A frequent complaint of virtual teams is being “Zoomifried” from spending too much time in remote meetings. However, a new study published by the American Psychological Association (APA) in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that what creates so-called Zoom fatigue isn’t meeting via computer screens rather than in person—it’s feeling like one lacks some sense of group belonging while participating in these remote work videoconferences.
Even the researchers were surprised by the findings. As the APA reported in a recent press release, lead researcher Andrew Bennett stated that his team “expected that aspects of being on video would be related to fatigue, such as watching everyone’s faces closely on a screen or even watching yourself,” but this wasn’t true in their study.
The researchers also determined that even longer meetings didn’t impact fatigue, according to the participants, who attended on average five to six videoconferences each week. What they did find was that when participants felt connected to the rest of the group on the videoconference, it “really minimized” fatigue after the event concluded.
Creating Effective Remote Work Videoconferences
What can employers do to foster a sense of group belonging, and limit fatigue, among videoconference participants? The researchers offered the following recommendations about how to boost your team’s feeling of connection and thus make remote work videoconferences less draining.
Encourage Chit-chat
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One problem with typical videoconference protocol is that people generally aren’t engaging with each other, and are instead taking an “all business” approach to the meeting. As one participant reported in the APA press release: “Everyone just wants to get in and get out, log in and log off. There’s very little chatter before and after the meeting like there would be in real life.”
The manager’s goal, therefore, should be to facilitate opportunities for more casual banter to bookend the actual meeting time since such chatter can help build a sense of group belonging, and thus reduce videoconference fatigue. You might create breakout rooms specifically designated for small talk, and schedule time for this to occur before, after, and even in a break during the meeting. Managers might include some icebreaker questions to help grease the wheels on sharing points about common interests, whether sports, movies, or books.
Hold Videoconferences in the Early Afternoon
The researchers discovered an apparent “sweet spot” in the early afternoon when videoconferences caused less fatigue for participants than at other times of the day. With this in mind, managers should be intentional about when they schedule virtual meetings, avoiding both morning meetings and late afternoon meetings when possible.
If you have no choice but to hold a meeting at a suboptimal time in terms of participant energy level, do something special to liven things up, such as framing it as a “coffee/tea” break, or letting participants expense a fun snack, like a fruit smoothie to help power them through energy lulls. Also try building in a few group breaks, giving people a chance to look away from their screens, stand up, and walk around for a while.
Determine If and When Other Types of Remote Connection Are Preferable
While Bennett granted in the APA press release that videoconferences are helpful because “we get more emotional and nonverbal information from them” than from some other forms of remote connection, he pointed out that not every team connection needs to happen via videoconference. “Sometimes a phone call or email is more effective and efficient,” Bennett said.
By gaining awareness of what helps virtual employees feel connected to their peers during remote work videoconferences, managers can help their teams avoid Zoom burnout while fostering a stronger remote culture as well.
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