If you’re feeling a bit zoomed out these days, you’re not alone.

Nearly 40 percent of workers say they’re suffering video call fatigue. Seventy percent wish there was at least one day each week with no video meetings.

And while they understand the desire to replicate the face-to-face experience of working in physical proximity, they say it’s just not the same in little boxes on a laptop screen.

“For a while, video conferences were rather interesting, and they gave workers a sense of connection with team members,” according to this blogpost at MultiBrief. “But now, we’ve come to the realization that we can’t duplicate in-office behavior. Two different reports reveal that employees are growing weary of video communication as well.”

In one of those reports, 38 percent of respondents say they’ve experienced video call fatigue. In the other one, 70 percent expressed a desire for at least one Zoom-free day each week, and 44 percent said they no longer feel a need to get dressed up for a video meeting.

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Avoiding the Doom and Gloom of Zoom

Here are some highlights of the MultiBrief article, authored by Terri Williams (all quotes are from the article):

• Video meetings offer little flexibility and mobility – two of the supposed advantages of working from home.
• A slight majority of respondents said in-person meetings were more tiring than video meetings (56 percent). “More than seven in ten said once the pandemic is over, they would prefer video over a face-to-face meeting even if it was in the same office,” says one CEO in the MultiBrief piece. “A slightly higher percent (73 percent) said they’d use video over traveling to a local meeting.”
• Seventy-two (72) percent said they should have the option to turn their camera on or not, while 76 percent said not all meetings should include video.
• Early in the pandemic, many firms instituted daily or weekly video check-ins to maintain team cohesion, make sure everyone was okay, and share important information. At the time, this was important. It kept everyone on the same page and helped ease anxiety. But as the months rolled on, it become a drag.
• Twenty-four (24 percent) of respondents said virtual meetings are inefficient and exhausting. They prefer old-fashioned email or phone communication.
• Best practices include creating an agenda that is shared with everyone before the call, providing follow-up to monitor outcomes, and creating specific action items at the conclusion. Also: keep the meeting small. Four or fewer attendees is a good number. The more attendees, the less time for each person to weigh in.
• Tips for improving your presentation on video calls: get your lighting right; mute yourself when not speaking; look at the camera, not yourself; choose a good background; have a method – using the “raise hand” tool or actually raising your hand – to take turns talking; don’t overlook those on the call who are quiet and haven’t talked; include some levity – a light touch is always appreciated.

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