Research from Zoom shows that managers lose an average of an hour per day due to inefficient collaboration. Although face-to-face meetings are considered the most productive, most employees and managers prefer instant messaging for consultation.

Zoom surveyed 7,969 employees and managers worldwide about their experiences with work meetings. More than a third of managers (37%) report that they waste unnecessary time on meetings or chats that do not produce concrete results. 34 percent also say they still have to ask their team members about the status of projects after a meeting. Additionally, a lot of time is wasted scheduling meetings. A majority of managers (83%) and employees (77%) regularly lose time as a result, also because colleagues respond slowly to meeting requests.

Personal meetings

The research also shows that face-to-face meetings are still considered the most effective form of counseling. Nevertheless, managers and employees prefer chat applications such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Zoom Team Chat. Only 38 percent of managers and 54 percent of employees choose physical meetings, while chats are preferred by 50 percent and 64 percent, respectively.

AI increases productivity

In addition to the challenges posed by collaboration, research also points to the role of technology. The Netherlands appears to be a leader in using AI to improve productivity and collaboration. 85 percent of Dutch managers regularly use AI, which they believe leads to faster and more productive teams.

Although using multiple apps can lead to misunderstandings, AI appears to have a positive effect on coordination between team members. Zoom emphasizes that companies need to pay more attention to the needs of their employees and that the right technology can save time and money.