Workers find meetings productive

You’ve probably heard it a million times, how meetings are actually a waste of time and do little good. You’ve also heard how people usually browse social media and look at the ceiling during these meetings, and that it would be more productive watching paint dry.

Turns out, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Unified communications solutions company ShoreTel conducted a research into what the current workforce thinks about meetings, and the overall opinion is vastly positive.

"Only 11 per cent of global respondents found meetings 'a waste of time'", it says. Almost half (40 percent) believe meetings were "productive", and 48 percent said they were "sort of productive". The majority uses the time to take notes (67 percent), get other work done (25 percent), while just eight percent check email or browse social media.

"Our survey dispels many misperceptions about meetings and productivity by the generations currently in the workforce", says Mark Roberts, chief marketing officer of ShoreTel.

"For instance, the results did not show that meetings are unproductive, or that certain generations find them a waste of time. Millennials often get a bad rap, but our data shows they participate in meetings in conference rooms with their peers at the same rate as other generations".

Indeed, millennials, globally, reported they like to participate in these meetings in the same percentage as other generations, but also had the highest preference for attending via desk phone (24 percent).

"Improving meeting productivity as well as employee efficiency is a key priority for many businesses", adds Roberts.

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