Why we get video call fatigue
If you’re swapping boardroom meetings for video calls, what’s the big deal? Well, studies suggest there’s a combination of factors to consider – many due to the nature of being on camera itself. One study found:
- 44% find it hard to follow the conversation if multiple people are speaking
- 40% are put off if cameras are switched off, but 36% don’t put theirs on
- 54% complained of headaches, eye strain, and anxiety after doing more video calls
These results aren’t all that surprising. Video communication takes more concentration, as you can’t rely on non-verbal cues – like body language or facial expressions – especially when you’re dealing with poor internet connection. That is key when it comes to the flow of conversation, with research showing silences of just 1.2 seconds between utterances make you view the other participant as unfriendly or distracted. Not great for feeling connected.
So, how should you stay connected?
The phenomenon of ‘Zoom fatigue’ comes from a good place – the drive to stay connected. There are two things you can do to achieve that, without burnout:
1. Tweak your video call habits
There’s simple changes you can make. Know when a video call could just be an email, slack message, or shared document. Go ‘camera off’ whenever possible. Avoid calls on the hour, or make them 5-10 minutes shorter – so people get a breather between them. And while we’re all out-of-office, don’t enforce social catch-up calls… sometimes people have just had enough.
2. Ask your team what works
At Qlearsite, we think listening to your employees is everything. So do that! Ask them if they feel disconnected, and what could help. Make time for small talk on the calls you already have, so they don’t always feel quite as much like hard work. And consider assessing their well-being through our survey solutions – where better surveys and advanced language analysis give you answers it’s hard to get over a video call, good WiFi or not.
