The Unseen World of Multitasking During Virtual Meetings sub-heading
Most managers would assume that the bulk of multitasking during meetings consists of personal distractions—texting friends or even doing some online shopping. But let’s dismantle that myth. The reality is more nuanced and, ironically, more work-related than you’d think. Surprisingly, evidence from the most prominent scholar on remote work Nick Bloom shows only a paltry 5% of your employees are texting or talking to family and friends during Zoom or Teams meetings
The primary distraction? You guessed it—additional work tasks. Work-related multitasking occurs in roughly 30% of all virtual meetings, according to academic research using Microsoft Teams data. This includes actions like responding to emails, juggling Slack messages, and even editing a document. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Well, if it’s work-related, then what’s the harm?” The harm lies in the fact that this phenomenon is most prominent in meetings that share specific characteristics—being long, having large numbers of attendees, recurring on the schedule, happening in the morning, and featuring a majority of cameras turned off.
But let’s take a step back. Multitasking isn’t the devil it’s often made out to be. In fact, some people say it helps them stay productive during parts of meetings that are irrelevant to them. It’s a survival tactic, a way to squeeze productivity out of time that would otherwise go to waste. The real issue is, why are they in irrelevant meetings in the first place? It’s worth contemplating that the next time you catch someone multitasking.
Let’s not act as though this is a remote work issue alone. In the world of in-person meetings, the same distractions occur—laptop use, phone checking, and yes, even the discreet side-whisper. So, if you’re clinging to the idea that returning to the office will solve these issues, think again. The problem runs much deeper.