Research by Zoom shows that managers lose an average of one hour a day due to inefficient collaboration. Although face-to-face meetings are perceived as the most productive, most employees and managers prefer instant messages for consultation.
Zoom surveyed 7,969 employees and managers worldwide about their experiences with work meetings. More than one-third of managers (37%) report wasting unnecessary time in meetings or chats that do not produce concrete results. Also, 34 percent report having to ask their team members for the status of projects after a meeting. Moreover, a lot of time is lost in scheduling meetings. A majority of managers (83%) and employees (77%) regularly lose time with this, in part because colleagues are slow to respond to meeting requests.
Personal meetings
The study further shows that face-to-face meetings are still considered the most effective form of consultation. Yet managers and employees strongly prefer chat applications such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Zoom Team Chat. Only 38 percent of managers and 54 percent of employees choose physical meetings, while chats are preferred by 50 percent and 64 percent, respectively.
AI increases productivity
In addition to the challenges of collaboration, the study also points to the role of technology. The Netherlands appears to be leading the way in using AI to improve productivity and collaboration. 85 percent of Dutch managers regularly use AI, which they say leads to faster and more productive teams.
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While the use of multiple apps can cause miscommunication, AI actually appears to have a positive effect on alignment between team members. Zoom emphasizes that organizations need to pay more attention to the needs of their employees, and that the right technology can save time and money.