U.S. Executives Believe Off-Camera Employees Lack Long-Term Company Future, Poll Suggests

Topline

Some 92% of U.S. executives polled recently believe employees who don’t turn on their cameras during virtual meetings or who are frequently on mute don’t have long-term futures at the company, and 96% of the executives agreed remote workers are disadvantaged compared to those who go into the office.

A woman talks to colleagues on screen in a meeting.

getty

Key Facts

The study, which was commissioned by the Austin, Texas-based software company Vyopta and surveyed 200 executives at companies with 500 or more employees between March 9 and March 17, found that more than 40% of the executives think employees on mute or off-camera are browsing the internet or social media.

But almost half of the surveyed executives said companies weren’t making enough of an effort to engage employees.

Too many meetings are also to blame, according to half of the surveyed executives.

Almost 95% of survey participants said remote workers were less connected and have fewer company engagement opportunities.

Key Background

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, 34% of private-sector companies increased remote work for employees, with 60% saying they expect to make the changes permanent even after the pandemic, according to a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2021. The majority of companies are offering some form of hybrid work in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which surveys suggest many employees prefer. But more than 95%of executives who responded to the Vyopta survey said employees who work primarily remotely are at a disadvantage to in-person employees, having fewer opportunities to engage with coworkers. The survey also comes as companies evaluate how to attract and maintain workforces after months of record-setting quitting known as the “Great Resignation.”

Contra

With unemployment rates at near all-time lows in many states, companies are struggling to retain workers. The number of employees leaving their jobs reached an all-time high in November 2021 at 4.5 million, and has remained steadily high in the months following, with more than 4 million workers quitting on average over the past six months, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Topline

Key Facts

Key Background

Contra

Further Reading