Hybrid meetings have changed how we view communications and collaboration in business environments. For large enterprise organizations, it changed how business gets done, and how employees are recruited and retained, and it provided countless operational efficiencies. The popularity of hybrid meetings also suggests they could be the future of corporate communications.
While hybrid meetings have been around for years, the pandemic increased the demand within organizations for flexibility and virtual meeting options. When done correctly, hybrid meetings promote effective communication, are easy to handle, and allow all employees to join meetings no matter where they are.
The overall benefits for companies and employees lie in increased productivity and cost-effective collaboration.
Hybrid Meeting Benefits for Employees
Today, hybrid meetings are an essential part of a modern office and working environment. Reducing travel costs and time for employees is one of the biggest advantages. However, hybrid meetings give employees freedom and autonomy by allowing them to work where and how they want and offering them a real work-life balance.
Despite these real employee benefits, most employees want (and need) a mix of working from home and working from the office. The office remains a place of social exchange and cooperation.
The Business Benefits of Hybrid Meetings
One significant cost benefit for organizations is new-found ways to optimize space in the office. Shared workstations, for example, can result in a smaller real estate footprint. For multinational companies, the most essential cost-saving measures are linked to travel costs and travel times for key employees.
Cloud video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams have made video conferencing accessible to a broader audience, and with constant improvements, the future of hybrid meetings as a necessary form of workplace communication is assured.
What’s Next for Hybrid Meetings?
As hybrid meetings become an integral part of workplace practice and culture, the need for local and global organizations to future-proof is crucial.
We may be a few years away from evolving beyond a camera, screen and headset to a fully digital, virtual reality workplace (i.e., the metaverse), but it’s not too early to recognize that developing the proper technical infrastructure is the next step to future-proofing a business.
Today’s focus should be ensuring hybrid meetings start, flow and end without a hitch. The adverse impact of a mismanaged hybrid meeting due to a poor technical infrastructure reduces productivity and produces dissatisfaction among end users – your employees. When collaboration and communication become complex, remote workers are left feeling frustrated.
Consider the following three practical adjustments to improve hybrid meetings with technology available today.
Adjust Meeting Room Sizes
Large conference rooms are less relevant in a hybrid work model due to the reduced number of employees physically in the office on any given day. Reconfigure meeting spaces into several smaller meeting rooms or flex spaces to accommodate the demand for hybrid meetings.
Enhance Audio and Visual Technologies
Good acoustics are also an integral aspect to consider. Some areas can be optimized with media technology, but if a conference room has poor acoustics, the best media technology will not improve the audio quality.
An essential aspect of technology in the conference room is the clarity of exchange, especially when meeting participants attend from around the world. Global hybrid meetings often include a variety of dialects and accents. High-quality speakers and suitable microphones help filter noise and prevent echoes. And professional video conferencing cameras ensure speakers in a conference room or at home are clearly seen.
Adopt Certified Platforms
Conference room technology must also be easy to use with certified room systems like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Cisco Webex.
While many companies have already adopted hybrid meeting platforms and their technology approach, such meetings continue to evolve from day to day. It’s not too late to enhance proper technical infrastructure to maximize the efficiency of hybrid meetings. With a few changes, organizations will realize the benefits of this modern working style.
Want to learn how to improve hybrid meetings for your organization? Let’s chat.
