Summer is upon us. The workload is less heavy, the sun is shining, and vacations are lurking around the corner – so what tasks should your tech team spend time on? Let’s go over some ideas for making the best of those semi-lazy days.
Companies in different sectors will experience slow periods at different times. Working in retail, for instance, might mean hectic times during the holidays or Black Friday but slower weeks during summer. For other businesses, Christmas might instead be the slowest period of them all.
Suppose your company is experiencing a quieter period during the summer. In that case, we believe it’s the perfect opportunity to focus on the kind of projects and tasks you never seem to have time for during busier periods.
Learn new things and acquire new skills
Personal development is an integral part of having satisfied employees that want to stay within the company. Especially if your team has experienced intense periods recently, this is the time to take a step away from production to focus on creativity and learn a new thing or two.
Tech professionals are usually constant learners, always eager to learn new things.
Maybe there’s a programming language an employee is interested in or a certificate within their field they want to get. If your employees can work remotely, the option for a digital course is perfect as it allows them to take it at their own pace.
Bear in mind that it doesn’t have to be as ‘serious’ as a certified course. Simply learning more about an exciting topic through TED Talks and YouTube videos is also an option.
Upgrade your tech stack
Evaluate the tech stack and see what you could remove or what you’re lacking. It's great if your digital strategies can handle remote work, as we will surely continue to work even more remotely in the future.
Are there solutions or specific technologies you’ve discussed investing in? This could be the time to try out demos and compare different solutions in order to make educated decisions that could make your day-to-day easier after the summer.
Learn more: Telephony and Contact Center trends 2022
Focus on strategy and the bigger picture
What are your long-term business goals? Do your previous goals need to be revised?
Review what's been successful and problematic during the year, and see what initiatives are most important to your company's mission. For example, this could be a good time to review your phone policy or set up a hybrid workplace strategy.
Review recruitment
Summer is not the most intense recruiting season, and that is exactly why you should focus on recruiting during that time! As the competition is getting higher and top talent harder to get, reach out when others aren't.
Ensure flexible work to the fullest
Many companies have integrated remote working setups for their tech teams. Maybe the staff works from home two days a week, or you have flexible hours. As the days get warmer and the workload less heavy, encourage your team to work outside, together as a team, if possible.
Allow time for bonding
Since the weather is (hopefully) nice, it might also be a good opportunity for the team to connect through non-computer related activities. Set up a fun outdoor activity and let the group bond and get to know each other better. Even if you have team members in different places, there are things you can do to keep your company culture alive in a remote team.
4 quick fixes before leaving for the holiday
- If the whole office is closed for a few weeks, let your customers know by recording a welcome message in your PBX where you inform them you’re on vacation.
- If you’re going to be closed, also close your PBX service between the dates you will be away for the holidays.
- If you’re using a UCaaS solution internally with profiles, make sure all employees set their profiles to vacation mode. This way, everyone can quickly see who’s away and who’s working.
- Do a security audit to feel at ease before you leave the office. You can do a security audit in just 10 minutes, and by doing so go through a few different aspects of your company and ensure it lives up to set protocols and practices.
