Zoom Thinks You Should Always Turn Your Camera On During Meetings—Here’s Why

Thea Felicity, Tech Times 17 December 2021, 12:12 pm

Zoom advises everyone to turn their camera on, especially during business meetings, citing it as 'beneficial.'

Since the pandemic forced schools and businesses to shift into virtual meetings, Zoom's popularity came into view.

However, not everyone is fond of turning their camera on during Zoom meetings.

Earlier this year, a study reported that 'Zoom fatigue' occurs because most people turn their cameras on.

Despite its counterintuitive nature, researchers from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management found that turning off your camera can result in more productive meetings during a recent experiment.

According to the study's authors, removing video allowed people to stop paying attention to their own faces and instead concentrate on meeting content.

Since then, Zoom users have preferred not to open their cameras to avoid experiencing Zoom fatigue.

Also Read: Zoom Fatigue: A Real Sickness That You Must Acknowledge; Science Proves Its Existence | Tech Times

Zoom Says You Should Turn Your Camera On

Zoom disagrees, though. Their response answered the question; will turning your camera on be beneficial during business meetings?

Here's where Zoom says yes.

The videoconferencing giant recently surveyed US workers and found that keeping the camera on during Zoom meetings benefits not only employees but also teams and businesses as a whole.

Zoom's analysis of the effects of keeping the camera on found that 84 percent of managers had a greater level of confidence in their hiring decisions if the candidate kept the camera on throughout the interview.

The report found that people felt more connected to the tasks they were assigned when cameras were on; they could work more broadly, while their managers felt that their direct reports were more engaged.

Furthermore, individual workers stand to gain, but the entire team does too, including perhaps the most obvious improvement-better teamwork and collaboration.

Approximately seven out of ten (79%) of those surveyed believe that their colleagues pay more attention when the video is on, and three in four say the quality of their conversations improves.

Then, more than half (59%) are confident that their team-building efforts worked, which in return assures that teams are always on better terms to work every day.

Should there be a 'Camera on' Mandate?

Zoom's research shows that businesses can benefit from video conferencing, too. It creates more trust with current and potential clients, making conversions more likely.

Also, over two-thirds (61%) of professionals say turning their camera on helps them perform better even in a remote setup with several distractions.

In spite of the fact that almost all respondents agreed that video calls bring numerous benefits, only a small minority thought they should be mandatory. Zoom seems to agree with it as well, as the report concludes that "not every interaction should be video".

Natalie Ackerman, EVP talent and inclusion at brand experience agency Jack Morton Worldwide said in a statement, "Initially it was nice to see everyone's faces but we realized that working remotely and dealing with the stress of Covid-19 was hard enough."

In the end, no matter whether participants have their cameras on or off, the meeting host and facilitator are responsible for making sure everyone gets included during a video meeting.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Thea Felicity