There are several reasons why having a virtual office is becoming increasingly popular. However, given the advantages of face-to-face meetings, remote organizations may want to consider adopting these from traditional business methods.
According to experts, attending in-person meetings indicates your commitment to a group or cause. While meeting remotely or over the phone does not imply a lack of significance, there is something about face-to-face meetings that exponentially boosts connection.
Given the current uncertainties, it’s essential to understand how online and face-to-face meetings differ — including their advantages and disadvantages. In this post, a local office space provider discusses why businesses should make room for both options.
Why Consider Meeting Online
Team members must build and sustain connections. There are more employees in remote locations than ever before as the use of hybrid work models becomes more commonplace. This has given rise to the number of employees who have never visited their company’s headquarters or met their coworkers in person.
Pros:
- Virtual meetings can save your company a lot of money — as much as $11,000 in overhead costs compared to the costs of in-person meetings.
- Employees working from home may concentrate for more extended periods, increasing productivity.
Cons:
- Technology issues may increase frustration, leading to slower and lower productivity.
- It could be challenging to pick up on nonverbal social signs like body language, facial emotions and degree of attentiveness during online meetings.
Why Face-to-Face Meetings Still Matter
Because of the numerous advantages they offer, face-to-face meetings remain a popular choice for some organizations. Here are some ways that meeting with coworkers, clients and colleagues affects you as an employee.
Pros:
- Face-to-face meetings facilitate successful communication by offering nonverbal cues and more opportunities to pose questions to participants. This reduces the chances of misinterpreting messages and emails.
- It’s generally simpler to have your audience’s full attention when you’re in the same room. Face-to-face meetings help participants stay focused, restrict outside distractions and reduce the need to multitask.
Cons:
- In-person meetings are excellent for nurturing a community. However, an increase in noise and talk among attendees might result in a higher level of distraction.
- According to research, the average travel-related meeting costs more than $5,000. It consumes about 54 hours of cumulative employee time — which is more than three times the amount of time needed to set up a virtual meeting.
Are you looking for an office space provider in Stamford, CT? Turn to Connecticut Business Centers! We ensure that each of our clients gets the working environment they prefer under flexible rates. Complete our online form or contact us at (203) 359-5600 to request a quote.