Meetings Are More Productive Than Many Think, ShoreTel Survey Finds

Meetings Are More Productive Than Many Think, ShoreTel Survey Finds

Company meetings generally are viewed as a time-waster—or are they? Here we dissect a ShoreTel report that shows workers’ true feelings about meetings.

Yes, We Have Meetings

Three-quarters of all survey respondents—76 percent—said they spend an hour or less each weekday in meetings.

Gen X Leads the Way

Generation Xers—those born between 1965 and 1979—are more likely (28 percent) than other generations to spend more time in meetings, at more than 9 hours per week. Those in the technology field average 30 hours a week.

Lots of Meetings, but That’s OK

Only 11 percent of survey respondents said they find meetings are a waste of time. By comparison, 40 percent said meetings are productive, with 48 percent saying they are “sort of productive.”

Boomers, Millennials Don’t Mind Their Meetings

Forty-seven percent of Baby Boomers (born between 1943 and 1964) said meetings are productive, while 34 percent of Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) agreed. However, both generations were in close agreement (Baby Boomers at 9 percent and Millennials at 11 percent) in saying they are a waste of time.

What Do We Do During Meetings?

Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they listen and take notes. That said, 25 percent said they get other work done, while 8 percent said they check personal email, text or use social media.

Location, Location, Location

Respondents in Asia reported the fewest hours spent in meetings each week (57 percent said 0 to 4 hours) while Australians meet the most (45 percent citing 9 or more hours). Those in Asia (48 percent) and Europe (52 percent) find meetings to be more productive than their counterparts in North America (40 percent).

Meetings Are an Enterprise Thing

Enterprises report the most meetings among businesses, while startups report the fewest.

Find Me a Conference Room

Most respondents—64 percent—said they prefer meeting in conference rooms, and that is particularly true for those in the education space (81 percent). In the technology vertical, people attend meetings by phone or remotely half the time.

Millennials Like Conference Rooms as Much as Anyone Else …

Sixty-four percent of Millennials said they’d rather meet in conference rooms, while 65 percent of Gen Xers and 63 percent of Baby Boomers did as well.

… But They Also Like Phoning It In

At the same time, Millennials—at 24 percent—had the highest preference for attending meetings via desk phones.