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Video fatigue is occurring more and more frequently in remote working. 

In March 2020, when we were sent to work from home, large amounts of employees experienced increased video fatigue. Many realised that collaborating on video was not the same as it was in the office.  

Stanford University conducted one of the first-ever studies on video meeting fatigue and found four primary courses.  

1. Excessive amounts of close-up eye contact is highly intense 
2. Seeing yourself during video chats constantly in real time is fatiguing  
3. Video chats drastically reduce our usual mobility  
4. The cognitive load is much higher in video chats  

On this last point, two of the primary contributors to a higher cognitive load are poor-quality video and decreased ability to accurately interpret body language. When we encounter pixelized faces of different sizes and varying degrees of lighting, we’re forced to readjust our brain every time we look from one face to the next. Together, these factors add up to a collaboration experience that, with poor-quality video can be mentally taxing and demotivating.  

Our recent hybrid ways of working 2021 Global Report backs up Stanford’s research showing that solving video meeting fatigue is a top technology concern that knowledge workers want to be addressed in the future of hybrid working. 

Hybrid collaboration presents new challenges

While some have been eager to get back to in-person collaboration, others believed that the benefits of remote working – no commute, more time with family and friends, more flexibility – outweighed any drawbacks. And because of this, a new model of working has emerged, hybrid work, where people will split their time working between multiple locations.  

In hybrid work, meeting will almost always have some participants physically together in a meeting room, while others will be joining in remotely. This distributed presence across physical and virtual spaces creates another level of cognitive complexity and a whole new set of challenges for IT decision makers, managers, and organisations to overcome. 

The benefits of video are clear

While there may be challenges related to video meetings, the data shows that it’s worth trying to overcome them. One BlueJeans study found that 9 in 10 business decision makers believe that video conferencing makes meeting more efficient, improves clarity and helps them understand the discussion. Similarly, in a joing study from Zoom and Forbes Insights, 62% of executives agreed that when compared to audio-only meetings, video will be a key driver of productivity and connection in organisations.

Increasing employee well-being with video in hybrid work

There are major opportunities for organisations to capitalise on the transition to hybrid working, video being perhaps one of the most crucial. In a world where 9 in 10 employees say that hybrid working will maintain or increase their personal motivation (89%), feeling of recognition (88%), and their sense of trust in their team (89%), organisations can’t provide a sub-par collaboration experience. Getting hybrid right with high quality video will be a key component of employee satisfaction and well-being.

Discover more about Jabra

To discover more about how Jabra video solutions can revolutionise hybrid working for your business – speak to your Banner account manager. Or to find out more about our Technology Solutions click here.

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