We’re All Zoomed Out! Here’s How to Combat Video Fatigue

Working from home has a unique set of challenges. Regardless of what job you hold, you’ve had to deal with barking dogs, children at home, ringing doorbells, and maybe even working through feeling sick. Despite the weirdness of the last few years, employers are constantly looking for new ways to engage their employees so they remain loyal, feel fulfilled in their work, and stay connected to their colleagues who may be all over the world. 

If you’re thinking about how to engage your employees in a way they actually want, then you’re in the right place. Video communication isn’t going anywhere, we know that. But there’s a better way to do it that doesn’t include fake small talk and tone-deaf drinking games. Sure, you can shut your camera off and avoid interaction all together, but that comes with its own set of challenges (like worrying about whether or not people think you’re paying attention, for example). 

So what’s the solution? Introducing a true virtual office encapsulating personalized networking that allows for organic communication between colleagues is the antidote to burnout. With sequel’s Networking Hub embedded on your organization’s website or intranet, anyone at your organization can create “hubs” that can be used independently or in conjunction with an event, where users can navigate to before, during, or after a live session. 

Hubs are highly customizable. They can be created any way the organizers want, either based on hobbies, departments, or any other grouping. Once your all-hands is over, event attendees can gather afterward to ask questions of the presenter, brainstorm new ideas, or simply get to know each other. Even better? The product is department agnostic. Marketing can use it to host live webinars that drive demand and convert leads to buyers, HR can use it to interview candidates and onboard new hires, and learning and development teams can use it to teach their content. The use cases are endless. 

This isn’t just lip service, the sequel’s team regularly uses our networking hub to connect with our colleagues around the world. We use it for meetings, collaborating, brainstorming, and even just chit chat. 

By creating the option for new team members to network after an onboarding session, for example, it eliminates the need for back-channeling communication during the learning portion of a meeting. That means your new employees are paying attention and engaged during training, and not only benefit from its content, but also the website, branding, and marketing material as well. It sounds simple, but giving employees the freedom to focus on one thing at a time is something we all crave in a world of constant stimulation. 

Networking hubs can be created based on personal interests or business commonalities.  Imagine you’re hosting an all-hands meeting for hundreds of people that have never met in real life. Wouldn’t you want to give them a chance to connect, meaningfully, without interruption? Networking hubs are a safe and private way to facilitate conversations on a smaller scale. Users can jump in and out of networking circles as they see fit, just like they would during face-to-face communication. It may not be a water cooler, but it’s the next best thing. 

Zoom fatigue is like Squid Games – so last year. Here’s to a new year full of real connections, personal conversations, and budding friendships (even if those have to be made at work). Want to see how sequel is changing the video landscape? Try it for free.