What makes up the modern workplace? As we've all learnt, the paradigms of centralised offices, commutes, swipe cards and water cooler gossip have all been turned on their heads in 2020.

The world was forced into a new remote working model, which then transitioned to hybrid office/remote working at different paces as different states restored order

UC specialist firm Poly has been busy during this time ensuring that organisations have the communications equipment they need - and as part of a very special video series, Poly is also sharing its tips for returning to the office.

This video is the first of the series, which is hosted by Scott Bidmead of Foxtel and The Watchlist fame.

It explains what the ‘new normal' is that we've been hearing so much about, what it means, and how to prepare for the transition back to the office.

Employees will require more flexibility and freedom in this new hybrid working environment. Poly explains how organisations can provide these.

The video includes interviews with Microsoft Teams Rooms Devices expert Peter Garner, who talks about practical, tech advances to make the transition to a hybrid working environment easy and effective.

“The most important thing is that you get a quality experience in the meeting room. If you have a team in the room and a team at home or on the go, everybody needs to be included. Everybody needs to be able to see one another, and to have a voice in that conversation. It's critical to have video in the meeting room, and high quality audio.

He believes that if a business has set up a collaboration that ensures people have a voice, creativity quickly blooms. But, he warns, the right technology is important to help get this right.

You'll also hear from Poly ANZ managing director Andy Hurt, who shares workplace trends and shed light from working with businesses in a range of industries.

“Things are different,” he says. “We ask our customers to think about the personal experience, so the people that are involved in the transition. Ask them for their feedback; what are they thinking; how they work remotely; and what things they're actually looking to bring back into the office. Some of the technology adoption differences that they've seen is that work is not a place to go, it's actually what you do - so you're measuring output rather than input.

Poly will soon release the second video in the series, called  Master the Art of Working from Anywhere.

Until then, check out Poly ANZ Stories Episode 1: Tips for Transitioning Back to the Office below.

Poly (formerly Plantronics and Polycom) is a global communications company that builds beautifully human connections, from the headset that transmitted the iconic “One small step…” of the first moon landing to video conferencing and phone used by leaders of nations and captains of industry.