MightyRecruiterAdvantages and Disadvantages of Using Video Conferencing for Your Meetings
It’s tempting to do away with in-person meetings altogether and replace them with video conferences. After all, such a move saves money, a big pro for small and large businesses alike. However, to run the most effective meetings with video conferencing, it’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
Advantages
Convenience and Cost Savings: Your business stands to save on such expenses as plane tickets, gas and hotels. Put that savings to good use by investing in quality equipment to maximize effective meetings with video conferencing. Scrimping will hurt more than help. Budget at least a few hundred dollars; the amount should become lower as technology evolves.
Quality: Technology gets better all of the time. With clear screen resolution, crisp sound and reliable transmission, people miss even less these days with video conferencing. To aid in quality standards, develop policies for effective meetings with video conferencing. For example, have speakers introduce themselves before speaking, and if off camera, step into camera range. Switch off all smartphone notifications and prevent possible distractions in this vein. Perform audio and quality checks before meetings to ensure everything is up to par. Dress in solid colors, avoiding patterns and distracting colors.
Tools: Presentation software, whiteboards and private chat are just three of the tools available that add value to video conferences.
Nonverbal Communication: Body language speaks volumes, and that’s something you can’t get through telephone conferences. With video conferences, you see to some extent whether someone appears to like an idea. Other aspects of communication such as confusion and smiling are also apparent.
Human Faces: Another advantage that video conferences have over telephone conferences is the ability to put a human face on meetings. People become more than a voice coming from a long way off.
Better Recruitment: Do you want to interview more people in shorter amounts of time, and with less expending of resources Effective meetings with video conferencing stand to revolutionize your hiring processes. Hold interviews via video conference instead of waiting for applicants from all over the United States to fly in for interviews. Even if applicants live closer by, video conference can be a smart use of time.
Disadvantages
Not a Complete Replacement for Travel: There remain some situations in which you just can’t beat face-to-face time. One example is sales meetings when you’re trying to sell something. Of course, there are exceptions to this exception, particularly when you’re working with a company that prefers high-tech processes.
Not Doing Homework: This disadvantage encompasses the opposite of many of the advantages above. For instance, if you invested in low-resolution equipment, you risk coming off as unprepared and unprofessional. If you don’t test your equipment prior to a meeting and it malfunctions, you look bad.
Tech Failures: Through no fault of your own or the other party’s, technology does fail on occasion. To minimize the effect this may have on you, have backup video conferencing software and strategies ready.
Time Zones: This disadvantage is particularly glaring when meeting participants hail from all over the world. It could be 4:45 p.m. for you in Seattle, 7:45 for your colleagues in New York City, and 1:45 a.m. for the good folks in Zurich, Switzerland. It’s critical for meeting planners to factor in time considerations, and in the case of regular meetings, to switch up times so everyone is equally affected. Part of effective meetings with video conferencing goes back to the basics: respecting everyone’s time.
Technology Limitations: Even the best technology is going to have limitations. For example, time delays or a video camera that is unable to show all areas of a room at the same time. Some people may be obscured or not as easy to hear. It’s often a good idea to use multiple cameras to make limitations less of an issue. You could even designate a cameraperson to zoom in on meeting speakers. No matter how much you work to compensate for technology limitations, however, you are more likely to miss some visual cues and body language when you video conference versus meet in person.
Personal Preferences: It’s simply a fact that not everyone loves being on camera. Could be due to the camera adding 10 pounds or some other reason. Whatever is going on, the net result is discomfort and participants who can’t relax enough to make a meeting as effective as it could have been.
Video conferencing is one way to streamline business operations, especially with wise investment in good equipment. It does come with some disadvantages but is a godsend in most aspects in hiring. As you work on making all-star hires, explore the resources here at Mighty Recruiter.