A new study from Tampere University shows that remote meetings can be more productive and efficient than in-person meetings, as long as they are well organized and interaction works smoothly. The study, From Meeting Overload to Productive Meetings, was conducted at Tampere University’s Work Research Centre.
According to the project, when it comes to meetings and employee wellbeing, the quality of meetings matters more than their number. In this context, “quality” refers to how meetings are organized as well as how interaction takes place during meetings — and before and after them.
Professor Anne Mäkikangas, who led the research project, considers the results significant.
“Our project is the first large-scale study in Finland to examine how meetings affect wellbeing at work and productivity. At the same time, it challenges myths in the public discussion around meetings and provides clear tools for developing working life,” she says in a press release from Tampere University.
Previous studies have highlighted fatigue linked to remote meetings as well as various challenges related to wellbeing at work. In this respect, the new findings are surprising. The study found that remote meetings are considered more efficient in terms of time use. In contrast, it is easier for in-person meetings to drift off topic.
The results related to interaction were partly contradictory. Survey data suggests that interaction works well in remote and hybrid meetings, but qualitative observations highlighted the strengths of face-to-face interaction in in-person meetings. Each meeting format has its own advantages, which workplaces should keep in mind.
“The meeting format should be chosen based on the situation: brainstorming and innovation thrive in face-to-face meetings, while short decision-making and information-sharing meetings are handled most efficiently remotely or in a hybrid format,” Mäkikangas says.
The importance of breaks is emphasized
The study highlights the importance of breaks and recovery. Breaks between meetings and other work tasks help employees detach from the previous task, supporting coping and stamina at work.
People were more satisfied with meetings and found them less burdensome when breaks were longer. The study also found that multitasking and other disruptive behavior during meetings occurred less frequently when breaks were longer.
“Special attention should be paid to scheduling breaks and recovery in all meeting formats, but especially in remote meetings, where multitasking and challenges related to recovery were experienced the most,” Mäkikangas notes.
The study also revealed shortcomings in the development of meetings. Often, meetings had not even been recognized as something that should be improved as part of working life development. Mäkikangas points out that in modern expert work, meetings may be the only time colleagues actually meet each other. That is why she finds it problematic if the potential of meetings to support work motivation is not recognized at a time when workplace community is weakening and workplace loneliness is increasing.