The trend for hybrid working took root during the Covid-19 pandemic and is only likely to grow in the coming years.

Four in 10 workers are currently working remotely part of the week or working entirely from home, according to a recent Gallup study of over 12,000 U.S. employees.

Gallup’s forecasts also overwhelmingly indicate that hybrid work schedules will become the new norm for most offices.

Many see this as a good thing. Employees like the flexibility of hybrid working and not having to commute as much. Nearly seven in 10 workers say they would prefer to be fully remote or hybrid.

Businesses benefit by saving money on office space and being able to hire from a wider pool of talent.

Little wonder that Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recently said that “the office, as we know it, is over.”

Unsurprisingly, though, hybrid working throws up plenty of challenges. How can you keep your team collaborating like a team when half are in the office and half are at home? How do you ensure employees feel engaged and connected to your organization’s culture, and that they continue to learn and develop?

This is where video can help. Businesses can address many of the challenges thrown up by the hybrid working model by employing a smart video content strategy.

At the beginning of the pandemic, video platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams quickly became the norm for remote workplaces. As businesses transition to hybrid, these kinds of video conferencing platforms are still crucial for communications.

But using a full range of video is important too. When you need to communicate business-critical thinking, break down complex topics, or align a team around a consistent message, video content is a proven way to success – particularly if your team is disparate and spread out. In a recent Forrester Research survey, for example, 88% of businesses said that video is crucial for their company’s ability to foster corporate culture.

Many businesses – from Avon to Vodafone – have turned to video to communicate more effectively with their staff.  They realize that video delivers substantially more engagement than alternative types of content such as text and graphics. Our brains are hardwired to retain visual information, so video delivers messages in a format that people can easily absorb.

In fact, viewers remember 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text.

This makes video the ideal medium for learning, development and communication in the workplace, and particularly for companies that have adopted hybrid working practices.

Video can be deployed by HR, leadership, and communication professionals to keep teams informed, engaged and productive, whether they’re working from home or on the front lines.

HR might find it easier to explain employment policies, compliance procedures or work from home expectations to a hybrid workforce via an instructional video. Accountancy giant PWC, for example, has won plaudits for its video to support its diversity initiative Open Mind.

Communication professionals, on the other hand, can turn to branded corporate video to help improve staff engagement among a hybrid workforce, and to make remote teams feel connected to their organization’s culture. Unilever focuses on its video content on its approach to sustainability to help it employees around the world feel connected to the organization. General Electric, meanwhile, received a lot of attention a while back for this great employer brand video about a six-year-old girl fantasizing about her mother’s inventions at work.

And a company’s leadership can effectively reach people who are working remotely and in the office with a video presentation. Or they can deploy training videos to improve productivity or safety. Home Depot did just that with this effective, no-nonsense video on how to dispose of hazardous waste effectively.

Sometimes, it just takes a simple video that offers tips on staying productive and happy when working from home to make a real impact with team members.

Equally, to attract job applicants, a company might want to showcase its approach to hybrid working. A video can show what it’s like to work for your company and provide a unique insight into your company culture and working environment, and put a human face to your brand. Microsoft illustrates its approach well in this video about hybrid working at its Silicon Valley campus.

With hybrid working set to become the norm in most workplaces, and most workers preferring to be hybrid or fully remote, a smart video strategy like this could reap dividends for your company in a short space of time.

To learn more about TransPerfect's video creation and localization platform, reach out to medianext@transperfect.com