In the last few months, work has changed drastically. But will these changes persist into the future? Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index report explores this idea by combining insights from three sources: trends behind how customers use their tools; findings from a survey of over 2,000 remote workers in six countries; and conclusions from over 30 research projects from across Microsoft that seek to understand the experience for remote workers today via surveys, interviews, diary studies, focus groups, and studies of the human brain. Remote collaboration is more difficult, but the transition back to in-person work might be just as hard.
Video meetings lead to fatigue
Another study found that brainwave markers associated with overwork and stress are significantly higher in video meetings than non-meeting work like writing emails. Further, due to high levels of sustained concentration fatigue begins to set in 30-40 minutes into a meeting. Looking at days filled with video meetings, stress begins to set in at about two hours into the day. The research suggests several factors lead to this sense of meeting fatigue: having to focus continuously on the screen to extract relevant information and stay engaged; reduced non-verbal cues that help you read the room or know whose turn it is to talk; and screen sharing with very little view of the people you are interacting with.Read more >