All About Virtual Meetings: Definitions, Types, Benefits, and How to Organise a Successful One
Feb 10, 2023 • 11 min read
Having an efficient meeting in the world of business has been constantly tackled as no one is fond of sitting in 2-hour long discussions, which could have been emailed instead. Despite that, many people are still intrigued by this topic, especially with the surge of virtual teams. Now that the remote setting is slowly dominating the business world, there is no doubt that video conferencing is everywhere. That is why DigiWorks created this blog to give some tips on how to make your virtual meeting efficient.
You’ll learn:
- Definition of Virtual Meeting
- 3 Types of Virtual Meetings
- 4 Benefits of Virtual Conferences
- Circumstances associated with virtual meetings
- Useful tips in Organising a Virtual Meeting.
- Bonus: Platforms that you can use for virtual meetings
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Definition of Virtual Meeting
A virtual meeting, just like face-to-face or in-office conferences, is a real-time interaction between co-workers and employers. Both have the same purpose of discussing the important topics and issues related to the company or the business. The only difference is the method of how it is being done. Additionally, virtual meetings heavily rely on the use of technology and a strong internet connection while in-office conferences are more on personal interaction.
3 Types of Virtual Meetings
1. Teleconference
The teleconference is the simplest one among all the other types. This might not be the common one to use when discussing important topics that require the use of webcams, but it is ideal if you need to hop in a quick call. It allows workers to feel more connected and be able to instantly share their thoughts. To do so, participants have to dial a certain number or join a link in order to be connected to everyone.
2. Video conferencing
Video meetings are one of the widely used strategies, not just in the corporate world. This is important if you want to feel more connected by having a view of the participants’ faces. This is one step ahead of teleconferences when it comes to effectiveness, as you can easily see the facial expression, body language, and movements of your co-workers, making the conversation and communication smoother. To do so, you have to have a great internet connection to avoid lagging, an HD video camera or webcam, and a high-quality microphone And don’t forget! A visually appealing background to make you look more presentable.
3. Web conferencing
Web conferencing is the most complex among the types of virtual meetings. This is commonly used when sharing broad ideas, discussing a huge project, and heavy brainstorming with co-workers. It is perfect if you need to share your screen, utilise a chat box, illustrate on a whiteboard, and raise your hand. This method will make the whole team feel more like communicating face-to-face as you can see everything that everyone is doing. Alongside its benefits in corporate meetings, this method is also used in webinars, university discussions, and anywhere that requires an audience, a host, and a speaker.
4 Benefits of Virtual Conferences
1. Easy and effective communication strategy with people globally
Having remote teams dispersed in different countries, communication might be a crucial factor. However, using video meetings, turning on webcams, and discussing through the use of microphones and chat boxes makes it easier. This is the best alternative if you cannot meet your team members personally. In that way, you can still successfully give off your ideas, tackle relevant issues, and make connections even just through your screens. The only challenge with virtual meetings is the difference in time zones, but there is nothing that a solid team cannot make possible.
2. Virtual meetings are economical and cost-efficient.
In-person meetings would usually cost transportation, travel, lease, and an office, which is quite demanding. Utilising emails for important discussions is not really efficient as it will just take time, rather than directly giving points. So, the best solution is virtual meetings. All you have to do is pay for software, but there surely are many free applications that work just fine. You might also need a great internet connection, but who doesn’t have it in this generation? A virtual meeting is truly a convenience for everyone!
3. It saves a lot of time and effort!
One of the main purposes of working remotely is the convenience it gives when it comes to time and effort. Having a virtual meeting saves so much time as the participant can easily join with just simple clicks. They also don’t need to render too much effort as everything they need is all in their house. As long as they have a good internet connection, a gadget, headphones, HD webcam, and a clear background, they are good to go. That is way too convenient than driving or commuting to the office and finding the conference room. Employees also don’t have to dash when there are immediate meetings as it is just through their monitors. Trust us, this will make your employees more motivated and productive since they are not required to do a lot of things and it lessens their workloads.
4. It allows flexibility and adjustability.
The best thing about virtual meetings is that the participants don’t need to prepare for long hours and put too much effort into them. Of course, they have to prepare the important files or documents that are necessary for the discussion. However, it saves them so much time in preparing as all the needs to join the meeting are just upon their reach. With just a simple click and basic knowledge of technology, they can easily be connected with their co-workers and employers and give bright and innovative ideas. They don’t even have to stress about their outfits, as long as they are wearing something decent and formal. And most importantly, they are in the comfort of their home, making it easier to multi-task, express their thoughts, and voice out their opinions. Plus, video meetings can easily be recorded, so everyone can re-watch them in case they missed anything.
Circumstances associated with virtual meetings
Just like any method or strategy, a virtual meeting also has its downside. DigiWorks provided you with not just an overview of the problems you might encounter with virtual meetings, but also some possible solutions.
Hindrance in technology
Since virtual meetings are heavily reliant on technology, it is normal to face some problems with it. You probably once joined a meeting and the usual start of the speakers is ‘Can you hear me loud and clear?’. Don’t worry! Every remote employee probably already experienced this so they totally understand if that happened. It is also something that can be fixed easily, so just stay calm and don’t hesitate to ask for help. To prevent issues like this, you can ask all the participants to do some troubleshooting and run a speed test before entering the room. They can also check if their cameras and microphones are working just fine to have a better flow of the discussion.
Obtaining the participant’s engagement
Sometimes it is hard to do virtual meetings when your participants seem disengaged, out of focus, or uninterested in the discussion. Some of them might also feel nervous to unmute themselves and speak up, leaving a deafening silence in the room. They might also feel distracted by their notifications or by their surroundings. That is why ensuring that you can do collaborative meetings with topics that will truly catch their attention is a must. Perhaps, you can give them the topics to be discussed beforehand so they can write down their ideas right away and will know what to say throughout the discussion. That is also the reason why some topics are better to leave in the emails if it is not too important to hold a meeting.
Useful tips in Organising a Virtual Meeting
1. Prepare everything beforehand
Time has always been one of the biggest factors when working in the digital world. As much as possible, employees want everything to be efficient. That doesn’t mean that you should rush things out or make the meetings too short, leaving so many unanswered questions. If you want your meetings to be more efficient, it is better to list down all the topics you want to include and do further research on each of them. You can also do visual presentations that include all the important information and send it to the applicants for them to study as well. If there are some topics that are not too crucial, it is better to leave them in the emails. You can also dedicate some time for each subject so you don’t over tackle it, and make sure to give some space for the question and answer segment. You can also do a little ice breaker from time to time if it is not too formal, so they wouldn’t feel uninterested. Avoid discussing multiple topics with different teams in one meeting. Some of the discussions that are not relevant to some teams, might bore them out. And most importantly, set a goal on why you run the meeting—perhaps, gaining new ideas for your next big project or finding solutions to some problems you might be facing.
2. Implement virtual meeting etiquette
This might be the most important factor that you should consider when running a virtual meeting. As the host of the event, it is your role to ensure that no one is going beyond someone else’s boundaries or disrespects their co-employees. It is significant to create rules and set expectations before the meeting to allow a better understanding of the purpose of the discussion. Without this one element, the whole meeting might provide poor results, affect your teams negatively, and make the whole event seem unprofessional.
3. Do follow-ups after the conference.
After the meeting, most of the participants, especially the speaker, probably feel exhausted and just want to shut down their computers and rest. However, following this one tip before you finally leave the room is necessary for the growth of your team and improving your next meeting. It will be great if you can ask the employees their insights about the meeting and allow them to give out their opinions and recommendations. After the meeting, you send a list of important things to remember so they wouldn’t just close their laptop and forget about the whole discussion.
4. Think unconventionally
Since virtual meetings don’t have to happen often, you can use this time to bring the fun in the workplace. Perhaps, you can ask the participants to share their favourite books and movies or even host games like trivias and guess the word. You can also allot some time to discuss some of the problems or experiences of every team member and let everyone give their suggestions or ideas. Remember that it is a team meeting, so make sure that everyone is included in the conversation.
5. Take advantage of every virtual meeting to build stronger connections in the workplace
Creating the flow of your entire meeting agenda is as important as contemplating what can go wrong. It is important to practise collaboration as the connection among employees increases during virtual conferences. Creativity is the key to having a better strategy on how to bring colleagues together during and after the event. This is your chance to run team building or any activities that will help them get to know each other personally. There is a high chance that new friendships or professional relationships will be created afterwards, which is an advantage for everyone.
Ready to build your remote team?
Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.
Bonus: Platforms that you can use for virtual meetings
Together with the increase in the demand for remote jobs, many digital softwares are also on the rise. So, you can guarantee that there are plenty of options that you can use for virtual meetings. Some of the widely known platforms are Zoom, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teamsand other applications for video conferences. You can make a poll and ask your employees what tool they are most familiar with. If it’s your first time organising a virtual event, it is a great idea to share a loom video showing them how the software works.
Remember that every software and tools work differently. It is also better to consider some factors such as the number of people participating, your needs such as screen sharing, recording, and other interactive engagement you prefer before sticking to one platform. It is also better if you are familiar with the platform, since you will be doing most of the technical work throughout the whole interview.
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About DigiWorks
DigiWorks is an easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and start ups hire amazing remote talent from around the world. DigiWorks offers a way for you to hire, manage and pay people from all countries. If you find an amazing virtual assistant from Philippines, a content writer from Nigeria, or operations manager from South Africa – manage and pay your entire team from one platform with no hassle.
If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre-vetted and assessed remote workers that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as well.