Employees Spent 24 Days in Meetings in 2020

Working practices have undergone significant changes in the past 12 months. With the pandemic forcing businesses to adapt to remote working...

Working practices have undergone significant changes in the past 12 months. With the pandemic forcing businesses to adapt to remote working cultures, usage of communication platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams has significantly increased.

Changes in the way we work has been accompanied with gains in productivity for many businesses. A new report from the Prodoscore Research Council (PRC) shows just how radically the pandemic has fueled changes to the working environment.

24 Full Days Spent in Meetings in 2020

According to the research, employees spent 24 days in meetings in 2020. Unified communications as a service (UCaaS) technology have become an essential feature of the working day. The report shows that messaging, chat, voice, and video surpasses 80% of the workday. Such communication and collaboration tools outstrip email as the most popular communication tool for businesses.

Prodoscore’s research confirms that in 2020 productivity was boosted year-over-year from 2019.

Prodoscore are specialists in employee visibility and productivity intelligence software. PRC is a group of esteemed HR, Future of Work, and productivity experts. The research involved PRC evaluating more than 900,000 data points from nearly 7,000 employees.

The research is important to small businesses at it confirms productivity trends emerging from remote working environments. With employees spending an average 24 days in meetings in 2020, the report dispels any lingering fears that a remote workforce equates to diminished productivity.

Building Small Business Confidence About Remote Working Practices

In this sense, the report can give small businesses confidence that employees are adapting to new ways of working and productivity is, in fact, increasing. It also shows the importance of pursuing a flexible approach to work. It highlights the value of using communication tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack to nurture seamless communication amongst distributed teams.

As Adrian Reece, PRC Principal Statistical Consultant and Doctoral Student said:

““The analysis we did of Prodoscore users unequivocally shows the importance of having access to data-driven productivity intelligence.

“Understanding how employees spend their day, when they are the most productive and with which tools, can help employers create a work environment that benefits everyone. Working from home/working from anywhere (WFH/WFA) emphasizes that daily routines are shifting; management needs to look at when and where their employees are the most productive,” Reece continued.

When Are Employees at Their Most Productive?

The research also shows which days of the week employees are at their most productive. Tuesday is the most productive day, followed by Wednesday and Thursday. On these days, employees begin work earlier compared to Mondays and Fridays.

Time Spent in Meetings Surges

One of the most notable findings of the report is the surge in time spent in meetings in recent months. It shows that the number of daily meetings increased by 26% in 2020, from 3.36 meetings a day in 2019 to 4.24 meetings a day in 2020. The average time of a meeting in 2020 was 2 hours 14 minutes, equating to 24 full days a year.

The key message from the research is it confirms the importance for employers to embrace and prepare for this new way of working. With the right tools, platforms, approach and attitude, small businesses can support the distributed workforce and benefit from productivity gains.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, "Employees Spent 24 Days in Meetings in 2020" was first published on Small Business Trends