Although hybrid meetings—meetings consisting of both in-person and virtual attendees—aren’t necessarily a new phenomenon, they have become much more commonplace over the last several years as more businesses adopt hybrid working models and hire remote workers.
And while hybrid meetings allow for more flexibility for those employees who can’t physically be present in the office, they also come with a number of drawbacks, especially when run in a manner not conducive to a hybrid setup.
One of the largest hurdles people have encountered when running a hybrid meeting is finding that they cannot be approached in the exact same way as a traditional meeting would be.
Oftentimes, one portion of the attendees, be it the virtual or in-person contingent, is forced to deal with a format unconducive to their situation. For example, it might happen that someone is presenting a slide deck in a conference room but not presenting it digitally as well. While this is fine for those physically in the room, the people video conferencing in might not be able to see the material being presented.
While this is just one example, there are countless ways in which virtual or in-person attendees could be left out if not considered during the planning process. To help avoid these pitfalls of conducting hybrid meetings, we’ve enlisted the help of Abs Hassanali, a Communications Expert at Integral Ad Science, to put together useful tips for running an effective hybrid meeting.
Ultimately, when it comes to running an effective hybrid meeting, inclusivity is paramount. Planning the meeting format and sticking to it and making sure all requisite technology is working properly go a long way in ensuring everyone attending the meeting can fully participate and make the most of the time.
Just as hybrid meetings allow employees all over the world to attend the same meeting at the same time, virtual telephone numbers let businesses reach their global customer base without the need to physically expand internationally. To learn more about virtual telephone numbers and their benefits, check out our virtual numbers page here.
