ET Group is Pexip’s Most Agile Partner of the Year

Pexip, a leading provider of flexible and scalable video conferencing solutions, named ET Group as the “Most Agile Partner of the Year” at the Pexip 2021 Americas Partner Leadership Summit.

“ET Group has earned the award for Pexip’s Most Agile Partner of the Year. They have shown Pexip their ongoing commitment to being quick, flexible, and agile when it comes to getting the customer exactly what they need.”

This Year’s 2021 Pexip Partner Awards

Pexip simplifies complex video conferencing to empower organizations to meet, regardless of location or technology. Our scalable, cloud-based platform helps companies integrate traditional video systems, Microsoft, Cisco, and Google collaboration solutions, and business-grade video meeting and calling solutions that work with any device. Customers can deploy Pexip on their own privately-hosted servers, in their cloud of choice (Azure, Google Cloud or AWS), as a hybrid, or as a service. This makes Pexip the leading provider for large enterprises and public sector organizations.

About ET Group

Enterprise organizations are moving to a hybrid workplace model that support teams both in-the office and at the home. ET Group is helping those organizations to build next-generation hybrid collaboration infrastructure that integrates their cloud and on-premises technology seamlessly. For more information about ET Group, please contact us or visit etgroup.ca/hybridx

Finding and onboarding talent in a hybrid world

Helping you attract and on-board new team members while working remotely.

By T. Smitten

It is safe to say we’ve all just had a year of unprecedented change. The who, what, why and where we work has changed for so many of us across the globe. The changes we’ve seen, moving away from the traditional workplace also translate to changes in the hiring and onboarding processes

The nature of workplace roles, expectations and responsibilities has changed for both employers and their team members. Employers and staff are finding an increased need for agility, understanding, flexibility and adaptability from each other. The location of the office has moved into virtual home-based spaces or hybrid work environments.

Companies today may also select candidates who are more tech savvy and self-starters over another candidate that they may have traditionally chosen for a role. This is simply based on the fact the individual will be working in a hybrid virtual work environment.

Every business, organization, recruiter, and job seeker has had to find new and creative new ways of connecting “in-person”. ET Group’s HR Generalist Mark Bystrek is all too familiar with this new world. Luckily, he and the ET Group team have had nearly a decade of practice interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and fostering the growth of new team members remotely. Mark recommends that every Human Resources professional should be aware of the creative tools and technology solutions available to them for recruitment, interviewing, assessment, and on-boarding

Finding the right talent

When searching for the right team member ET Group has relied on the instinct of the company CEO and talent attractor Dirk Propfe.  “Dirk has done a great job going with different sources, like using head-hunters, referrals from people like from employees and using like minded organizations that can attract talent,” says Mark. But when it comes to finding talent, somethings have stayed the same. Using a talent recruitment agency, a head-hunter, or posting a job on your company or a job posting website still works today. Even colleague referrals can still get talent connected to the right role.

Linkedin is a powerful tool to find and attract individuals to join your team. Promoting your virtual culture on this platform is a great strategy to attract top talent that want a company that thrives in a flexible environment.

Interviewing remote candidates

Hiring can seem tricky when meeting in-person is not an option. Like many organizations, ET Group uses video conference platforms to hold “in-person” interviews. The interviews are conducted with various team members across the organization. Online interviews make scheduling easier for both the hiring committee and the potential candidate. ET Group also offers candidates the opportunity to partake in online personality assessments to help identify their strengths and, compatibility for the role. The candidates are invited to share their personality assessments and skills tests with the hiring team. Offering online self assessment tools allows both the individual and the organization to gain further insight into an individual’s spirit and suitability for a role. Both you and the candidate will learn more about each other.

How to onboard new talent

ET Group not only has a method for hiring remotely but the team has found creative ways to foster new talent outside of the traditional training methods. Once hired, Mark has a four-step approach to onboarding and fostering the growth of a new hire. Mark says:

1. Invite them into the “office” 

Traditionally new hires would be invited to the office to pick up equipment, take a tour of the office and meet a few team members in person. In the ET Group virtual office, new team members are mailed their equipment, they are provided a virtual tour of the physical office space and are introduced to the company via a WebEx channel post. The post allows for team members company wide to welcome and engage the new hire in discussion.

2. Provide them with a Onboarding Buddy

Mark will provide new hires with an onboarding buddy for the first three months of work. The onboarding buddy is assigned to help provide context, set expectations, and give a deeper understanding of the role. The onboarding buddy can also help foster working relationships between colleagues, helping to integrate new talent into the organization.

3. Prioritize video meetings

Mark will arrange a series of brief one-to-one video conference intro sessions so new hires can become acquainted with the larger team. Mark creates a schedule of videoconference meetings for the new team member to meet with various roles within the company. This also helps to build relationships between team members and reinforces the understanding of business operations.

4. Provide a digital handbook

We provide an online resource that team members can easily reference our processes, practices, and approaches. For a self-managed company like ET Group, this portal is critical to help employees understand the different ways in which we work. Continuous referencing guides employees throughout their on-boarding journey. Employees looking to practice or brush up on our decentralized decision making process can use this quick reference guide to help.

The right technology makes a difference

Technology and more specifically HR Tech (Human Resources Technology) is a growing industry of software and equipment that will help automate some human resources functions. Some of the useful tools  include employee payroll programs, workforce analytics and performance management software. But even without the latest trends in HR Tech, Technology has provided us with ability to connect and collaborate in various ways,  via phone, messenger, video conference, screen sharing and recordings. Virtual hiring and onboarding can be made easy with the right technology tools and a clear outlined approach.

ET Group can equip your company with the technology tools and experience needed to support the attraction and on-boarding of virtual employees. Reach out to us today and we will set-up a complimentary conversation to get you started!

The workplace is going Hybrid

Exploring the new reality of a hybrid workplace. One which allows the flexibility of employees working between home, office, and remote locations.

When asked how he would describe 2020, David Kerr, ET Group’s Unified Communications and Collaboration Specialist replies “exceptional and unprecedented.”

On any given workday in 2019, David would be designing and implementing Unified Communications solutions for a variety of large Canadian organizations. Fast forward to present day and his workday remains fairly unchanged. While most organizations found the requirements of social distancing a major challenge to their continued daily operations, ET Group did not. In his five years with the company, David has been a part of the ET Group team that works on designing, integrating, and optimizing clients unified communications and collaboration environments. The kind of hybrid environments that allow working from anywhere, whether at home, in the office, or completely remote.

Work is no longer about where you do it, it’s about what you do and how it gets done.

Hybrid is the future workspace

Organizations have mobilized work from home infrastructure and policies that have forever shaped the way we approach work. Now that the dust has begun to settle, they are collectively looking to the future once again. As companies explore shifting their workers back to the office. They are also envisioning what a flexible workplace might mean to their long-term workplace strategies.

David is part of the HybridX innovation team at ET Group. He has witnessed and assisted in the architecture of workplace communications firsthand. He is proud to share that, “We’re not afraid of doing remote work and using remote technologies. We’ve been demonstrating it for years. It works, I mean, we’re thriving.”

Workplace and tech strategies are changing

Having worked with many clients to implement their technology strategies to transition to an integrated modern-day workspace. David reflects on the success in leading others to their ideal connected and collaborative work environment, both physically and virtually. “We’re (ET Group) currently experiencing what we’ve been already living for the past few years. Covid has forced us (society) to put it into place now to some degree. By living it, it gives us great advantages in terms of being able to share the experience with others and see what the potential could be.”

“73% of employees want their company to embrace flexibility (working both remotely and in office) post COVID-19.”

Mckinsey Report – June 2020

David has noted the required changes that companies have begun making to their workplace strategies:

Stay Home Stay Safe – Remote Working in 2020

Prioritizing flexible, collaborative technology

David has also witnessed some setbacks for companies who did not prioritize flexible and collaborative technology tools within their operations. He remarks at the number of companies who were unprepared to work remotely this year. “It was really quite surprising to me but it’s not all that uncommon. It seems that some companies are still kind of slow to change and Covid has really exposed that.”

David listed some fundamentals items every organization will need for a hybrid workspace:

Challenges of going to a hybrid workplace

As part of ET Group’s HybridX innovation team, David works on identifying and resolving the human challenges of collaboration, communication, and connection using technology.  “There were a lot of users that weren’t ready for this. From the standpoint of some users – technology kind of makes them afraid.” Increasing team adoption, training, and comfort levels with technology is critical to overall success when transitioning to working flexible between the office and at home.

When implementing new technology into a hybrid environment, David notes some things to consider are:

David offers his take on additional challenges he has seen this year, “What I think is happening is a couple of things, one, sometimes whoever is making the decision makes it a challenge. It could be making the decision on the technology platform that we should move forward with, but there was really no consultation with the users in terms of what we really need. Which can definitely be a challenge and wreck user adoption or hinder user adoption. The other element is personal bias at times that gets in the way. So, it’s like, ‘Hey, I’m a Microsoft guy’ and that’s all I want to deal with’. I don’t really care about whatever else is out there, even if there are better tools. Other challenges are a lack of information around what technology you need to work better, which is what we’ve been trying to do at ET Group, share that info. “

Preparing your company for the transition

David shares valuable words of wisdom when it comes to integrating new technology into your business. “Organizations must lose the fear of failure”. This can cripple the ability to discover new things. He recommends keeping an open mind when it comes to trying new technology and stresses the need to consider your users when implementing new technology.

“I had the opportunity to work with my church, for example. There’s a lot of users there that just aren’t into this remote working space at all,” says David. “A proper understanding of the users (i.e. accessibility requirements, sights impaired vs hearing impaired, etc.) is crucial to seamless user adoption within an organization.”

Many businesses are still unprepared to implement work from home programs although we are at a time in history when technology makes it more possible than ever. With companies starting to reintroduce their teams back into the physical workspace amidst and post-pandemic, they are experiencing unique operational challenges within their industries. “ET Group is really taking the time to hone in on what we have not only experienced but kind of referring back to what we’ve heard from our customers.”

Work isn’t about where, it’s about what

HybridX (Hybrid Workplace Experience) makes it possible and beneficial to every team, organization or business that thrives on communicating, collaborating, and connecting anywhere in the world.

Work is no longer about where you do it, it’s about what you do and how it gets done.

ET Group has invested years into studying and fine tuning the design for the workplace of the future. ET Group’s strategies for collaborative work environments have kept people together even when apart. “What HybridX is really saying is there’s a new work experience, we want to hone in on what that experience is for you and what makes the best sense,” says David.

ET Group takes a strategic approach to designing innovative hybrid workspaces solutions. By applying human-centric design processes, we create seamless and powerful connections between the office, the home, and the remote worker.

Transitioning your organization to a hybrid work environment can seem overwhelming and costly. With the right tools and design process, your organization can experience a new level of communication, collaboration and connection while increasing your ROI (Return on investment) in the long term.

5 Tips for hosting effective large video conferences

If your team has been hosting large group video conference meetings because of COVID-19, here are some key insights to maximize your meeting potential.

By Tracy Smitten

Article based on our Webinar: Hosting Large Group Video Conferences Effectively. Download the webinar.

Amid the COVID-19 public health emergency and for the first time in our history, society has committed to maintaining physical distancing with a strong need to work together to find new ways to communicate, collaborate, and connect with each other.

For the last 4 years, ET Group has grown as a productive, self-managed, collaborative unit, while working almost entirely remotely. Our team’s operate regularly in large group video meetings. We host virtual team connects that run up to 5 hours in length, host large group town hall meetings with over 40 people, and collaborate daily in large group virtual settings. We continue to explore new tools and practices that can enrich our team’s virtual experience. Technology strategy and design help increase productivity, but it’s not all you need.

Here are 5 key tips we have learned to make your next meeting more effective.

 

 

 

 

1. Identify the technology you will need

What are the technology platforms, tools, and equipment will need to use. Make sure to choose a video conferencing platform like Zoom or Webex that can take advantage of large groups using settings like gallery view. Equipping all of your team’s participants with the best audio and video equipment available will maximize everyone’s experience. This will ensure that everyone is on the same playing field, limiting technology issues and creating a more engaging experience for all.

2. Define your meeting roles


It is critical to establish a few base roles to ensure you create clarity and the ability to run a smooth meeting. Who will be the meeting hosting? Who will be facilitator to guide and hold space for the conversation? Who will be scribing and taking notes? Who will be responsible to manage the technology?

It may sound like a lot of roles but they are key to your success!

Host: Establishes the meeting context and the meeting objectives
Facilitator: Guides the conversation, keeps the meeting in check and on-time, while allowing the group to focus on the content.
Scribe: Takes notes and documents the meeting.
Technology Manager (Optional): Ensures the meeting is set-up, handles tech issues, and records the call if necessary.

3. Put together the structure for your meeting


What is the purpose of your meeting? What do you want to get out of it? What do you want people to experience?

Establish a structure for your meeting to make effective use of time and increase the clarity and expectations for participants. Create your meeting objectives, meeting milestones, determining meeting length, and choosing your facilitation style.

4.  Choose your meeting practices and processes


Determine the level of engagement you plan to invite from your participants.

Check-in’s are a fantastic way to establish everyone’s place in the meeting. Asking a question such as, how are you arriving and what do you expect out of today’s meeting. It helps people feel engaged and not lost in such a large virtual group.

However, in a large group setting it can be tough to manage this in a timely manner. Instead, ask your participants to write their check-in via the chat window or using a collaboration platform like Webex Teams or Slack.

Use practices that maintain involvement and engagement from your participants. Send out periodic meeting polls or pose questions that participants can answer in the chat window, rather than out loud. This can also help manage time in a large group while involving everyone.

It is important that you use practices and processes that create an environment that invites everyone to participate. So that it is not the One-to-Many experience that so often plagues large group settings. This is one person speaking to a large group.

5. Understand the mindset of your participants


Understanding the mindset of your participants is key to an effective meeting. What mindset are participants potentially arriving into the meeting with?

Are they arriving with confusion surrounding the meeting? Are they unclear of why they are invited? Are they feeling excited or down?

As a host or facilitator, it is your job to gauge the room and ensure you can manage the group, shift gears if required, and draw the best out of everyone.

 

We would love to hear about your experience in the comments

We have sought and found virtual meeting techniques that enhance human connection.  We have found video conferencing can be extremely productive! We thrive when we can bring harmony to our work and workplace with technology.

We would love to hear about your experience with remote working and how the 5 core elements of Effective Video Conferencing have worked for you. Contact us and let us know how you do!

Register for our upcoming webinar series

In an effort to help organizations and individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are launching a series of webinars to offer our expertise.

Learn More

 

WEBINAR: Supercharging your virtual collaboration experience

WHEN: Wednesday, April 22, 2020
TIME: 2:00 p.m. (EDT)
LENGTH: 45-Minutes

Rich virtual collaboration presents key challenges and opportunities. This webinar is for you whether you are new to collaborating remotely or you have been doing it for years. We will discuss key tools, processes, and technology that will help supercharge your next virtual collaboration experience.

You’ll get to see, learn, and participate in a virtual collaboration session hosted by seasoned experts from ET Group (Workplace Technology Integrator) and Nureva (Creators of Visual Collaboration Technology)

Learn More & Register