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Working Remotely – Skype for Business Top Tips

SDS have collated a list of the top Skype for Business tips to ensure effective remote working, business continuity and staff wellbeing. With more people remote working during the coronavirus crisis, take a look at our top tips to explore the potential of Skype for Business.

Audio Testing:

With most people working remotely and self-isolating, more people are using the internet for long periods. There is nothing worse than being in a virtual meeting and your connection drops out. Prior to calls, check your audio quality to avoid wasting time during the meeting. You can do this by selecting the phone tab, going to tools, and then options. On the options tab, select audio device and then check call quality.

Sharing a PowerPoint:

Although you can share your screen whilst on a Skype call, you can also share the slide show from Microsoft PowerPoint. To do this, select the slide show tab, then present online and Skype for Business. From here, you can then select which Skype meeting you would like to share the slides with or create a new Skype meeting.

Discover Polls, Question-and-Answer and Whiteboard Features:

You can experiment with polls, Q+A’s and whiteboards during your meetings with Skype. To do this in a meeting, select present content, more and then select which you would like to use.
The whiteboard feature will open on call participants screens and can be a great feature to engage participants and visually explain things.
The poll feature will open a separate window where you can create a poll and adjust the settings such as hiding the votes from attendees.
The question-and-answer feature will switch the chat into a question and answer module. When an attendee asks a question, you will receive a notification to answer the question.

Transfer to Mobile:

If you need to be away from your computer during a meeting, easily transfer the call to your mobile phone. To transfer a call, click the call controls button, then transfer and type your work mobile number. Alternatively, if you already have your work mobile number added to your Skype for Business account, select call controls, then transfer and select your mobile number from the transfer call window pop up. A transfer call window will appear, and you can choose a number to transfer to.

Recording Skype Communications:

Utilising the record feature of instant messages, meetings and phone calls can overcome mind blanks after meetings including, what were my action points, did someone say this? To do this, select the more options symbol on the screen and click start recording. You can pause and stop the recording at any time. The meeting recording can be used to jog your memory or circulate to other team members.