In May 2023, Microsoft revealed that people are in 3x more meetings and calls per week at work, than they were in February 2020 – a whopping 192% increase.* We’re collectively spending billions of hours in online meetings each week, and yet, many of those meetings are taking place in conditions that are far from conducive to collaboration or productivity.
Could the technology we use be having an impact on our behaviour in meetings?
Jabra has taken matters into its own hands to fully understand the psychology behind human interactions in virtual meeting environments, through in-depth psychophysiological research conducted at the London School of Economics' (LSE) Behavioural Lab.
All participants from 15 different countries were unaware of what was being tested or that the research was focusing on different types of technology, resulting in completely unbiased and eye-opening results.
*Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/will-ai-fix-work
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Here are our main takeaways from Jabra’s behavioural research study with LSE, and how you can use these findings to influence your work environment.
It’s as simple as that! One of the primary reasons people choose to commute to work daily rather than working from home, is because of the quality of interaction that leaders say simply cannot be replicated virtually.
While formal meetings can be effective online, there are some aspects of information-sharing that cannot be replicated in virtual environments (until someone creates a virtual coffee machine).
The research data shows that participants in the same room rated trust, expressiveness, interaction quality and engagement higher than in any online environment tested. Being in person led to ratings of 56% more engagement, 11% more expressiveness, 8% higher quality input, 16% more trust and 30% more for clarity of interaction than remote users.
However, hybrid work is the dominant future trend. To create in-person-like meeting environments, we need to explore the impact of technology. Which brings us to our next point…
The solutions a business implements inevitably make a huge difference in the overall collaboration experience. The data revealed that by giving participants the same professional equipment, it gave a more even experience, and thereby created a more even playing field.
When everyone was using Jabra equipment*, the results showed a 27% increase in overall clarity of the technology experience, 16% more trust, 35% more reported expressiveness and a 47% perceived increase in the quality of input from all participants.
Participants even went as far as saying that with Jabra’s professional solutions, they felt better seen and heard which led to confidence boost and increase in focus. Now that’s something we can get behind!
*Comparing overall ratings of everyone in a meeting when using Jabra vs. competitor video bar
Our team put the Jabra PanaCast50 Video Bar System through its paces.
Find out what they thought:
When given the right equipment, the data revealed that remote workers experienced increased presence, impact and inclusion. This goes to show that no one has to be left out in online meetings, no matter the location.
Remote participants had increased visual activity by 30% when interacting with other remote participants using the same Jabra equipment and a 47% increase in visual activity when experiencing conference participants using the Jabra PanaCast 50, compared to its competitors.
Seeing is believing! It is without a doubt that trust plays a large role as an enabler for business. It is through trust we’re able to open and close doors and deals, as well as playing a big part in our mental wellbeing and levels of productivity at work.
That’s why it is so important remote users can also feel a sense of trust, but through the technology. Jabra has invested in dedicated software that focuses on the face to enhance users ability to process information like nonverbal cues.
The research suggests that remote participants using and experiencing this professional technology report significantly higher levels of overall trust for both other remote users and in-room participants. When viewing fellow remote participants who also used professional video, there was a 22% increase in trust rating compared to those using their built-in laptop audio and video.
And there you have it! While we've only scratched the surface with these key insights, there's a wealth of information on the psychological impact of technology on people in modern meetings waiting for you in the complete report.
