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True Causes of Employee Burnout | Wood Personnel Services

Zoom Fatigue is Meeting Fatigue…on Steroids

Despite the pandemic and many of us working remotely, meetings still needed to happen. Getting “together” to discuss upcoming projects or team initiatives often happened on platforms such as Zoom, where everyone on the call interacted by video. However, just like meeting fatigue where employees feel drained from too many meetings, Zoom fatigue is also a real thing. And it’s just a little bit worse since video conferencing calls can be even more draining, as explained by one of the leading staffing firms in Nashville.

Why Does Video Conferencing Cause Fatigue?

So why exactly do employees get so tired out from video calls like Zoom? It’s often because of the following:

  • Zoom calls restrict natural movement. If you’re in person at a meeting, you can shift in your seat, move your head, stand if you need to stretch, and even get up. During a Zoom call, you’re being observed through a small window. To be seen well, you need to maintain the same position and angle, and this restriction of movement is awkward and quite tiring.
  • Close-up eye contact is exhausting. The way the video screen presents everyone’s faces close-up is both unnatural and incredibly straining for our eyes. The fact that everyone is looking at everyone else for a solid 30-60 minutes (or longer) creates the feeling you’re being stared at, which can also be exhausting. It makes you self-conscious of the expression on your face, your mannerisms, and how your body language is being interpreted through a computer screen.
  • It’s tiring to constantly look at yourself. If you were forced to watch yourself in a mirror during every meeting, you would probably feel uncomfortable after a while. You might start to get self-conscious and judge yourself and come away from the meeting feeling negative. Plus, it’s just distracting. This is another reason why Zoom calls have a tendency to tire people out after too long.

What Employers Can Do

The short answer is this: hold fewer video calls. Conferencing platforms, such as WebEx, are fine as long as you allow attendees to turn their cameras off and breathe a bit. Try to limit meetings to only what’s necessary to discuss, and avoid holding a meeting for something that could just as easily be accomplished with an email. Invite only those who are required to attend and give others a break.

Need Additional Guidance?

As the world continues to adjust to our “new normal,” everyone (employers included) are simply trying to figure it all out. From Zoom calls to staffing, you may find you need guidance here and there. And if you’re in search of new employees, Wood Personnel can help. To learn more about our available staffing services, contact us today!

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