As more and more companies look for means to save money in an up-and-down economy, web-based meetings are often looked to as one way to cut down on travel expenses.
As the head of your company, are you employing or considering adding web-based meetings to your calendar in 2012?
Whether your company executives meet once a week or dozens a times a week, the inevitable is that meetings need to take place. Whether it is covering financial matters, plans for growth, dealing with concerns and questions from staff and/or clients, passing on meetings is not an option.
So, what are the advantages to having web-based meetings and should they be in your company’s plans if not already moving forward?
Among the advantages are:
- A reduction in time and costs to your company that can grow having regular in-house meetings. Oftentimes, companies will fly in employees who telecommute for them, thereby accruing plane, hotel, rental car expenses etc. Your company is also being served due to the fact that out of town employees are able to spend less time traveling and more time focusing on their responsibilities;
- The ability to meet with pretty much anyone, anywhere at any time. From a logistics stand point, you save time by being able to set up meetings with virtually anyone anywhere in the country or around the world. This eliminates the need to worry about flight schedules, hotel reservations and more when trying to bring in out-of-town employees or clients for an important meeting;
- A better recruiting tool for key new employees. As your company looks to hire new talent, there may be some star recruits you’re very interested in, but they would end up having to relocate to your city. With the web-based meeting approach, you may be able to land some of these individuals without having to ask them to uproot their lives, family etc.;
- Better preparation opportunities. With the web-based meeting approach, you can have those attending electronically better prepared. Send them via email the documents related to the meeting a day or days ahead of time so they have time to review them;
- Numerous options are available to showcase the meeting. With web-based meetings, employers can present the events in a number of different ways, including using streaming video and audio, slideshows, Power Points and more. This is all done while the participants are in their homes or own offices, likely giving more attention to the discussion;
- Limited requirements to set up online meetings. With the web-based meetings, employers typically do not have to do too much to get the meeting in place. Oftentimes it just simply involves setting up a conference call and having the participants call in;
- Potentially more productive meetings over the web. Oftentimes, employees are more apt to speak up during a meeting that is web-based. They feel more relaxed than in a gathering of others in person. Employees also seem more productive working out of their home and/or own office, so you’re likely to see a better result from this kind of meeting.
While web-based meetings are not for all companies, many more are finding that the web is the way to go.