With the widespread rollout of remote and hybrid work, online meetings have become part of daily routine for many employees. But not everyone perceives them in the same way. According to a recent survey, young people in particular have issues with this practice.
Anyone who thought that the pandemic might put an end to “meetingitis” quickly found out they were mistaken. From Zoom to Meet to Skype, companies have a wide range of tools at their disposal to enable their employees to meet “face to face”.
But not everyone appreciates meeting up with colleagues via screens, as a recent survey conducted among employees in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany and Poland confirms.
Members of younger generations feel less comfortable than their older colleagues at the idea of participating in a video conference. This may seem counterintuitive, since their age is often associated with a “natural” predisposition for new technologies.
But whether remotely or not, a good meeting depends on the quality of exchanges between employees. And to facilitate the expression of opinions, including those of new recruits or inexperienced employees, a climate of psychological safety needs to be established.
Yet millennials and Generation Z often feel their contributions are not taken as seriously as those of their older colleagues. As a result, they feel more excluded during video meetings than baby boomers and Gen-Xers.
The survey also shows that whether or not cameras are used during a video conference can be the source of issues, and even controversy, in the workplace.
Some managers strongly encourage their teams to use a camera to facilitate visual communication and combat the dehumanisation of working relationships – but others are happy to do without. Younger employees, in particular, are more reluctant to do so, and say they feel pressure from their superiors to turn their camera on.
Millennials are particularly sensitive to such pressures, since 24% of them feel obliged to turn on their camera when participating in a remote meeting. Surprisingly, baby boomers are less influenced by such pressure than their younger counterparts: 47% of them never have the camera on during a video conference, compared with 22% of Gen Z-ers.
But a small proportion of baby boomers (15%) say they are prepared to turn on their camera if they need to actively participate in a meeting.
Controversial though it may be, the use of a camera during a remote meeting is greatly appreciated by employees. Of those surveyed, 46% think colleagues with video on seem more engaged or involved in the meeting than those who have their camera off.
Furthermore, 39% of respondents said showing themselves during a video conference gives an impression of competence and professionalism.
To support their teams in an increasingly video-oriented world of work, companies are setting up dedicated meeting rooms. But a large proportion of employees surveyed are reluctant to take advantage of these dedicated spaces.
Case in point: only 30% say they are reluctant to take part in meetings in an equipped room, as they are less comfortable in this configuration than with their own laptop.