The Webcam Survey
Exhausted or Engaged?
Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic
April 2021

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The Webcam Survey - Exhausted or Engaged? Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic | 1

The Webcam Survey Exhausted or Engaged?
Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic
Introduction�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3
The Study����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4
Key Findings�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4
The Rise of the Webcam�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
The Rise of “Zoom Fatigue”�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
Who We Surveyed���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6
The Extent of Exhaustion���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6
Extroverts vs. Introverts Impacted by Being on Camera During Meetings����������������������������������������������������������������������������6
Age and Reaction to Being on Camera������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������7
Commuting Status and Video Exhaustion������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������7
Why is the Webcam On?�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8
How Often is the Video Camera on During Meetings?������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������9Team Connection and Engagement........................................... �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10
The Rise in Meetings���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������11
Productivity, Distraction, and Multi-Tasking������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12
The Multi-Tasking Issue����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������13
Does Being on Camera Help With Loneliness?���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������13
What This Means For Businesses�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������14
Recommendations�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������14
Methodology and Survey Response��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15

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The Webcam Survey Exhausted or Engaged?
Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic
Introduction
Since early into the pandemic, “Zoom” has morphed intoa generic term synonymous with “meeting online with acamera”. Beginning in April in 2020, stories of “Zoom fatigue” began to circulate, with a lot of speculation about
cause, but not a lot of substantive data. This study seeks
to understand why. Is it too many meetings a week, is it
an introvert/extrovert issue, too many hours on-line, people working from home who would be better in an office,or too much time meeting on camera? Who is it impacting
the most? Who is thriving and why?

individuals report being
OVER ofexhausted due to being on

49% webcam during meetings.

I have worked for organizations (pre-pan“
demic) that were very con-nected via remotemeetings but did not rely on video. I felt moreengaged in meetings there than I do at mycurrent organization that relies on Zoom. I
find myself hyper-focused on what’s visible
from my video feed/my own voice and posture or just caught up in examining everyone else’s video feeds. I don’t get any benefit from video!
(Age 25 to 34, Male, $75k-100k, Introvert)

Being
on Webcam During Meetings
Being on Webcam During Meet ings Makes Me
MoreExhausted
Makes MeMore
Exhausted
Agree (7-10 Score)

49%

Medium (4-6 Score)

26%

Disagree (0-3 Score)

25%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

% Respondent s

As we flow in and out of lockdowns, many managers andemployees are in the office, back at home, and back again.
Currently, estimates are that over 25 million employees, orover 40% of the workforce, are working from home2 withthis number expected to level out to over 15 million as the
pandemic settles over the next few years.

Especially with up to 80% of businesses3 reporting thatthey will move towards a fully remote or hybrid/flex modelin the future, understanding what policies create effective and productive WFH and office-based employees, isgoing to be critical moving forward – if businesses want
to increase productivity and move beyond the pandemic.

2 https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201215005287/en/Upwork-Study-Finds-22-of-American-Workforce-Will-Be-Remote-by-2025
3 https://www.hrdive.com/news/gartner-over-80-of-company-leaders-plan-to-permit-remote-work-after-pande/581744/

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The Study
This analysis provides a unique and valuable insight into
the impact that company, department, and managerial policies regarding use of video during online meetings haveon the wellbeing of employees. It also examines if there
are other contributing factors to the high incidence of reported employee exhaustion.
To show this, the analysis uses survey data fielded between
January 28th, 2021 and February 8th, 2021 of more than
1,700 employees, managers, and executives from specificareas including finance, healthcare, sales and marketing,engineering, along with a broader scope of employed individuals who currently or previously commuted to an office. In addition, the study analyzed over 1,000 comments
for additional insights and sought updates from over 500
survey participants on meeting frequency.
These results provide a snapshot of what is driving reported
rates of exhaustion and how widespread it is. In addition,
we’ll examine how company and management policies are
impacting the situation. Finally, we’ll look at indicators toshow what solutions we can implement to improve things
moving forward.

All groups reported that being on camera caused DISTRACTION OR

INABILITY TO CONCENTRATEKey Findings
All groups reported that being on camera caused distraction
or inability to concentrate due to the sensory input of manyheads on the screen or having to look at themselves. The
other most reported feeling was being self-conscious fromhaving themselves or their home offices viewed by others.

•• Over 49% of individuals report being exhausted due
to being on webcam. With current estimates of over
25 million employees working at home and a further 41
million at the office or in a flexible commuting arrangement, this means that the rate of exhaustion could exist in over 30 million people4.
•• Over 65% responded that being on camera is bestused for team engagement and connection, however, only 11% reported that the camera was used
for team engagement purposes.
•• Over 60% reported that the number of meetings theyattend has increased significantly since the pandemic.
Most say that the ad-hoc chats they had at the officehave been replaced by formal meetings, which indicates that many are not using collaboration tools for
informal updates.
•• Looking at personality types, 58% who self-reported
as “introverts” reported that being on camera madethem exhausted, while 40% of “extroverts” indicatedthis.
•• 61% reported that video is mandated for all meetings they attend.
•• Over 25% reported feeling peer pressure to turn on
their cameras even if this was not a requirement.
The results suggest that a shift in “on camera” policy acrosscorporations, departments, and managers needs to hap-https://www.dpeaflcio.org/factsheets/the-professional-and-technical-workforce-by-the-numbers, Reducing the reported 76M worker base by 10M to account for
healthcare professionals and teaching staff. Other studies generally put the office-based US workforce at 66M.
4

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pen to create a balanced, productive work environment
for employees.
Especially as we see an acceleration in the already upward trend of greater remote work post-pandemic, insights into what impacts employee wellbeing during the
workday should result in
lower stress, increase productivity and positively impact
engagement.

The Rise of the Webcam
Remote work, although promising greater productivity andflexibility for employers and employees, has not evolved
as expected, primarily due to an about shift by major techcompanies such as Best Buy, Yahoo, and IBM from 2012 to20175. The percent of the workforce that worked fully remotely before the pandemic was still very small. Around
7% of the US workforce6 had the “option” to work fromhome and 5% reported teleworking in 20197. Also, nearly
half of businesses reported that none of their managers
performed a significant portion of their job remotely andonly 2.3% of managers had fully remote teams8.

The Rise of “Zoom Fatigue”
As early as April 2020, there began to be reports of “Zoom
Fatigue”, and although there was much online commentary on the subject, there were few studies to try to explain
this phenomenon, or how widespread it was. Why are employees reporting being exhausted? Is it only from being
on camera during calls, too many meetings, or are there
other factors?
To answer this question, Virtira Consulting surveyed over
1,700 managers and employees who were commuting,working from home or back and forth to the office to understand exactly what the situation is.
What we found is that over 49% of individuals report being exhausted due to being on webcam for meetings.
With current estimates of over 66 million people who work
in office-based, flex, or home-based jobs, this means thatthe rate of exhaustion could be impacting up to 32 million people.

There are few studies prior to the pandemic that measure
the use of the webcam for remote or distance work before
COVID-19, because being on camera wasn’t a feature ofmost remote work meetings. Most long-term remote employees rarely used webcams during calls unless it was necessary for a presentation or a sales call.
That flipped in 2020, with the move home of 95% of theworkforce in the initial lockdowns9. Managers who had notpreviously communicated virtually with their direct reports
now found themselves with completely remote teams. The“Zoom” revolution began. There were reports of post-workbar games, pizza parties, and eating together online, alongwith reports of employees who worked together on camera all day10.

5 https://www.pgi.com/blog/2017/07/why-remote-work-policies-fail-some-employers/
6 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/working-from-home-coronavirus-workers-future-of-work
7 https://www.newgeography.com/content/006810-us-commuting-2019-the-last-normal-year
8 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3638597
9 https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/1/e/1ecbb35b-7621-4fa6-9139-9c401683cbb9/DF0C7207C814710DE75FE8A7B1DA59A1.kate-lister-senate-testimony-07.29.2020.pdf
10 https://www.businessinsider.com/work-from-home-sneek-webcam-picture-5-minutes-monitor-video-2020-3
11 https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-combat-zoom-fatigue

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Who We Surveyed
We surveyed a range of commuting styles and worker types.
In addition to the usual demographics questions, we surveyed how participants viewed themselves regarding introversion or extroversion. We also wanted to understandhow their work-life had changed from before the pandemic.
The responses include a satisfactory range of age, income,and managerial levels12. For more details on the study demographics, see the Methodology section towards the endof this report.

As an introvert I feel very self-conscious“
on camera. The extroverts seem to love it.
(Age 45 to 54, Female, 150k, Introvert)

In my opinion, it distracts from the meet“
ing’s objective. As soon as someone moves,

your eyes go there to see what they are doing.
(Age 55 to 64, Female, $50k-$75k, Extrovert)

Extroverts vs. Introverts Impacted by
Being on Camera During Meetings
We suspected that one of the key components of exhaustion
might be sensory overload, especially for introverts. Prior
studies showing sensory inputs and introversion suggested
that overload and exhaustion might result from needing tofocus the eyes on a very busy screen full of heads versus
just having an audio feed13.
On a scale of 1 to 100, in social situations, where 1 is a“very extroverted, chatty social animal” and 100 is a “veryintroverted quiet listener”, how would you rate yourself?”

The Extent of Exhaustion
As mentioned, just under 50% of survey responses indicated that being on webcam during meetings caused them
to be exhausted. While there was a direct link to introverted
personalities, there was also a strong correlation with age.
The younger the survey responder, the higher the degreeof reported exhaustion.

Scoring on Personality Type
60%
54%
50%

% Respondent s

40%“Being on webcam during an online business meeting
makes me more exhausted than if I hadn’t been on webcam.”

30%

20%

26%
20%

10%

0%

Beingonon
WebcamMeetings
Being
WebcamDuringDuring
Meet ings
Makes MeMore
Exhausted
Makes Me More Exhausted
Agree (7-10 Score)

25%

0%

10%

20%

Int rovert

webcams will bring us closer to that experience as much as possible, but I still feel selfconscious of myself when I have to turn on
my webcam.

26%

Disagree (0-3 Score)

Balanced or Adapt ed

I understand that people are used to“talking to faces in person, so they feel using

49%

Medium (4-6 Score)

Ext rovert

30%

40%

% Respondent s

50%

60%

(Age 18 to 24, Female, 50k-75k, Introvert)

12 Sourced from secondary survey follow ups.
13 http://www.hsperson.com/pdf/JPSP_Aron_and_Aron_97_Sensitivity_vs_I_and_N.pdf

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Although the largest group overloaded by being on camera during meetings were introverts, 40% of extroverts also
indicated they were exhausted due to the same reason.

Being on Camera Exhaustion
and Personality Type

"Being on Cam era" Exhaust ion and Personalit y TypeInt rovert

58%

Balanced or Adapt ed

37%

Ext rovert

40%

0%

10%

20%

30%

I feel like it’s no point to have to get all“
dressed up, do your hair, some females do

make-up and other people make sure they
have their coffee every day, we have manydifferent routines of things to do before wego to work. All I’m saying is that if it’s something that can be said through just voice thendon’t require a camera when the same message could have been told without it.
(Age 18 to 24, Female, $25k/Year, Introvert)

40%

50%

60%

70%

% Respondent s wit h High Exhaust ion (7-10)

Age and Reaction to Being on Camera
There is a significant correlation between younger age
and exhaustion. This may be because the younger groups
tend to spend more time online, but we don’t have additional data to understand the cause of this issue. The
younger the worker, the more being on camera tends tooverload them. Comments suggest that they don’t like people seeing them online – or they don’t like looking at themselves.

There is a SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN YOUNGER AGE
AND EXHAUSTION.
This may be because the younger
groups tend to spend more time online"Beingon Cam era" Exhaust
ion and Age Group
Being onWebcamExhaustion
and Age
18 t o 24

64%

25 t o 34

57%

35 t o 44

50%

45 t o 54

We wanted to test if exhaustion was due to people for whomworking from home was not a fit for themselves or their
managers.

43%

55 t o 64

40%Over 65

21%
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

% Respondent s wit h High Exhaust ion (7-10)

I’d rather not do it, it makes me self-con“
scious and it makes me distracted, looking
at my coworkers.

(Age 45-54, $50K - $75K/yr, Female, Extrovert)

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Commuting Status and Video
Exhaustion

Video usage has the highest impact on those who are stillcommuting to an office (53%) – or have gone from commuting to working from home since the pandemic (51%).
A large number of our respondents were people who had
previously commuted who now work from home (46%).
28% of respondents did not change their work styles andeither continued working from home (13%) or commuting (15%).

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“Have you started to work from home in the past year?”Commuting Status Pre-Pandemic to Now
Commut e>Commut e

15%

WFH>Commut e

4%Commut e>WFH

Why is the Webcam On?
We wanted to understand, if the video is on, why is this.
How many companies are mandating its use during all
meetings, how many departments, or is somewhat undefined? From our discussions with numerous company leaders, many of whom believed all meetings should be on camera, we wanted to find out how this was impacting workers.

46%

WFH>WFH

33% reported that it was company or departmental policy that cameras be on for all meetings and a further 28%
reported that it was up to the meeting leader. The mostsurprising result was the number of people who feel compelled to be on camera due to peer pressure.

13%

Flex (WFH and Commut e)

21%

Ot her

2%
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

“If you do use a webcam during an online business meeting, why is this?”% Respondent s

If You Meet On Camera, Why Is This?

PLEASE LET ME GO BACKTO THE OFFICE!!

If You Meet On Cam era, Why Is This?

Company policy(Age 25 to 34, Male, $50-75k, Introvert)

23%

Depart ment al policy

10%

Meet ing leader decision28%

Because t he group is on camera, I feel I
have t o be

26%

I prefer t o be on webcam

9%

Ot her

The least impacted group are those who work from homeand still commute to the office (42%).

Being on Camera Exhaustion and"Being on Cam era" Exhaust ion and WFH St at us
WFH Status
Commut e t o WFH

42%

St ill Commut ing t o Office53%

St ill WFH49%

WFH t o Commut e

54%
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

% Respondent s wit h High Exhaust ion (7-10)

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0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

% Respondent s

I like that we can still do meetings even“working from home, but I don’t feel as en-

51%

Hybrid or Flex

3%

gaged as when meeting in person at the office. I think doing Zoom meetings for long periods at a time is stressful, and the webcam
requirement felt somewhat intrusive at first.

60%(Age 25 to 34, Male, $50k-75k, Introvert)

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There are issues with using technology How Often is the Video Camera on“
while at home. One is that sometimes, con- During Meetings?
nectivity can be bad or limited and it is reallyannoying and mentally draining if I, or others on the call are breaking up or the voice
quality is pretty bad. There is also the sensethat we are doing it only because the company wants us to do it and at times it is a way
for senior management to “check in” on employees to make sure that they are actuallyworking. And there are lots of distractions,
whether a child (or children) come on screen
because they want something, or a pet making noises or ambient noise because of construction or other external sound.
(Age 45 to 54, Male, $150k+, Medium/Adapted)

61% of the survey reported that 100% of meetings are conducted with the webcam on for the entire meeting for allparticipants. 19% indicated that only those presenting or
leading were on camera.
“What is your team policy on using webcams during ameeting?”

How Your Team Uses Video on Calls
During Meet ings 100%61%

Whoever is present ing or leading

19%

For Team Engagement8%

Depends on Meet ing t ype/ Ot her

5%

At st art or end only3%

We only do t eleconferences

4%
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

% Respondent s

26% reported that even if there was no company, department, or meeting leader mandate if the rest of the team ison camera, they feel pressured that they need to as well.
Responses from those under 25 years old, indicated they
are more influenced by peer pressure (40%) to be on webcam as opposed to the rest of the respondents.

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Sometimes you feel social or peer pres“
sure to switch on the webcam, I prefer tohave it off.

(Age 45 to 54, Male, $100k-150k, Introvert)

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My boss and the others at my work prefer“that everyone be on camera during a meet-ing in order to see everyone and get a senseof community. At first, I was excited to see
people, but as we go on nearly a YEAR of doing this, it does tend to get exhausting. It’s
harder to multi-task when you know you’reon camera, and it’s hard to keep those eyerolls and annoyed looks to yourself when thecamera is on. Sometimes I will walk awayand claim I need to blow my nose in order toget some facial emotions out so I don’t do iton screen. I am not really an introvert or an
extrovert, I lay in the middle. While I like being able to see my colleagues and bosses,
sometimes it gets to be a lot when you’re on
camera for 2-3 hours a day.
(Age 35 to 44, Female, $100k-150k, Medium/Adapted)“Everyone being on webcam during an online businessmeeting helps me feel more engaged with the rest of theteam.”

Being on Camera During Meetings Makes
Me Feel More Engaged With The Team
Agree (7-10 Score)60%

Medium (4-6 Score)27%

Disagree (0-3 Score)

13%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

% Respondent s

Level of engagement depends on size of“meeting. When there are more people thanfit on the participant grid, it feels a bit much.
(Age, 35 to 44, Male, $150k+, Medium/Adapted)

ONLY

11%

reported that the camera
was used team engagement purposes.

“Being on webcam helps me connect with the rest of theteam during an online business meeting.”

Being on Camera During Meetings
Helps Me Connect To The Team
Agree (7-10 Score)

Team Connection and Engagement
Over 65% of responses indicate that the camera is best used
for team engagement and connection, however as we saw
above, only 11% reported that the camera was used forteam engagement purposes - or to connect with the teamfor the first 2-3 minutes for the team to connect.

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65%

Medium (4-6 Score)

23%

Disagree (0-3 Score)

12%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

% Respondent s

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The Rise in Meetings
Before the pandemic, one survey indicated that 50% of people working in an office really disliked impromptu meetings14, which interrupt the flow of a workday. Drawing fromthis analysis, a surprising number of the comments indicated that the reason for increased meetings during the
pandemic is that an office quick chat or impromptu get-together, now had to be scheduled. This indicates that companies are not making use of, or training employees in,collaborative technologies that can replicate these “quickchats and updates”.
“Has the number of meetings you attend changed frombefore the pandemic?”

Has the Number of Meetings You
Attend Increased?
It has increased significant ly

10%

Of this group, 51% reported being more exhausted, due tothe increased number of meetings, but not specifically due
to the camera being on.

It has increased significant ly

53%

30%

It has decreased significant ly

8%0%(Age 25-34, Male, $100K/year, Introvert)

It is t he around t he same28%

It has decreased significant ly

to get everyone on the same schedule due
to many people having more meetings. It’s
like a cycle.

More Exhausted vs. Change in
Number of Meetings
63%

It is t he around t he same

We have about double the amount of“meetings overall now because it is harder

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

% Respondent s

28%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

% Respondent s Who Have Increased Exhaust ed

14 https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/remote-work-statistics

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The Webcam Survey - Exhausted or Engaged? Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic | 11Before the pandemic, we might have Productivity, Distraction, and“quick meetings here or there, but not like “of- Multi-Tasking
ficial sit-down meetings”. We would walk into
each other’s offices and have a quick chat.
Now, most of those meetings have to happen
either over email or often over a zoom meeting. So, the number of meetings has significantly increased because we can’t just havea quick chat in an office.
(Age 35 to 44, Female, $100k-150k, Medium/Adapted)
56% reported being on camera during meetings for 1 to 3
hours a day, with over 30% reporting in the higher ranges,
up to 8 hours per day.
“On average, in a typical work week, how many hours
per day do you meet online with a webcam (for businessmeetings, not personal calls)”

Paradoxically, being on camera appears to be a two-edged
sword, a trade-off between perceived productivity and fatigue. On one hand, almost half of the respondents reportthat it makes them exhausted. On the other hand, 43% reported that webcams make them more productive withthe bulk of the survey reporting medium (31%) or low productivity (26%).
“Being on webcam helps me be more productive during
an online business meeting.”

Being on Camera During Meetings
Makes Me More Productive
Agree (7-10 Score)

43%

Medium (4-6 Score)

31%

Hours Per Day on Webcam
Disagree (0-3 Score)<1 hour/ day

25%

1 hour/ day

26%

26%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

% Respondent s
2-3 hour/ day30%

4-5 hour/ day

11%

5-7 hour/ day

If I could, I would never turn on my web“cam. I am typically far more productive when

5%

8+ hour/ day2%

Ot herit’s voice & screen sharing only.

1%
0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

% Respondent s

Being on camera appears to be a
two-edged sword, a trade off between
PERCEIVED PRODUCTIVITY andFATIQUE.

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35%(Age 35 to 44, Male, $150k+, Introvert)“Everyone being on webcam for business meetings isvery distracting.”
Although 40% disagree with this statement, over 30%
agreed, meaning at any particular time, a third of your meeting participants are going to be distracted, with a possible
additional 27% in the medium score range. Survey comments have “distraction” as a primary issue with camera use
in meetings.

The Webcam Survey - Exhausted or Engaged? Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic | 12

I feel nervous on camera, I’m not sure“
why since all of myco-workers know what I

Being on Camera During Meetings
Is Distracting
Agree (7-10 Score)

look like.There are also periods in the meeting that don’t apply to me and I can’t multitask while on webcam.

32%

Medium (4-6 Score)

28%

Disagree (0-3 Score)(Age 35 to 44, Male, $50k-75k, Medium/Adapted)

40%

Difficult to Multi-Task on Camera
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

% Respondent s

Agree (7-10 Score)

The Multi-Tasking Issue

Medium (4-6 Score)

One of the primary reasons companies and managers justify camera use during meetings is to prevent multi-tasking. The survey supports this, although many people comment that many meetings they attend don’t require theirattention the entire time. Pre-COVID, they used to catch up
on work during meetings, and they can no longer do this.
This suggests managers are unnecessarily inviting people to calls who could potentially catch up via meeting recordings or meeting minutes, rather than participating in
the live meeting.
“Being on webcam during an online business meeting
makes it more difficult to multi-task than if I weren’t on
webcam.”I feel that they can be a distraction if too“
much activity is going on. I prefer that only

the main speaker have their camera on. Thatmakes it easier to focus. Too much activity
on camera is distracting.
(Age 35 to 44, Male, $100k-150k, Extrovert)

15

66%

19%

Disagree (0-3 Score)

16%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

% Respondent s

Does Being on Camera Help With
Loneliness?
This study found that 37% reported that being on thecamera helped them feel less lonely. In other studies
before the pandemic, loneliness was a problem for 19%
of workers15.
The increased reporting of loneliness in this study indicates that many are working in a work style unsuited forthem, having been forced home due to COVID-19. If employers properly assess their employees for remote suitability
and place them in the situation best suited for them, issues with loneliness being experienced by employees now
should abate after people return to the work styles suited
to their personality.
“Being on webcam during an online business meeting
makes me feel less lonely.”https://www.surepayroll.com/resources/blog/productivity-prohibitors-how-to-stop-them-in-their-tracks

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The Webcam Survey - Exhausted or Engaged? Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic | 13

In addition, managerial training on who should attend
meetings, how meetings are not a substitute for informalchats in an office setting, and paying attention especiallyto the wellbeing of younger workers is going to be key toincreasing productivity and workplace engagement.

Being on Camera Makes Me
Feel Less Lonely
Agree (7-10 Score)

35%

Medium (4-6 Score)

34%

Recommendations
Disagree (0-3 Score)

31%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

% Respondent s

Current practices on the use of video
during meetings have NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON REMOTE WORKERS AND
OFFICE WORKERS -because leaders
have confused engagement for productivity.

What This Means For Businesses
To unlock the potential economic gains from remote work,businesses and professionals have to embrace policies thatenable remote work, not hinder it. Data, not assumptions,should be driving remote work policies, especially withthe majority of managers being new to this work style. As
we’ve seen from this study, current practices on the use ofvideo during meetings have negative impacts on remoteworkers and office workers. Leaders need to distinguish between drivers for engagement and drivers for productivity.
The results of the survey present an important lesson forbusinesses on how policies around the use of video conferencing tools are going to impact the wellbeing of employees, whether they are commuting or staying at home.
Virtira.com•• Video is best used to connect employees in small
groups, one-on-one meetings, or for the first 2-3 minutes of larger meetings for everyone to say hello. Even inthis context, many people are still uncomfortable withbeing on video, and managers and HR should work withthem to determine root cause and adjust their work situation where possible. Being on camera should be up
to the employee.
•• Beyond the presenter or the leader of the call, there
is no indication that large meetings, with a screen oftalking heads, have any advantage over audio and may
increase distraction and participant anxiety.
•• Recognize that peer pressure is a key driver of camera
use, especially in younger workers, even where it is not
required by management or the organization. Training
and communications need to be introduced to makestaying off-camera a personal choice when possible.
•• Meetings are not a substitute for informal office chatsor a “water cooler”. Businesses need to introduce andtrain managers and employees on the use of collaboration workspaces where informal updates can occur
24/7, synchronously, and asynchronously.
•• Packing extra people into a call when they don’t need tobe sucks time and productivity. Invest in good meeting
notes with a meeting recording so they can quickly update themselves on what they need to know and havemore uninterrupted work time.

I originally didn’t like using a webcam“
but now I’m more for it because it helps us toengage as a team. It also makes you feel lesslonely working through a computer screen.
(Age 18 to 24, Male, $25k-50k/yr, Introvert)

The Webcam Survey - Exhausted or Engaged? Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic | 14

Virtira Consulting Inc. surveyed over 2,500 executives, managers, and employees in various WFH, commuting, andflex work styles between January 21st and February 8th,2021. We also tested for introversion/extroversion to understand if this is a factor. Respondents were from public
and private companies across all age ranges and incomesthrough two-third party independent online platforms. Follow-up surveys were sent to over 500 respondents to further
clarify some responses. Overall margin of error of ±2.37%
at 95% confidence level, on the basis of 1710 net responses.
The largest group of responses came from age 35 to 44(34%), followed by age 25 to 34 (26%) and age 45 to 54(20%).

The largest group of responses came from the 50k-75k/year
range, followed by 75k-100k/year (20%) and equal numbersof the $25K-$50K/year and $100K-$150K/year, both at 17%.

Household Income
30%
25%
20%
% Respondent s

Methodology and Survey Response

15%
10%
5%
0%

Age Ranges in Survey
The study had a good representation of different management levels.

40%
34%

35%
30%
% Respondent s

26%

Organizational Role

25%
20%

20%

Individual Cont ribut or

15%
10%

7%

6%

6%

42%

Manager40%

5%Direct or0%

18 t o 24

25 t o 34

35 t o 44

45 t o 54

55 t o 64

Over 65

9%

Business Owner

3%

Senior Execut ive

3%

Ot her

2%
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

% Respondent s

For more information
on Vitira visit our website
www.vitira.com

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The Webcam Survey - Exhausted or Engaged? Meeting on Camera During the Pandemic | 15

It’s good and bad. I feel like it helps us see facial expressions and body language more,“
and it helps make sure we’re all paying attention. But on the other hand, any movement
seems to draw attention. So if I blow my nose or adjust my glasses, I feel like everyone’s focus is on me instead of the speaker. It’s also tempting to watch myself instead of watching
the people speaking, so I try to minimize or hide my own window.
(Age 35 to 44, Female, $50k-75k, Extrovert)

Personally, I dislike having to use a webcam. I understand that it can help people to“feel more engaged, but I dislike how I look on camera.
(Age 18 to 24, Female, $50k-75k/yr, Introvert)

It’s nice to connect with other teammates, but extensive use can be exhausting. I pre“
fer it be left up to individual predisposition.
(Age 25 to 34, Male, $50k-75k/yr, Medium/Adapted)

Home is my sanctuary that I do not share with people outside of family and very close“friends.
(Age 45-54, Female, $100k-150k/yr, Extrovert)

I hate webcams because I find it very distracting and irritating if someone’s network is“
not strong.
(Age 18 to 24, Male $50k-75k, Introvert)

From March 2020 until about October 2020 we didn’t use our webcams. Then our man“ager started to insist that we do. The social aspect is nice but to me it causes new distrac-

tions and makes it impossible to multitask or you look stupid. Also I’m a smoker and whenon call using my cell phone I could go out and smoke and still be on the call, now I can’t
and it’s annoying as well.
(Age 35 to 44, Male, $150k+/yr, Extrovert)“

Feels invasive and distracting.

March 2021

(Age 18 to 24, Female $25k-50k/yr, Introvert)

The Webcam
Survey- Exhausted
Engaged?
Meeting
on Camera During the Pandemic| 16
The
Webcam Survey - Exhausted or Engaged?
Meeting
on Camera
Duringorthe
Pandemic
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