How To Make Hybrid Meetings Inclusive

In-person meetings have been a cornerstone of corporate culture for decades. But recently, many organisations are combining remote working with these. This ensures that office spaces are used efficiently, and employees can work conveniently both at the office and remotely.

Hybrid meetings are a mix of remote and in-person attendees, often including people from the exact location and those attending from different parts of the world. Hybrid meetings present challenges regarding ensuring an inclusive environment; luckily, you can take some simple steps to make your hybrid meetings inclusive. 

Here are some of them: 

Provide Notice Of Meeting Time And Purpose

Proper communication is an essential part of any hybrid team meeting. All team members should know the meeting’s time, agenda, and purpose. This will also give remote attendees enough time to find an appropriate space to join. The notice is essential in creating a calm meeting environment as people will only look for the resources they need to attend or ask for details about the meeting once they do so. 

If everyone knows the purpose of the meeting beforehand, they’ll be more prepared and willing to participate in discussions. Additionally, create an agenda and share it before the meeting to ensure everyone is aware of the topics discussed during the meeting. For example, they can ask questions about the agenda and offer their insights beforehand, ensuring everyone participates in the discussion. 

Create A Welcoming Environment

Both remote and in-person participants should have a sense of belonging during hybrid meetings. To do this, create an atmosphere where everyone can express themselves freely.

For instance, introduce yourself or any new people joining the meeting so that everyone knows one another. You can also encourage people to contribute their ideas or opinions, no matter how small these may seem. 

Encourage engagement and appreciation for different views between both remote and in-person participants. If someone shares an idea or opinion that’s not appreciated by others, respond respectfully and encourage respectful dialogue so that everyone feels heard. 

Be Mindful Of Time Differences

If your team includes members from different time zones, be mindful of this and adjust the meeting time accordingly. This will give remote participants ample time to join the meeting without staying late or waking up early. You can also take a few moments at the start of the meeting to check if everyone is present and accounted for. 

When setting the time for the meeting, it’s good to ask every member, especially those in a different time zone, about the perfect time for the meeting. It’ll help you avoid setting up the meeting too early when some people are still sleeping or too late when some would have gone to bed. You can also have different teams organise their meetings at different times, so everyone is comfortable and can focus on the meeting. 

Provide The Right Resources

Hybrid meetings require many resources to ensure that everyone can join and stay connected throughout the meeting. Provide remote participants with the necessary resources to participate in the meeting. These may include the right technology, such as a laptop, webcam, microphone, and teleconferencing software. 

You can also provide participants with resources that help facilitate conversation, like a shared document or whiteboard for brainstorming.  

Enable Chat Functionality

Chat functionality is essential during hybrid meetings as it helps keep the conversation flowing. This can be done through a dedicated chat platform or a chat box within the video conferencing software.

The chat feature allows remote participants to ask questions and engage in discussions without interrupting the flow of conversations. It also allows the facilitator to monitor conversations and ensure everyone is equally able to contribute. 

The chat feature can also share links, documents, or other resources during meetings. This way, everyone can access the same information and stay connected throughout the meeting. 

Have Q&A Sessions

Hybrid meetings can be challenging to manage if too many people are involved. To give everyone a chance to speak up, you can organize Q&A sessions during the meeting. This will encourage participants to ask questions and engage in the discussion. 

These Q&A sessions also allow the facilitator to monitor the flow of conversations and ensure that no one dominates the discussion. This way, everyone can participate in the meeting without feeling excluded. However, the Q&A sessions should be controlled such that they don’t divert from the purpose of the meeting. 

Have A Meeting Facilitator

The meeting facilitator is responsible for making sure everyone stays on track during the meeting. They should also ensure that all ideas or opinions are heard and respected. If there are disagreements, the facilitator can guide the discussion respectfully so that everyone’s opinion is considered. 

The facilitator also ensures that everyone is introduced before the meeting starts and that the meeting’s purposes, agenda, and rules are explained and maintained. This way, everyone knows what to expect during the meeting and can be ready to contribute when needed.

Control Camera Sessions

Camera sessions should be controlled during hybrid meetings to ensure that everyone is comfortable and focused on the meeting. Enable a button for all participants to turn off their cameras when they’re not speaking or need privacy. Additionally, having a designated speaker who will be the only person to speak at a given time would be beneficial. This will help keep everyone on track and minimise distractions. 

Controlling camera sessions also helps to reduce camera fatigue. This is when participants become tired of seeing themselves and others on camera, leading to a sense of disconnection. Therefore, have periods when people can turn on their cameras. For example, it could be at the beginning of the sessions, when they’re talking, and at the end of the meeting. 

Conclusion

Hybrid meetings can be an effective way to bring people together in a virtual environment. To have everyone included and able to participate, provide the right technology and resources, have a meeting facilitator, enable chat functionality, hold Q&A and control camera sessions. Hybrid meetings can be an inclusive and productive communication method with the right strategies.

Kelly Nichols works in the HR department of a big company listed in the Fortune 500. She likes sharing workplace hacks by writing guest posts and blog articles. Her hobbies include museum hopping and cheese tasting.