Remote meetings were a lifesaver in 2020 as many businesses were abruptly thrust into a work-from-home environment. And no one platform got more attention than Zoom.
Along with it, Zoom hazards frequently became viral punchlines. Whether it involved children, pets or wardrobe malfunctions, the Internet seemed to have an endless appetite for a good virtual snafu.
But it seems these types of events have been more than just anecdotal. A recent survey, published by Bloomberg, contends that 1 in 4 executives at large companies have had to fire someone over a Zoom call slip-up.
According to the report, which cited a survey commissioned by workplace collaboration firm Vyopta Inc., Zoom calls went from 10 million per day at the close of 2019 to 300 million per day in April of 2020.
With this massive spike came a bit of a learning curve, and according to the managers surveyed, not everyone was competent when it came to the virtual meeting platforms. While it was the more dramatic incidents that made national news, even humdrum gaffes could impact business and the survey cites blunders such as being late, not knowing when to mute, or inadvertently revealing proprietary information. The report says these miscues can result in lost business and missed opportunities.
The survey results also revealed that bosses don’t completely trust a third of their workforce to be effective in a work-from-home setting. Perhaps this is why McKinsey reported last year that many companies want the happy medium of a hybrid virtual model post-pandemic, where remote work is mixed with time in the office.
