Meetings are an essential aspect of corporate culture. It’s estimated that the average office worker in the US spends a third of their time in meetings, and the figures are even higher for executives and senior staff.

The widespread adoption of online communication tools has transformed the way meetings take place, prompting a debate between the merits of in-person and virtual meetings. In this article, we examine the pros and cons of in-person vs. online meetings and discuss why face-to-face interactions continue to have value.

Online meetings: Pros and Cons

In a relatively short period of time, virtual meetings have become the norm in most office-based companies. Data from 2022 shows that in just two years, the amount of time spent in virtual meetings had increased from 14 hours per week to more than 21 hours per week, matching or even exceeding the time spent in face-to-face meetings. There are several advantages and disadvantages to this virtual meeting format.

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The rise of remote work has not only revolutionized the way businesses operate, but it has also had a profound impact on the lives of employees across the United States. Allowing workers to step out of traditional office settings, remote work has opened new horizons for achieving a better work-life balance. It has provided new opportunities for collaboration, efficiency, and productivity, regardless of physical location. However, with this transformation has come a wide spectrum of reactions and adaptations, driven in part by the generation to which workers belong.

Different generations have unique and diverse perspectives on remote work arrangements. The attitudes towards telecommuting and the challenges and benefits it presents vary widely between Baby Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z workers. These differences aren’t merely superficial; they touch on deep-seated values, technological comfort levels, expectations, and the very definition of work itself.

Baby Boomers, who witnessed the advent of personal computing and the internet, have seen work evolve dramatically over the years, from strictly in-office to increasingly flexible arrangements. Millennials, often juggling multiple responsibilities and valuing work-life balance, see remote work as a tool for managing the complex interplay between their professional and personal lives. Meanwhile, Gen Z, the first generation to grow up fully immersed in a digital world, views doing work remotely as a natural extension of their connected lives, whilst also grappling with new challenges related to professional development and social integration.

These diverse perspectives can’t be understood in isolation. They must be seen in the context of rapid technological advancement, the job market, changing cultural norms, economic pressures, and evolving organizational structures. The impact of remote work is multifaceted, affecting everything from daily routines and communication preferences to career development and long-term job satisfaction.

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