It’s easy to overfocus your return to office and hybrid work planning on space because it’s so visible. But ignoring an invisible factor – organizational culture – can undermine the best plans.

In fact, culture has been called “the top predictor of workplace satisfaction.” And recent research by Gallup found that companies with strong cultures ohttps://hbr.org/2017/01/what-matters-more-to-your-workforce-than-moneyutperform competitors by up to 33%.

Yet even before the pandemic, Gartner reported that while HR leaders felt they knew the culture needed to drive business performance in their organization, only 30% were confident that their desired culture was evident in their actual culture.

What may have been working when almost everyone spent most of their time in the office won’t work in a hybrid world. It’s no surprise then, that Gartner found 68% of executive teams are reevaluating their company’s culture for virtual and hybrid work.

What is organizational culture?

Culture can be described as the set of collective assumptions within an organization that guides attitudes, behaviors, and ways of working. It outlines how your company gets things done.

In the traditional office, a lot of behaviors that people thought defined culture were tied to the physical space and the activities that happened there. But culture isn’t a game room where different teams participate in ping-pong tournaments. It’s not free lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays, “no-meeting” Wednesdays, or quarterly Friday beer bashes in the parking lot.

Culture is the values and assumptions that these activities – and the company’s workflow, collaboration style, and how colleagues are expected to treat each other – should align to. And over the past year, the business world has seen the very public struggle as different organizations have reflected assumptions from “people can only be effective if they’re in the office” to “our people are so productive from wherever they are that we’re closing the office.”

Most organizations have settled on a hybrid working model that falls between these extremes, making it essential to reshape their culture for their new reality.

The power of connection

The secret power of a strong culture is that it makes employees feel connected to the company and to each other. That’s good for brand, good for the bottom line, and good for employee productivity, happiness, and retention.

But a December 2021 poll by Gartner found that only 1 in 4 hybrid/remote knowledge workers felt connected to their organization’s culture.

Clearly, it’s time to create cultures better suited to our current working world. And it’s time to acknowledge leadership’s role in creating and sustaining a successful culture.

A once-in-a lifetime opportunity

Achieving this kind of change requires a shared vision and direction that moves beyond tactics to take a clear stand on what the hybrid culture is, so that people know what they can rely on. If reinventing an organization’s culture is a significant challenge, it’s also a unique opportunity to redefine the business.

Bill Schaninger, a Senior Partner at McKinsey recently pointed out that “it’s rare in a leader’s lifetime to have such a clean drop for reshaping how you run the place.”

To help you make the most of this unprecedented moment,

Read The Journey to Hybrid Working: Hybrid Heaven or Hell? for key considerations in creating a culture that supports hybrid success.

Today marks a historic milestone with the union of two iconic companies who have played a pioneering role in the development and evolution of modern computing and collaboration technology. From humble origin stories with founders building product prototypes in Silicon Valley garages to powering business for the Fortune 500, HP and Poly are both companies built on strong values, incredible talent, and whose cultures are rooted in innovation and a relentless drive to put customers first. Today, we are one company.

The acquisition of Poly significantly expands HP’s portfolio of Hybrid Work Solutions and further strengthens our ability to drive innovation and growth. Together, we will deliver a complete ecosystem of devices, software, and digital services to create premium employee experiences, improved workforce productivity, and enhanced IT management.

Going forward, businesses need to plan for a hybrid working reality where every meeting will include video and have at least one remote participant. However, the quality and experiences of video collaboration and conference calls in hybrid meetings can vary widely between those in the meeting room and those who are not—potentially causing less-productive meetings and leaving remote workers to feel like second class citizens.

HP and Poly’s technology connect people to transform these inequitable hybrid interactions into beautifully connected and seamless collaboration—together we will redefine how work gets done.

Poly and HP’s history of innovation in audio, video and computing technology stretches back decades – together we put the first astronauts on the moon, put Silicon Valley on the map and pioneered modern business communications. Today we are applying that same knowledge and expertise to deliver innovative professional video and audio tools designed to empower collaboration in the hybrid working era.

The opportunity for growth and innovations to support hybrid working is immense. We are in a once-in-a-generation product cycle where companies are retrofitting office space and upgrading outdated office equipment, while at the same time, making certain their remote employees are equipped with the right gear for hybrid work.

However, the communications challenge posed by the future of work is not simply a hardware issue. It is about business infrastructure: the combined hardware, software and services that support and connect the modern workforce. The combination of HP and Poly creates one go-to solutions provider capable of delivering a comprehensive, end-to-end portfolio of hybrid work solutions, built on the complementary strengths of both companies.

We’re incredibly excited about the value proposition this newly combined organization provides for our customers and partners seeking to support the hybrid work experience for today and be prepared for the future. A huge thank you to all the Poly and HP employees who have worked tirelessly to lay the groundwork for this exciting moment and to all of those who will continue to deliver the world’s best solutions to power the modern workforce.

On Friday, June 3^rd, Poly Tijuana, traditionally known as Plamex, celebrated its 50^th anniversary with an epic celebration recognizing the thousands of amazing employees who have contributed to Poly’s success. Attended by several dignitaries from the Baja California and San Diego government and business community and many of Plamex’s former leaders from over the decades, it was a fiesta that will go down in the Poly history books.

Alejandro Bustamante, Grant Hoffman, Governor Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda, Dave Shull, Rodolfo Reyes & Plamex Team

Proud Tradition of Excellence

Opening its doors in 1972, Poly Tijuana is one the longest continuously operating maquiladoras in Baja California with a proud tradition of excellence made possible by outstanding leadership and a dedicated team working tirelessly to build the gear that we’re proud to deliver to our customers.

The scale of the factory’s output and impact on the Baja California community is staggering. The numbers speak for themselves:

• Manufactured and shipped over 1 billion products
• Employed over 61,000 employees
• Married over 500 couples on-site
• Provided over 5000 scholarships to employee children and 3500 to employees to pursue degrees
• Awarded over 200 national and international awards for manufacturing excellence
• Voted Best Place to Work in Mexico 6 Times

It is because of the dedication and leadership of our Plamex team that Poly has a long-standing reputation as an exemplary business in the region. Receiving special recognition at the anniversary celebration was Alejandro Bustamante, Poly EVP and long-time leader of Plamex, whose contributions to the facilities’ growth and operations over the years have been essential to its success.

Under Alejandro’s leadership, Plamex has earned a reputation of excellence where resilience, commitment, and focus on community are built into the fabric of the organization.

Resilience

The pandemic accelerated what was already an existing trend toward digital collaboration which made Poly’s products and services more relevant than ever before. Mandatory stay-at-home orders across the globe created a surge in the number of people working from home or remote locations. And with that, demand for our enterprise headsets soared – products that are built at Plamex.

The need for world-class product manufacturing became more critical to our business success than ever and our Poly Tijuana team stepped up to the challenge in a big way. They were not only able to keep the factory open and keep customer orders shipping but managed to scale operations significantly all while keeping our people safe and healthy.

It was amazing to see how the Plamex team stepped up, and it’s only through the resilience of our people that we made it through one of the most challenging times we have ever faced as a society and a business.

Commitment

The employees and leadership at Poly Tijuana have created an environment where trust, respect, and opportunity thrive. This is why Plamex has earned the title of “Best Place to Work” in Mexico six times.

The continued commitment to excellence is apparent in everything Plamex does. Leaders concentrate on creative ways to improve the work environment by fostering a place where employees continue to grow, personally and professionally.

Community

The Plamex team fosters an awesome sense of community within the business, and for its local citizens. Environmental programs, like reforestation efforts; on-site healthcare for employees and family members, and perhaps the most beloved among our Poly family: weddings, where we have had over 500 couples tie the knot over the past 20 years.

There is also a lot that our Poly Tijuana team does outside the walls of this facility in the greater Baja California business community. One recent example was the cross-border vaccination program initiated with several other business and government entities to ensure that local employees had access at a time when border closures and the scarcity of vaccines in Mexico were making things very difficult.

The Future Looks Bright

We have 50 years’ worth of hard work to celebrate at Poly Tijuana and a future that looks incredibly bright as Alejandro passes the reigns to Rodolfo Reyes and Grant Hoffmann. In addition to our award-winning headset and voice products, we’re happy to announce that Plamex will begin to manufacture video products this year, beginning with the recently introduced Poly Studio R30.

We can’t wait to see what the next 50 years bring!

Poly has done it once again! A slew of awards and recognition from our industry peers demonstrate what our customers already know: Poly headsets, video and audio-conferencing products are exceptionally well designed and engineered. The new devices we’ve shipped over the past year were designed to give a first-class, professional-grade conferencing experience with hybrid teams in mind, supporting the way users want to work – from home, on the go, or in the office. 

We are incredibly proud of the teams that delivered these products to market and continue to work tirelessly to out-innovate our competition and raise the bar higher every single day.   

Let’s take a look at some of the most recent awards for the Poly lineup: 

 The Red Dot is a top distinction in the industry for high design quality. The international jury only awards products that demonstrate outstanding design this coveted seal. We are proud to have multiple products that achieve such high standards, and we are thrilled to announce that both the Poly Sync 10 and Poly Studio X70 have received a Red Dot award. 

The 10th Annual 2022 Compass Intelligence Mobile, IoT and Emerging Tech Awards honor companies that demonstrate innovation, leadership and excellence in the technology industry. The decision-making panel felt Poly fit that description well—and we agree! We’re thrilled to announce that the Voyager Focus 2 took home the Top B2B Wearable Device award. 

The iF DESIGN AWARD, which has been organized in Germany since 1953, is one of the world’s most prestigious awards. An iF seal signifies superior design for consumers and the design community. We are proud to have so many products receive this seal. Just this year, the Poly Studio E70, Poly Studio X70, Poly Sync 10 and Poly Voyager Focus 2 were all awarded for their respective categories.  

INNOVATION IS IN OUR DNA 

Poly has been a pioneer in workplace solutions long before the pandemic began, and now, there is no one better suited to help employers adapt to the new world of work. We continue to develop innovative solutions that make working from anywhere possible and meet the ever-changing needs of professionals everywhere. It’s what we do best! 

Take the award-winning Poly Studio X70, for example. Our engineers designed the X70 to provide the best damn meeting experience out there. This next-level video bar combines stunning design with razor-sharp 4K video and boardroom-filling stereo that brings large meeting rooms to life. With AI-driven video and audio, the Poly Studio X70 makes large-room video calls hassle-free.  

The Poly Studio E70 is a first-of-its-kind intelligent camera that supercharges meeting rooms with mind-blowing video quality, state-of-the-art audio features and next-level analytics. With the E70, large meeting rooms can transition between a wide-angle and narrow lens undetected, meaning everyone in the room can be seen in sharp detail and those working remotely will get the same experience as their in-office colleagues. This makes meeting equity possible from anywhere. 

However, technology shouldn’t support all work and no play. The Poly Sync 10 supports your ability to shift seamlessly from work to play with user-friendly, worry free operation wherever your life is happening. The Sync 10 gives you the freedom to just plug and play—no pairing, no charging, no switches, no tedious nonsense. 

And last, but certainly not least, in the award-winning line-up is the Voyager Focus 2. Gone are the days of apologizing for the dog barking or the doorbell ringing. Thanks to the professional-grade noise blocking and Acoustic Fence technology, you can be confident that you will have an uninterrupted, polished experience working from your home office where you can hear and be heard. With the Voyager Focus 2, it’s all about you—only you.  

CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE 

The Poly team is steadfast in our commitment to developing the industry’s most innovative audio and video solutions that enable employees to look and sound their best and put everyone in today’s hybrid meeting on equal footing. As the workplace continues to change, we will keep innovating and providing award-winning audio and video solutions to support professionals everywhere. 

We think our solutions speak for themselves…but winning a few awards is nice too! 

See for yourself at Poly.com. 

The Poly team is relentless in our pursuit to deliver beautifully designed and engineered audio and video products that let you be seen and heard with incredible clarity, wherever work is getting done. Over the past two years, our product design and engineering teams have worked incredibly hard to refresh our entire product line from headsets to conference room solutions to gear meant to outfit personal workspaces. It’s always a great honor for this effort to be recognized by our industry colleagues and that is no exception in learning that two of our new products – the Poly Sync Speakerphones, and the Poly Voyager Focus 2 headset have been awarded the 2022 INTERNET TELEPHONY Product of the Year Award, presented by TMC.

The Poly Sync USB and Bluetooth Speakerphones

The Poly Sync family is comprised of three USB/Bluetooth® smart devices – the Poly Sync 20, the personal-sized speakerphone and portable speaker, perfect for the hybrid worker; the Poly Sync 40, for flexible/huddle spaces, and the Poly Sync 60 for small to medium conference rooms. Designed with today’s working environments in mind, the Poly Sync family offers unparalleled audio, high-quality speakerphone and music experiences, long-lasting battery life and fast charging, Bluetooth or USB connectivity, and durability.

We made them dust and water-resistant – making it easy to wipe down devices to keep them clean and germ-free. Additionally, the entire Poly Sync Family is Zoom and Microsoft certified so you can count on a flawless meeting experience with incredible audio every time.

The Voyager Focus 2

The Voyager Focus 2 is the latest iteration of one of Poly’s most beloved and best-selling headsets of all time, the Voyager Focus. This latest addition to the Voyager Focus series adds hybrid active noise-canceling technology along with our best microphone noise-canceling to date with Poly’s signature Acoustic Fence for an unparalleled wireless audio experience. The new Voyager Focus 2 delivers an unparalleled wireless audio experience that keeps you in the zone regardless of what noise might be happening in the background.

The Voyager Focus 2 works across all your devices and is available as a UC version or as an office version to connect to your desk phone and PC with a connectivity base. The Voyager Focus 2 also has a universal charge stand option to ensure you never run out of battery life. The UC version connects to your mobile via Bluetooth and to your computer via the BT700 Bluetooth USB adapter. This all-new adapter is 50 percent smaller than its predecessor and boasts an improved wireless range of up to 50m/164 ft.

The Voyager Focus 2 offers unparalleled features with world-class audio so there’s no doubt this will be the product of the year for many years to come.

Commitment to Innovation

Poly was born from the merger of two pioneering Silicon Valley companies in the collaboration and video conferencing industry. Innovation is in our DNA and will always be a top priority in our roadmap as we work to deliver collaboration solutions that meet our customers’ evolving needs. From office headsets to immersive video collaboration, we are reimagining what’s possible with solutions for every workspace and style. We’re not satisfied until no one can remember whether you were on the screen or in the room.

To learn more about Poly’s award-winning lineup, visit http://www.Poly.com

Every International Women’s Day, we pause to celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements, which can go overlooked. Therefore, it is also important to contribute to the call to action to raise awareness against bias and take action to advance an equitable future. This year, people around the world are uniting, raising their voices to #Break the Bias—and Poly proudly stands in solidarity with this campaign.

As explained in a previous blog, Poly understands that women have been disproportionally affected by the pandemic, leading to worsening gender parity across the workforce. Women, more so than any other demographic, have had to take on even more as they juggle the ever-shifting housekeeping, caretaking, hybrid schoolwork and remote-to-hybrid work. According to the 2021 McKinsey & Company study, the largest study of women in corporate America, “One in three women says that they have considered downshifting their career or leaving…, compared with one in four who said this a few months into the pandemic.” Too many professionals are leaving the workforce completely to compensate for the changing needs of their families—not to mention the burn out.

This means women, who might need hybrid or remote work options more than any other demographic, could be those most worried about how a return to work would impact their careers. As many businesses are currently discussing a return to work, it makes these concerns especially timely. Carolina Milanesi, a Consumer Tech analyst and Forbes contributor, states, “It is time we decouple work from office presence. Some work can be done anywhere and going to the office should be a purpose-driven choice that does not translate to better opportunity or a faster career path.” If it does, it’s clear which demographic a business is most willing to disadvantage.

At Poly, our goal is to do the right thing in the right way, every time, and we are committed to creating equitable opportunities and an inclusive workplace for all. We embrace our flexible working policy and hybrid working reality—it’s ingrained within our culture—not a limited-time benefit. In addition, according to the Gender Social Norms index, over 40 percent of the world’s population feel that men make better business executives and that men have more right to a job when jobs are scarce. This attitude does not prevail at Poly. We challenge ourselves to break the bias every day and pursue improvement to gender balance in leadership roles and female representation at all levels. Click here to read more about our gender balance goals and our partnership with Advancing Women Executives, which helps accelerate women’s careers.

We are also very lucky to have passionate people at Poly who are committed to addressing gender inequity. Many of these internal leaders are part of our Women’s Leadership Group (WLG), an active Employee Resource Group (ERG) since 2017. This ERG takes action year-round to support women and ensure that gender diversity is priority at Poly. Just this January, our WLG brought cognitive neuroscientists Dr. Sahar Yousef and Professor Lucas Miller, from the University of California, Berkeley back to Poly to deliver a second webinar on Becoming Superhuman: The Science of Managing your Time, Focus and Energy. As businesses across all industries trend toward remote and hybrid work, productivity barriers are more relevant than ever, and it makes providing employees with the support and tools to effectively combat them especially important. Dr. Yousef and Professor Miller taught us how to do just that. Our WLG also hosts numerous educational sessions, and this International Women’s Day, Estelle Jackson, our Inclusion, Diversity, Education and Awareness leader, will be sharing her ‘Day in the Life’ journey to teach us how various situations, avenues and milestones have led her to where she is today. We will later hear from women in our Middle East and North Africa region.

To break the bias against women, we all have to do better and hold ourselves accountable. Together, we will create an equal, equitable workplace, advancing diversity, inclusion and gender balance at Poly. Reaching this equitable future will take time, effort and investment, and Poly is committed to making it happen. Follow our progress in our external facing Corporate Social Responsibility report, publishing in May, under Inclusion, Diversity, Education and Awareness.

When Google Voice launched in 2010, Poly understood the benefits this Google technology would offer our customers. Poly very quickly became the primary provider of certified desk phones for Google Voice and our VVX (OBi Edition) line of desk phones have delivered pro-grade performance to Google customers around the world. Since then, the Voyager, Blackwire, and Sync families of certified headsets and speakerphones have joined our VVX phones in enabling people to connect with confidence from anywhere using the Google Voice soft and mobile clients.

As more enterprises plan their return to the office, we see a significant demand for next-generation cloud-connected desk phone solutions that Google Voice provides.  The Poly strategic alliance with Google has continued to grow with the increasing demand, and Poly now has certifications across the entire Google Workspace ecosystem, including Google Meet, Chromebook, and Chrome OS. However, Google Voice is still at the heart of our relationship, and we are delighted to announce our latest certifications for Google Voice.

Poly Edge B-Series IP Desk Phones

Stylish design meets Poly pro-grade audio. That’s what makes the Poly Edge B-Series IP Phones the genius choice for any growing business. Easy to use with illuminated keys where you need them most. Audio-enhancement technologies like Poly HD voice and Poly Acoustic Fence technology give your business-grade audio quality with no background noise. And these desk phones are hardcore reliable—exactly what you need to keep customers happy. It’s pure value in a low-cost business phone.

Obi 300/302 Adapters

Poly OBi300 family enhances the communication possibilities of home offices with flexibility in voice, fax, and modem applications as you transition to the digital communications world. Home and business offices can maximize their current analog investment by keeping up to two analog phones or fax machines. Certified for Google Voice, this dedicated device prioritizes phone calls above other internet traffic coming through the LAN port to ensure users clearly hear every important word.

Poly Trio 8300

Poly Trio 8300 transforms any small conference room into a smart collaboration hub with the touch of a button. Launch conference calls in seconds, tune out distractions and keep everyone engaged with Poly NoiseBlock technology. Optimal coverage ensures every voice is heard. One device provides Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth® and IP connectivity, and a simple interface launches meetings in seconds. With all these options in one smart device, you can help your teams get more done in less space. And make meetings more engaging for everyone.

Note: Support for Trio 8300 devices will be available in the coming weeks.

Continued Innovation

As one of the world’s most innovative and dynamic companies, there is no doubt that Google will continue to bring innovation to the collaboration market. However, some things don’t change—the need for audio and video solutions that deliver meaningful and authentic collaboration experiences to everyone. That’s where Poly comes in. Our knowledge of delivering a pro-grade experience, combined with our comprehensive Google certified portfolio, means Poly looks forward to continuing our thought, technology and market leadership position in the Google ecosystem. Poly products and Google power a diverse range of hardware and cloud solutions to ensure everyone has an equitable seat at the table, no matter where they are.

Visit https://www.poly.com/us/en/solutions/platform/google to learn more about Poly certified solutions for Google.

You can read the Google announcement here.

Liberate your USB port

As laptop designs become sleeker the number of USB ports is reducing, forcing users to often plug and unplug USB devices which is frustrating.  Poly and Intel are coming to their rescue by removing the need for the USB Bluetooth headset adapter on supported laptops and hence freeing up a valuable USB port.

20 years ago, the first Bluetooth headsets unchained mobile phone users from wires with hands-free wireless communications. Bluetooth quickly became ubiquitous in mobile phones and smartphones and is now known for its “just works” simplicity.

The same was never true when using a Bluetooth headset directly with a computer. Users would have to jump through hoops ensuring they had the correct drivers, firmware, software, etc. before discovering that the audio quality was inadequate. Poly solved these problems with its own USB Bluetooth adapter.

Thanks to Poly and Intel® the end is now in sight for the USB Bluetooth Adapter with supported laptops.

The Next Evolution

Poly has collaborated with Intel to optimize the Poly headset to meet the Intel® Engineered for Evo™ accessories program requirements for Bluetooth headsets.  This ensures simple, reliable, and optimized performance that helps to maximize user experiences, all using the native Bluetooth and without the need for a USB Bluetooth adapter. The first Poly Bluetooth headsets to support Intel® Engineered for Evo™ accessories program will be the Voyager Focus 2 and Voyager 4300 Series (through a firmware update). Look for the Intel® Evo™ platform brand on select premium 11th and 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processor-based laptops from a variety of manufactures.

Looking to The Future

For those who spend most of their time on conference/collaboration calls, it is important to be able to answer/end and mute/unmute the call directly from the headset. Although this is not currently supported when using native Bluetooth, Poly is working hard with major UC phone and conferencing software providers to add this feature for native Bluetooth-connected headsets without the need for the USB adapter. This feature will enter preview mode in Microsoft Teams in early 2022*

Using a headset directly with Intel® Evo™ supported laptops is ideal for users who are unable to connect a USB adapter and just want a great audio experience. Intel® Evo™ laptops lay the foundation for early adopters to benefit from using their Bluetooth headset without the need of a separate Bluetooth USB adapter, freeing up their scarce USB ports for other things. As more UC phone and conference software providers add remote call control support for native Bluetooth headsets and users refresh their computers with new Intel® Evo™ laptops and Windows 11, more users will experience the benefits of a direct Bluetooth connection with the full call control support too.

To see the entire lineup of Poly Bluetooth headsets, visit poly.com

Learn more about Intel® Evo™, visit intel.com

As we close out another busy year, we wanted to pause to celebrate the women of Poly whose outstanding work has been recognized not only by their colleagues, but also by the technology industry. This year, CRN’s Women of the Channel Award recognized a number of women from Poly’s channel team, and Aragon Research’s Women in Tech Award went to our very own Edie Kissko, Vice President of Global Communications and Giving. Their exceptional leadership has enriched Poly and left a lasting mark. It is our joy to honor and uplift these powerful women in tech.

2021 Women of the Channel

Every year, the CRN nominates over 1,000 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition in its annual Women of The Channel showcase. Of those, an elite group of executives are selected for the Power 100 list. These women are leading their organizations from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Read about the women of Poly whose accomplishments have earned them a place among the 2021 winners:

Jennifer Judy, Sr. Director, Global Partner Experience – With more than two decades of experience, Jennifer has a passion for and commitment to channel excellence. Throughout her career, her one constant vision is her focus on the “channel perspective” and ability to transform the partner experience to one that empowers and drives self-sufficiency.

Komal Shah, Sr. Director, Global Partner Operations – In her global role, Komal is tasked with managing partner compliance, helping develop next gen processes internally to aid the success of Poly’s partner community. With 20+ years of channel experience, Komal is an accomplished business leader who has sat on both sides of the table, the partner and the vendor including roles as Sr Director of Purchasing/Merchandising at PCM and Sr Director of Programs/Promotions at D-Link.

Laura Evans, Global Distribution Program Sr. Manager – Laura is a dynamic and innovative Global Channel Leader with over 30 years of experience in enterprise hardware, voice, video and software. She is a recognized leader in Channel Sales who been passionate about Channel enablement since her first Sales role at a distributor.

Karin Dushaw, Federal Channel Program Manager – Karin’s career spans 20 years in the Unified Communications/IT industry, largely focused on the sale of UC collaboration, video and audio teleconferencing solutions and services. Her focus has been on channel recruitment, development and growth via strategic planning, relationship building and business development.

Erica Mikulsky, Global Partner Content Strategy Manager – Starting in the IT Channel in 2008, Erica’s experience spans the channel from Manufacturers, Distribution, Solution Providers and most recently she has stepped into a true global role with Poly. Erica is known for creatively engaging and enabling channel partners and has many previous successes.

Tracy Rutherford, Global Channel Enablement Program Manager – Tracy leads global channel enablement programs and strategic partner events. She is responsible for the strategy and execution of initiatives that drive understanding of solutions and programs within the Poly global channel community, while also gathering invaluable feedback (“Voice of the Partner”).

Jessica Samuels, Global Partner Sales, Marketing Enablement Manager – Jessica is responsible for creating programs and resources designed to enhance the partner experience in onboarding, new product introductions and identified strategic initiatives. In her short time at Poly, she has already made major changes by creating a new partner onboarding curriculum, launching three new partner journey programs, and managing the channel strategy for five successful product launches.

Noemi Van Nest, Global Partner Marketing, Promotions Manager – Noemi is the Global Partner Marketing and Promotions Manager at Poly. She joined the team a little under a year ago and is responsible for managing Global Promotions and Programs, such as the Global Demo Equipment (NFR) Program.

Aragon Research Women in Tech Award for Public Relations

Edie Kissko, Vice President of Global Communications and Giving, won the 2021 Women in Tech Award for Public Relations from Aragon Research. This award recognizes women who have demonstrated outstanding personal and professional growth and significantly contributed to the technology industry.

We are thrilled to celebrate your achievements! Diversity, inclusion and culture are fundamental at Poly, and we thank each and every one of you for living the kind of leadership and mentorship we strive for every day.

The chain of reactions set in motion in 2021 will spill over into 2022. We’ve learned to expect and adapt to changes as they occur, and now, professionals across every industry are hungry for better tools and spaces that support agility, empower the individual and provide an equitable experience. These trends will shape the world of work in the coming year and will be natural extensions of the pandemic-induced changes already in motion.

To prepare for the demands of the coming year, we called upon the insights of four Poly experts from across the world: Carl Wiese, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for Poly worldwide; David Danto, Director of UC Strategy and Research for North America; Pierre-Jean Châlon, Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific; and Paul Clark, Senior Vice President for EMEA.

Trend 1: Hybrid Work Lives On

The pandemic may have expedited the shift to hybrid and remote work, but success within this work model heralded a new expectation. Clark explains: “Workers who relish the perks of hybrid and flexible working have no desire to return to corporate life full time. Poly research found 80% of Europe and the Middle East employees prefer to spend some days working from home. With the economy picking up, professionals want more power to choose how they work and where.” Work is now what you do, not where you do it.

“One key aspect of hybrid working is allowing the employee to be the judge of where they need to be at any given time,” said Danto. To reinforce this point, Clark asserts, “Choice is a leveler and a catalyst for easy, meaningful and productive collaboration. It presents a great opportunity for HR, IT, facilities management and the wider business to be more attuned to what employees want from their experience of work.” He continues, “Rather than being an asset that requires managing, employees have adopted a customer persona; they know what they want, why, when and how—and they’ll tell you. Ignore them and they’ll go elsewhere!”

As we look toward 2022, a trend called the “the great resignation” is sweeping the workforce. Swaths of professionals are walking out the door in favor of better opportunities. “Research shows that over 40% of workers would actively look elsewhere if their employers fail to offer hybrid working,” said Clark. The demand for flexible work is clear and businesses need to shift quickly to accommodate these new expectations if they hope to attract and retain talent. This not only entails adapting traditional work models but getting ahead of the work-from-home challenges we have all become familiar with, including video fatigue, isolation and the struggle with work/life balance. Wiese predicts, “Companies that go the extra mile to offer workspaces and technology that foster a sense of wellness and belonging – both in the office and at home – will have an advantage when attracting and retaining top performers.”

Châlon explains how this shift is already impacting the job market: “It’s led to an increasing number of job openings listing remote work as a key requirement. In 2020, about a third of job vacancies involved work that could be done remotely, largely for PMET roles. Plus, more job seekers in Asia Pacific are searching remote-first roles due to health fear associated with working in-office.” While the early days of the pandemic are behind us, health and safety continue to be a top concern as the landscape changes—especially for job seekers. We can anticipate this will remain true in the new year.

Trend 2: The Office as Collaboration Hub

As professionals take control of when they are in the office and why, fewer people will be in the office regularly and will use the space differently, encouraging businesses to restructure their offices. “Offices will no longer be physical spaces with defined, individual spots,” said Clark. “Future workplaces will be ecosystems of spaces and rooms that match the working habits or needs of different personas.” In agreement, Châlon explains, “The office becomes a collaboration hub, serving as a place for teams to brainstorm in small groups, host client meetings, celebrate milestones and work on joint projects. Professionals will need spaces dedicated to specific purposes, including hot-desking, conference rooms with easy-to-use video conferencing systems, and better cameras and monitors for desktop video meetings.”

According to Clark, this trend “will lead to significant changes in architecture, real estate, room design and investment in collaboration devices and technologies in future office buildings, as all these disciplines collide to provide the very best work experience possible.” For many companies, this means reducing office space via subleasing by leveraging a ‘core and flex’ model or reducing their carbon footprint altogether by going almost fully remote. “In Singapore, central business district office occupiers could aim to reduce their footprint by 10% to 20% over the next three years,” said Châlon. Seeing this as a potential cost-saving opportunity that also meets the demands of the modern workforce, it’s likely this trend will continue in 2022.

Trend 3: Work Equity is a Priority

Flexible work offers many opportunities but also presents a new challenge: meeting equity. To truly succeed, business leaders will need to devise workplace strategies and investments that ensure an equitable work experience for all, regardless of work base, for optimal collaboration and productivity. Châlon advises, “Access to reliable communications is key to ensuring people receive the same information, at the same time and to avoid any inadvertent bias for those not physically present in the conference room.”

Châlon adds, “The need to solve imbalanced experiences for those inside and outside the office is real. While we are all aware of the interruptions remote workers contend with, office-based employees face their own challenges, too. They may have limited access to quiet rooms for video meetings, or noise-canceling headphones and microphones for meetings from their desks. Many meeting rooms only have one video camera and microphone that cannot pan wide enough to show everyone sitting around a table, making it hard for remote workers to decipher who is talking or the nuance of what is being discussed.” Danto asserts, “There are room systems on the market today that are smart enough to always show the right shot, and platforms that give each person in the meeting, remote or in-person, the same experience. You can expect even more of these features to hit the market in 2022 and bring us closer to the equity we need.”

Trend 4: Video is the Superhero

Technology investments will go beyond deploying solutions and focus on tools that improve the employee experience. People expect easy-to-use, reliable technology that minimizes disruptions and ensures they will look and sound great. As a result, Châlon predicts, “Many organizations and sectors will adopt a no-compromise attitude to ensure the highest quality video solutions are in place to support high-level productivity, resilience and customer service.”

This means the devices that bridged the communications gap at the beginning of the pandemic are no longer cutting it. Businesses must equip professionals with tools that empower the individual and support sustainable business practices. “This will drive an increased demand in pro-grade technology and collaboration tools that simplify the user experience, and in turn, improve productivity and collaboration,” said Châlon.

Video conferencing technology as a collaboration tool unleashes new opportunities for engagement globally. It has enriched the collaborative experience manyfold over the past two years and will continue to do so in 2022. Clark states, “Collaboration is required for a happy workforce, with the link between employee well-being and business performance well-documented,” and he warns, “Organizations that fail to support a flexible workplace in 2022 will struggle to build a collaborative culture.” Wiese agrees, explaining, “Those who don’t plan for the reality of video collaboration will see a loss in employee productivity and lower overall satisfaction.” Professional-grade video conferencing solutions will be pivotal to the 2022 workforce.

Châlon points out that it’s not just corporate professionals who need tools that improve their day-to-day work and practices. Professionals in government, real estate, education and medicine are especially hungry for solutions that enhance the end-user experience. Châlon states, “The rise in telemedicine, the boom of e-commerce, digital banking, hybrid call centres and more will be fueled by the flexible workforce,” and will require the tools that support productivity and business continuity. We’ve seen many organizations from these sectors revolutionize their way of work, improving their service with Poly solutions, and it will be rewarding to see more follow their footsteps in the coming year.

Trend 5: Home Offices are Leveling Up

The continued trend toward remote and hybrid work means home offices will be leveling up. Danto explains, “Home set-ups will need to improve. A built-in camera and a set of consumer earbuds won’t cut it long term. The way knowledge workers present themselves to clients and colleagues will significantly impact how they are perceived and how successful they can be.” Now that hybrid and remote options are here to stay, the workforce will become more interested in investing in their home office. To ensure their once temporary workspace is optimized for professional, sustainable work, professionals will outfit their spaces with pro-grade technology.

Office collaborators must also be able to move between their home and office bases with ease. Therefore, Châlon asserts, “It is essential that office collaborators are able to use the same infrastructure in the conference room as they do their home offices. The breadth that Poly’s product portfolio brings, for example, already gives enterprises the freedom and flexibility to make it possible.” Businesses that equip their workforce with the required tools and create an equitable experience will win at home and the corporate office.