No one is really listening on your video meeting: Over two-thirds 'multi-task' while on calls

LONDON, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- It's official - no one is really listening on your video call. According to research conducted by video meeting platform Whereby in partnership with Dr Steven Rogelberg, author of The Surprising Science of Meetings, 66% of employees admitted to multitasking on calls when they wouldn't normally in in-person meetings. Of these, 68% said they checked emails during video meetings, while 25% admitted to texting. 

As we approach nearly a full year since most countries locked down, Whereby has published data that demonstrates how the world's relationship with video calls has changed. 

Whereby CEO Øyvind Reed said: "In a record breaking year for video meetings, it's fascinating to see how countries are using technology to stay in touch - although Dr Rogelberg's research has highlighted we need to be better at maintaining a balanced working day. We are always thinking of new features to help make people conduct better, more effective meetings which we believe will help tackle this rising fatigue." 

Video call fatigue is real 

Dr Rogelberg's research, based on a survey of 1,000 diverse employees, explored how the rise in video calls has impacted productivity levels and found we need to spend more time encouraging people to stay focused while meeting online.

84% of employees said they felt fatigued during or after a virtual meeting, with over half (53%) finding a full day of virtual meetings more tiring than in person ones. 

The study also revealed that 34% of 1-on-1 meetings are scheduled impromptuly, as people look to recreate low stakes office settings like dropping by a colleague's desk to bounce ideas around. 

The global impact 

As lockdown became a reality for many, March contained the busiest days of the year for Norway. Conversely, the quietest day over the last year was 18th July. 

While 2020 was a year of record growth for video calls, increased internet usage undoubtedly had an impact on carbon emissions, with a recent report revealing one hour of video conferencing or streaming, emits between 150 and 1,000 grams of carbon dioxide. Because of this, Whereby has made a commitment to become a sustainable company, planting one million trees across protected sites in Kenya, Mozambique and Madagascar, an area equivalent to 137 football pitches.