The spread of the Coronavirus is not showing any signs of slowing down around Europe and as countries start to impose stricter measures on large gatherings and the movement of people today, we’ve also seen a very sharp rise in search demand for people seeking out some of the most popular video conferencing platforms.
Source: Google Trends
Demand peaked on Monday morning
As employers came into work on Monday morning, Google Trends data reported a huge spike in searches as businesses looked support with delaying the spread of the virus by adopting work from home policies and implement video conferencing tools.
Zoom was the clear winner, but Microsoft Teams is catching up
Zoom seems to have been the winner of this in the UK due to a well-established brand and recent marketing pushes, but as the day has gone on, Microsoft Teams has closed the gap. It’s clear that both brands were more than ready for this and have been really pushing their video conferencing solutions both online and offline.
Will we see working from home continue after COVID-19 clears?
Many businesses were already offering working from home and flexi-time as a working benefit, whilst others were considering adopting similar policies. The Coronavirus has forced businesses to make this move and should it work well and productivity remain high, as has been the result with many case studies, we’ll likely see more flexible working be the norm going forward and this could be looked back on as a watershed moment.
How to stay motivated whilst working at home?
For anyone who already works from home regularly, they will know that it’s not just as easy as installing a video conferencing platform and cracking on. You need to get the right set up, the right attitude and remove distractions.
Don’t work from the bed/sofa/kitchen table where there’s a TV or something else to potentially distract you, set yourself goals and rewards for completing them but still take breaks to grab yourself a coffee or have a quick skim of your favourite website. Boredom will lead to a lack of motivation, so don’t feel guilty about staying 100% focused for the full working day.