Meetings are the new ‘watercooler’ at work, report finds

“Meetings have become the watercooler in many organisations today,” Sean D’Arcy, chief solutions officer at Kahoot!, told HRD.

It comes despite the availability of many digital communication tools at work, according to D’Arcy.

“In fact, more than half of employees admit to messaging coworkers while in the same room, instead of walking over to talk to them face-to-face,” he added.

The good news, according to D’Arcy, is that meetings can still be designed to facilitate the spontaneous and informal connections that coworkers share in the workplace.

“Supported by digital tools, any team member can host a meeting that is interactive by default, with activities such as brainstorms, polls, Q&As, knowledge challenges, and other icebreakers,” he said.