The pandemic has shifted us all into new methods of working. Non-essential employees have proven to be just as if not more effective at home. However, as we move out of the “new normal” of remote working many organisations are asking how will we move forward?

One of these options is hybrid working. If you opt for this method, the bigger question becomes how will you operate important meetings. Will you keep meetings remote, require everyone to come in for important meetings or choose the hybrid method?

How do you know which method is the right fit? We have come up with a list of issues you should consider when picking the meeting model for your organisation.

1) Size of Meeting:

When it comes to hybrid meetings, the main consideration is the number of people in the meeting. It’s important that in a discussion all voices can be heard and are given the same weight.

Consider if you have 10 people in a meeting, and 8 of those are face-to-facen-person and 2 are remote working. The 8 will likely have discussions amongst themselves that the 2 are not privy to. However if said 8 are remote and the 2 are in-person, potentially even sharing a computer, then the discussion is likely to be more evenly divided.

When tackling a larger group of people, you may consider having a meeting leader. This would allow you to regulate the conversation and ensure every team member is heard equally.

2) The Nature of The Meeting:

Depending on whether your meeting is formal or informal may also impact your decisions to have a hybrid meeting. As we have mentioned, discussions can be trickier to have in a hybrid fashion but a traditional meeting with presentations and speakers may be simpler.

If you opt for a formal, traditional meeting, then a hybrid meeting can be made easier by the digital tools you invest in. The pandemic has sped up innovation and increased demand for pre-existing useful software such as Board Portals

An informal team meeting may be trickier but it is possible with the right conditions. One of the solutions is to have everyone on screen as if it were a remote meeting but use a shared speaker and microphone for those in the room together. It is important for everyone to be on camera as well. 

3) Technological Abilities: 

Consider what technology your organisation can afford to invest in. If you are considering going full hybrid, look into what advancements there have been in recent years, especially in relation to conference cameras. 

It may also be worth investing in software to improve your meeting practices. Planning meetings within a hybrid working model can be tricky, investing in a beginning-to-end meeting solution would be wise. 

How Convene Can Help You With Hybrid Meetings:

With a Board Portal like Convene you can be assured that no matter what, you will have a productive meeting. Whether you opt for remote, hybrid, or in-person meetings, our features are designed to streamline your meeting processes from start to finish:

  • An Agenda Builder to save precious time and energy in meeting preparation.
  • A Document Library with granular access controls and role-based access to ensure your sensitive documents are protected.
  • A built-in Audit Trail, so you can be sure you are compliant with all regulations.
  • Surveys, with the option for anonymity, so you can be sure you are aware of your employees' opinions.
  • Accessibility Features, including text-to-voice, which makes us the leading accessible Board Portal.
  • Fully-GDPR compliant security with AES 256-bit encryption and CMMI Level 5 accreditation to support your governance processes.

Convene is now offered fully integrated with Microsoft Teams, remote and hybrid meetings have never been simpler for your whole organisation. You can even follow along with the page of the speaker or view the Board Pack at your own pace all on one device! 


If you would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us or book your free trial now.

Gabriella Mangham

Written by Gabriella Mangham

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