How can organisations enable equitable and inclusive meetings in the workplace?

UNN- Video conferencing has evolved into an essential tool for communication and collaboration in the modern workplace. The advent of hybrid work comes with both advantages and disadvantages. Even as hybrid and remote work creates new opportunities for employees, remote participants in hybrid meetings often miss out on important discussion points due to a lack of physical proximity.
The shift to hybrid work posed various challenges for employees. They had to adapt to a novel work environment that combined remote and in-person aspects, which could be overwhelming. Issues such as poor internet connectivity, bandwidth limitations, and technical glitches caused audio and video lags, disrupting communication. This transition affected not only remote participants, but also in-person participants. Due to poor visual and audio quality, in-person participants in hybrid meetings frequently struggle to see and hear remote participants fully. As a result, they may feel disconnected from those who join remotely and will frequently focus on those who are physically present in the room rather than those who are on-screen.
There is a growing sense of urgency to address this issue and make the hybrid meeting experience equally accessible to all participants, allowing every participant to be seen and heard properly. Addressing the meeting equity gap is important especially in situations where effective collaboration and decision-making rely on all team members’ participation. Hybrid meetings are simple in theory, but developing more equitable meetings necessitates refinement and careful attention. In the hybrid world, businesses are paying attention to how meetings are conducted. Companies must ensure that all meeting participants feel included and equal as more people work remotely.
Some ways organizations can establish meeting equity in the workplace by leveraging video conferencing:
EQUIP THE UNDEREQUIPPED WORKER: Hybrid work is video-first and collaboration-focused; technology can also assist in closing the equity gap within meetings. It necessitates the development of new communication and collaboration tools for employees.
VIDEO ENABLE MEETING ROOMS: Equipping remote workers with the right tools is a step in the right direction, but properly outfitting meeting spaces is just as important.
ENCOURAGE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION: In order to establish meeting equity, it is critical to encourage active participation in meetings. Companies are tackling this issue successfully today by harnessing technology to conduct productive video meetings. One of such product is Scribe, an AI-powered whiteboarding camera, broadcasts whiteboard content directly into a video call–and makes the writer’s hand transparent so the remote person’s view is unobstructed. Another win for the pursuit of meeting equity.
INCREASING TEAM PARTICIPATION: Promoting meeting equity involves fostering inclusivity and active participation from all team members through inclusive meeting agendas.
EVALUATE AND ADAPT: Organisations must be willing to evaluate their virtual meeting practises on a regular basis and adapt as needed.
To summarise, meeting equity is a critical component of effective communication and collaboration in the workplace. It is vital for organizations to ensure equal opportunity for all employees and foster a collaborative culture in order to accelerate growth for employees and organisations.