Virtual Workspace

What is a virtual workspace? Key terms

Virtual workspaces are distinct from physical workspaces, but the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Many physical workspaces take advantage of virtual workspace software as a more efficient and connected way of working. When a virtual workspace tech stack becomes rich and complex enough to replace physical office spaces, this is often referred to as a virtual workplace—a term that’s similar but distinct.

Key elements in a virtual workspace

A virtual workspace can contain many different elements that facilitate remote work. Key components include cloud-based software for communication and collaboration and digital tools for project management. These elements are often SaaS (software-as-a-service) solutions tied into a single tech stack through integrations, such as Zoom for video conferencing, Slack for messaging, Monday for project management, and Google for documents and presentations.

As more elements are added, companies often turn to intranet software to help make their tech stack growth more scalable.

What are the common features of virtual workspace software?

Virtual workspace software often comes with a variety of common features. These often include options for real-time collaboration, file sharing, project management, and communication tools such as chat and video. These features work together to create a seamless and efficient workspace that can be accessed from anywhere in the world, making remote work more feasible and productive. A modern intranet is one example of a virtual workspace that employees can utilize to collaborate and utilize as a single source of truth.

Comparing a virtual office and a virtual workspace

The terms might sound similar, but a “virtual office” is very different from a virtual workspace. A virtual office provides businesses with a professional address and sometimes a few other services like mail forwarding or signing for packages. Think of a remote or home-based business renting a mailbox from UPS. On the other hand, a virtual workspace refers to an online environment that allows for collaboration and communication among team members, regardless of their physical location. Think of a distributed team working together through multiple tools, all seamlessly integrated through an intranet platform.

The role of virtual workspaces in remote work

While virtual workspaces are used both remotely and in physical locations, they play a special role for remote workers. Modern virtual workspace software makes remote work possible. Still, more and more physical offices would find it extremely difficult to function without the benefits of virtual workspaces and cloud-based software.

Who uses virtual workspace software?

Virtual workspace software is widely used by businesses of all sizes to facilitate remote work and virtual collaboration. From remote businesses to enterprise companies with globally distributed offices and locations, modern teams use virtual workspace software to stay connected.

Aiding remote work

Virtual workspaces let users access their business-related software anywhere, at any time. Here are just a few examples:

• Messaging and video conferencing
• Project management solutions like Monday or Asana
• Production tools like Google Docs and Figma
• Team email and calendaring
• Finance and HR solutions

For jobs that don’t need to be performed in a specific physical location, virtual workspaces keep teams connected and productive.

Transforming traditional office cultures

In traditional office cultures, people are expected to come to work in specific physical locations during common business hours. While this literally brings teams together, it also comes with inherent challenges such as long commutes and difficulty balancing responsibilities between work and home. More and more, today’s top talent is demanding flexible work schedules and either remote work or hybrid work to provide a better work-life balance.

For enterprise companies with teams scattered across the globe, bringing everyone together has long been an impossible feat. But cloud-based technologies and virtual workspaces have made it possible for even small businesses to work with satellite offices on the other side of the planet.

Advantages of a virtual workspace

In this digital age, there are many benefits to a virtual working environment—for both businesses and employees.

Benefits for businesses

Businesses benefit from reduced costs by removing the need for a physical office space, but other cost savings are less obvious. Virtual workspaces tend to increase productivity as well as employee engagement, which reduces employee turnover. Virtual workspaces also open up the opportunity to tap into a global talent pool, eliminating geographical constraints when it comes to hiring.

Benefits for employees

For employees, the improved work-life balance of virtual workspaces tends to boost overall satisfaction and well-being. Whether it means staying home with young children or getting more exercise throughout the week, employees appreciate the ability to enjoy their home life while advancing their careers. Skipping the morning and evening rush hour also gives employees more time in their day while saving money on gas and car maintenance.

Virtual workspace for teams

Teamwork lies at the heart of virtual workspaces. Built on cloud-based technologies, virtual workspace software keeps teams connected no matter how far apart they are geographically.

How teams operate in virtual workspaces

Because virtual workspaces let teams work together in widely dispersed locations, virtual teamwork happens across multiple time zones. In many cases, at least some hours will overlap for everyone, but that isn’t always the case. Some teams use virtual workspaces to connect on projects even when half the team is waking up to their morning coffee while the other half is heading off to bed.

Asynchronous communication

Virtual workspace tools let teams leave messages for each other at any hour of the day or night, and this functionality isn’t limited to messaging solutions. Teams may leave comments in a Google doc or Figma file, task updates in their project management software, vacation requests in their HR portal, training instructions in a video file, or monthly close details in their financial software.

Online meetings and collaboration

When working hours do line up, virtual workspace tools let people work together live or even face to face even when they can’t meet in person. Video conferencing lets people talk to each other in real time. Productivity tools update document and task views for everyone at once. And messaging tools keep project communications organized in searchable conversations and threads.

Challenges with virtual workspaces

While virtual workspaces provide an excellent platform for remote work collaboration, they’re not without challenges. Technical difficulties can include implementation and integration issues as well as handling IT support tickets. Enterprise companies with complex tech stacks often employ modern intranet software to mitigate these issues, leveraging the advantages of virtual workspaces while avoiding the drawbacks.

Tips for managing teams in virtual workspaces

Virtual workspaces can also present challenges when it comes to teamwork and personnel management, but these often aren’t any more difficult than similar challenges that employees face in person. If anything, the specialized tools available in virtual workspaces often alleviate many of these issues.

Effective communication strategies

Communication tools are especially strong in virtual workspaces. While live, verbal communication may feel fast and familiar, it isn’t usually the best way to capture and disseminate vital information. Video conferencing tools that can be recorded—or that use AI to summarize the talking points—tend to do a better job of capturing information and keeping teams coordinated.

These kinds of documents, along with text-based files and visual presentations, can be stored in the cloud so employees can access them anytime, anywhere.

Setting effective boundaries with virtual workspaces

Creating a healthy and productive environment depends on setting effective boundaries. In physical workspaces, people go home at the end of the day. Virtual workspace software simulates the same effect by letting users define clear work hours and set notification rules—holding alerts that come in overnight or on the weekends until the next business day. These kinds of configurable settings help remote workers maintain a healthy work-life balance, improve productivity, and prevent burnout.

Building trust and accountability

Some companies struggle with issues of trust and accountability in virtual workspace environments because they can’t see people working. This is one of the more difficult aspects of transitioning from a physical to a virtual workspace. Many companies that have moved successfully to virtual workspace environments use results-based metrics and tracking to help alleviate this concern. Regular operations reports can help reassure leadership that daily operations aren’t suffering in a virtual space.

Impact of virtual workspace on productivity

Cloud-based tools keep people in sync, and digital information is easily searchable and accessible. Many people also find virtual workspaces to be less distracting, especially when they take the time to configure notification tools with intentional blocks of focus time.

Can virtual workspaces increase productivity?

While the topic has been a hotbed of debate, many studies suggest that virtual workspaces do increase worker productivity. Recent studies coming out in favor of virtual workspaces may reflect changing perceptions as these tools are becoming more widespread, or they could also reflect the fact that the tools themselves are becoming much more powerful.

Research on productivity in virtual workspaces

One interesting recent study reported in Harvard Business Review suggests that virtual workspaces may increase employee productivity more than managers think. In both employee and manager camps, more than 40% said that where employees work has no effect on their productivity. However, the other 55% or 60% skewed in opposite directions. Employees said they were more productive working from home in a virtual environment. Managers said that employees were more productive in the office.

Employee experience and feedback

Here, too, the difference could come down to perception. Managers who are used to traditional spaces may wonder whether people are working when they aren’t in their sights. To overcome these biases, enterprise organizations with widely distributed teams are implementing modern intranet platforms with integrated AI to improve communication, collaboration, visibility, metrics, and reporting structures.

Rethinking work in the digital age

Simpplr is a modern employee intranet and a virtual workspace that serves as a single source of truth for your organization. Unlike traditional intranets, it is fast to implement and maintain, without IT involvement, and automatically keeps content fresh and relevant with the help of AI and auto governance.