Whether you’re looking to communicate with existing employees or recruit the next generation of technology-ready youngsters, you may want to consider unified communications.

Firms that promote themselves as technology-savvy could be giving themselves a considerable edge, both in attracting fresh recruits and in retaining seasoned employees. The next generation are about to join your workforce and they’ll expect big things of your networking and connectivity capabilities. And they’re not the only ones. Today’s 30-44 year-olds already expect companies to take a cutting-edge view on communications technology.

When it comes to recruitment, right-minded companies are those prepared to embrace Facebook and texting as a way of contacting potential recruits, according to Tim Wise of High Fliers Research. Apparently, many law firms lead the way with “phenomenal communications networks that recruits can tap into as trainee lawyers”, says Tim. Also, word-of-mouth can help lure employees away from less IT-aware firms. “Once people get into a job and begin to talk to their peers – and one might show off a state-of-the-art laptop or BlackBerry – they very much start to see whether the grass is greener on the other side,” he adds.

‘I’m comfortable right here, thanks’

When cutting back on traditional remuneration and retention packages, investing in IT that meets employee expectations can help take up the slack. As Deloitte Consulting notes in its report, Retention Strategies in Difficult Times (September 2008), many companies are trying to ease the strain on employees by improving their work environment and making it easier to balance work and family. “While these programmes won’t put dollars in employees’ pockets,” says Deloitte, “they can go a long way toward helping employees view their company more favourably, making them less likely to leave.”

A quick survey of recent research shows that the need to recognise employees’ wants and expectations will play a part in future enterprise IT decisions. In fact, analyst Gartner predicts that, between 2007 and 2012, the majority of new information technologies adopted by enterprises will have their roots in the consumer market.

Gartner also reports that the failure of IT departments to adapt quickly to new technologies will cause more than 50% of enterprise users to become dissatisfied by 2013.

What workers want

According to market research and consultancy firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, the average employee has their hands full keeping track of up to five types of communication device (desktop phones, mobiles, etc), as well as four types of communication applications (IM, conferencing, and so on). Unsurprisingly, according to another survey by market researchers Redshift, three-quarters of UK workers want access to unified communications (UC), which combines email, voice and video conferencing. Seventy-three percent said this makes workplace communications more efficient. And more than half said it helps them work outside the traditional office.

Last July, Chadwick Martin Bailey looked into UC application use by enterprises in America. Their research concluded that organisations without UC run the risk of becoming inefficient, particularly as their workforce becomes more mobile. Employees must often guess which method (desk phone, mobile phone, email, etc) is the most direct way to reach a colleague at any given time. Where UC is not an option, 40% of people fail to reach a required colleague on the first try.

While UC doesn’t replicate the consumer experience, it does provide a suite of tools that create easier access to colleagues via the desktop or softphone, making it easier to foster a sense of collaboration and community. It also has the potential to fulfil that vital element which Twitter, Facebook and other consumer applications simply cannot provide. And that’s Presence.

Making your presence felt

Here’s where Presence comes in. Want to have a quick IM chat with a colleague? Why not see if he or she’s available, first by checking where they are and on which device they can be contacted. If they’re only on their mobile, maybe a quick voice call is best, enabled by one click on your on-screen contacts directory. Chadwick Martin Bailey says this translates into up to 20 minutes of time saved per employee per day – clearly a benefit in time and money. It’s no wonder then that as Forrester has reported, 36% of UK firms rate presence technology as “very important” to “important” to their business.

UC also makes escalation easy, seamlessly passing the user from one application to another. For example, when that IM chat gets too complex, it can be escalated to a video conference. If you need additional expertise, just look up another colleague’s availability and invite them to join in.

Consider how investment in cutting-edge communications paid off for Barack Obama, who Twittered to voters throughout his presidential campaign. While your own venture into technology like UC may not pay off quite so spectacularly, it’s sure to have a positive impact on both employees and customers – not to mention your organisation’s bottom line.

Our solutions for wowing the workforce

• Converged Solutions: Our IP Multimedia solution is ideal for remote and flexible working, allowing employees to take their personal phone number with them wherever they go, as well as offering a way of simultaneously managing voice, video and data communications.
• LAN Solutions: Properly designed and implemented, a Local Area Network forms the bedrock of today’s advanced communications and our LAN Solutions offer support for security, wireless networking and unified communications.
• Remote Access: A Managed VPN from Virgin Media Business combines simple yet secure remote access solutions with established links over our core Next Generation Network. We offer the choice of IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) VPNs.
• Site-to-site connectivity solutions: Connect sites, customer databases and customer service staff regardless of geographic location. We offer a range of VPN options, from IP to Metro Ethernet.