsoft Teams to stay productive and connected. “Over the past few years, employees have embraced hybrid work and enjoy the balance that it brings to their lives,” says Claire Sisson, principal group product manager leading the internal deployment of Teams. “Microsoft Teams has been key to enable that empowerment.”
Microsoft turned to Teams during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in China where employees were among the first to work from home. The platform proved its capabilities during a snowstorm at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters, with 95% of local employees working remotely while using Teams.
“Having the right tool to enable boundaryless collaboration, asynchronous work and meetings that scale from 1:1 to large events make all the difference for our employees,” Sisson explains. The recent addition of Microsoft 365 Copilot capabilities to Teams is expected to make hybrid work even more seamless.
Best Practices for Remote Meetings
To ensure remote meetings are as effective as in-person gatherings, Microsoft shares several tips with employees:
- Turn on video to enhance connection
- Pause to allow others to contribute
- Mute when not speaking to reduce background noise
- Record meetings when appropriate
- Send agendas in advance
- Appoint a facilitator to monitor questions and ensure all voices are heard
“When everyone remembers to make a few adjustments, remote meetings can be as effective as being in person,” Sisson notes.
Features Supporting Remote Collaboration
Teams offers several features that enhance remote collaboration:
- Channel meetings capture all documents, chats, and recordings in one place
- Intelligent meeting Recap provides AI-generated summaries and notes
- Live events in Microsoft 365 support large-scale meetings
- Chat functionality becomes crucial during large-scale remote work
Sarah Lundy, senior content program manager, emphasizes that channel conversations are particularly useful for ongoing projects, maintaining transparency and accessibility of files and discussions. The platform automatically adapts to network strength, optimizing the user experience.
Additional Productivity Features
Other helpful features for remote work include:
- Meeting backgrounds to maintain privacy
- Live captions for improved accessibility
- Cloud recording for later reference
- Mobile app for on-the-go access
- Custom status messages to indicate work location
By leveraging these tools and best practices, Microsoft employees can maintain productivity and connection regardless of their work location.
