Virtual Meetings V Office Meetings: Which Is The Best For Your Office?
Over the past two years, virtual meetings have been more common than those held in a physical office. However, as we return to in-office or hybrid working, you may be wondering whether virtual meetings or face-to-face meetings are better for your office. Let’s explore both options so you can make an informed decision based on the advantages and disadvantages of in-office and hybrid working.
The benefits of virtual meetings
Over the past few years, video meetings have been essential for those working remotely as many companies have adopted a hybrid way of working. This means there are still plenty of benefits to virtual meetings! You can connect as easily with colleagues who are in the next room as you can with colleagues who are halfway across the world. Virtual meetings can be more accessible to colleagues who may struggle to get to a face-to-face meeting and improve attendance. You can also provide more flexibility to employees who wish to attend, bringing colleagues together easily for both formal and informal meetings.
Another benefit to remote working is that employees can have more leisure time after they finish work because of the commute that they no longer have. According to recent research, remote working has saved over 8 billion hours of free time for UK workers and also led to billions of fewer journeys because of cutting out their commute. By conducting virtual meetings from home, everyone is able to have more time on their hands outside of work and also save on fuel costs.
The drawbacks of virtual meetings
It is true that not everything about virtual meetings is perfect. Some feel that employees are not as accountable when they are only attending meetings over a virtual platform, and can take it less seriously. Some may also find that employee motivation and productivity can slip a little when working alone at home. Perhaps the biggest drawback, however, is the likelihood of technical difficulties occurring. For the most important meetings, a poor connection could be extremely detrimental and delay the entire meeting.
The benefits of in-person office meetings
Face-to-face meetings held in an office can also carry benifits as many businesses love the way that they encourage social time in an office setting. Having a meeting schedule not only helps employees manage their time better but it could also encourage employees to come in who may usually work from home. It is also possible to create a more focused environment than meetings where everyone is at home, with the environmental distractions that remote working can bring.
The drawbacks of in-person office meetings
While you won’t face technical difficulties with face-to-face meetings, there are still some downsides. Meetings can easily overrun and eat into other work responsibilities. Socialising can tend to take precedence, especially if you are usually working remotely, and cause distractions from the agenda of the meeting. It can also be difficult to find a time when everyone is available to be both in the office and have time in their working day to spend in a face-to-face meeting, leading to low attendance.
Useful tips for virtual meetings
When conducting a virtual meeting, one of the best tips is to know that distractions are likely to happen and it is important to consider options for avoiding distractions when employees are working from home. Give time for pauses when your colleagues may need to take a moment away. You should also try and stick to an agenda and limit the amount of social conversation going on – this can be achieved by ensuring you arrive prepared. A meeting leader should be in the ‘room’ at all times in order to keep things organised.
Creating a great office space for meetings
If you are considering holding more face-to-face meetings in your office, you should make sure to create a meeting room setup that encourages focus, discussion and collaboration. Consider changing your meeting room layout to help you do so, whether your meetings are for internal colleagues or for clients coming to visit your premises. For example, a U-shape layout can help everyone to engage and see one another, leading them to better understand the value of meeting in person.
Every company is different when it comes to the right style of meetings for your teams. Sometimes a mix of virtual and in-person meetings can work best, sometimes there will be a marked preference. Make sure you take a look at all the relevant factors before you decide which is right for you and be prepared for a flexible approach going forward.
