Polycom, Global Nomads Group and YouthBridge-NY Celebrate Polycom@25

[Bill Conlon (Billy_Conlon)]

This week Polycom, Global Nomads Group and YouthBridge-NY hosted a joint event to celebrate Polycom’s 25th Anniversary. The event, held in New York, brought together 25 students from around the world to discuss the workplace of the future and the power of video collaboration.

On Tuesday, November 10, in conjunction with the Global Nomads Group and YouthBridge-NY, Polycom’s head of HR Laura Owen and GNG Co-Founder Chris Plutte used video solutions to connect 25 students in countries all around the world – from the New York City to Thailand – to gain a valuable understanding of how the Workplace of the Future must look, straight from those who will live and breathe it every day.

This event also illustrated how different cultures and communities have joined together virtually to support the critical global education programs developed by Global Nomads Group.  

I was fortunate enough to attend this event in-person and wanted to share some key takeaways:

• The next generation will step into the workforce with a full grasp and understanding of the power of video, as they are already using this technology to collaborate with family, friends and other students/teachers around the world
• My first experience using video to complete a task/project was when I joined Polycom five years ago. It took time for me to get comfortable, but that wasn’t the case with these students. It was natural. As an outside observer, it appeared to me as if they had years of experience interacting with others (even with those from the other side of the world)
• It was enlightening to hear how Polycom technology has allowed GNG to connect cultures and communities they may otherwise never encounter. By leveraging this video technology, they enable conversations between middle school and high school students to promote empathy, peace, and build 21st century workforce skills. However, it’s not always student-to-student engaging over video, it’s how GNG employees collaborate internally, to make sure they are aligned globally
• My favorite questions from the session: "Can video technology open doors for your future?" This was answered by each site, without hesitation, with a unanimous "YES!" One answer that stood out to me came from a YouthBridge-NY student who believes that with the power of video technology, there will be more job opportunities globally. He went on to explain that not only will the use of video contribute to more jobs being open, but it will also help with the hiring/screening process. He likes the fact that interviews can now be done over video and not over the phone.

I was fascinated and thankful to have the opportunity to learn more about the participating cultures, including traditional meals and national songs. As organizations and individuals prepare for the workplace of the future, it will be the workers of tomorrow that ultimately determine what the workplace of the future will look like.

Follow the hashtag #Polycom25 on Twitter for tweets about this significant anniversary in our history.