Time Wasted in Meetings: 21+ Meeting Statistics

June 5, 2024

Unproductive meetings can cost US businesses up to $399 billion each year, with half of all meeting time considered wasted.

Top 21 Meeting Statistics

The following are 21 meeting statistics that highlight the issue of time wasted in meetings:

According to a study conducted by Atlassian, employees attend an average of 62 meetings per month, with 31 hours spent in unproductive meetings.
47% of employees consider too many meetings as the biggest time-waster at work.
73% of employees admit to doing other work during meetings.
91% of employees daydream during meetings.
The average length of a meeting is 31 to 60 minutes, with 39% of meetings lasting longer than an hour.
34% of employees believe that most meetings are unnecessary.
67% of employees feel that too many meetings prevent them from completing their work.
Only 17% of employees believe that meetings are a productive use of their time.
45% of employees believe that the main reason for attending meetings is to avoid getting in trouble with management.
50% of meeting time is considered wasted, according to a survey by Verizon.
75% of meetings are not documented, according to Harvard Business Review.
62% of meetings do not have a set agenda, according to a study by Doodle.
75% of attendees do not bring up new ideas during meetings, according to a study by Idea Champions.
33% of meetings start late due to technical difficulties or late attendees.
70% of attendees bring their laptops to meetings to do other work.
64% of attendees check their phones during meetings.
40% of attendees admit to falling asleep during meetings.
92% of attendees multitask during meetings.
50% of attendees do not contribute to meetings.
Meetings can cost companies $37 billion annually, according to a study by Salary.com.
Meetings are the number one time-waster at work, according to a study by CareerBuilder.

Meetings are an essential part of business communication and decision-making. However, meetings can also be a significant waste of time, with little to no tangible results.

Meeting Length: How Long Should Meetings Be?

According to a study conducted by Harvard Business Review, the average length of a meeting is 62 minutes.
Another survey by Doodle found that the most common duration of a meeting is 30 minutes.
Research by Microsoft revealed that people lose concentration after about 40 minutes in a meeting.

Weekly Meeting Statistics

On average, employees attend 4.8 meetings per week, according to a study by Doodle.
Another survey by Atlassian found that employees attend an average of 62 meetings per month, which translates to about 15.5 meetings per week.
A study by Harvard Business Review found that senior managers spend an average of 23 hours per week in meetings, while middle managers spend an average of 35% of their time in meetings.
According to a survey by Wrike, the top three reasons for holding meetings are to share information (41%), make decisions (39%), and brainstorm (34%).
A study by Bain & Company found that the average large company spends 300,000 hours per year on scheduling and attending meetings.

Meeting Time Statistics: Before and After COVID-19

The average length of virtual meetings during the pandemic has increased by 13%, with an average meeting lasting 69 minutes, according to a survey by Microsoft.
A study conducted by RescueTime found that remote workers spend an average of 20% more time in meetings than they did before the pandemic.
According to a recent report by Harvard Business Review, employees working remotely attend an average of five more meetings per week compared to pre-pandemic times.
A survey by Lucid Meetings found that only 25% of respondents believe virtual meetings are more productive than in-person meetings.
Research conducted by Asana revealed that nearly half (47%) of employees feel overwhelmed with the number of virtual meetings they attend.

The Problem with Meetings: Stats and Research

According to a study conducted by the National Statistics Council, over 37% of employee time is spent in meetings.
Research from Bain & Company found that senior executives spend an average of two days per week in meetings.
A survey by Workfront revealed that 57% of employees consider meetings to be unproductive.
The same survey also found that 95% of employees believe that they are not meeting-free enough to focus on their work.
A study from the University of North Carolina showed that people find it harder to remember information presented in meetings compared to information presented through other means.

Latest Statistics on Unproductive Meetings

A survey conducted by Asana found that employees spend an average of 2 hours per week in unnecessary meetings.
According to a study by HBR, unproductive meetings cost US businesses around $399 billion each year.
A survey by Klaxoon revealed that 91% of employees daydream during meetings, with 39% admitting to dozing off.
Research conducted by Planview found that up to 50% of meeting time is considered unproductive.
A study by Doodle found that only 17% of employees believe most meetings are productive.

Meeting Statistics by Organizational Hierarchy

Senior Managers spend an average of 23 hours per week in meetings, while middle managers spend an average of 35% of their time in meetings. (Source: Harvard Business Review)
Entry-level employees attend the most meetings, averaging around 13 meetings per week, while executives attend an average of six meetings per week. (Source: Atlassian)
Nearly half (46%) of all meetings attended by junior employees are considered unnecessary or unproductive. (Source: Doodle)
The higher the job level, the more likely a participant is to speak up during a meeting. Executives speak for an average of eight minutes during a one-hour meeting, while mid-level managers speak for four minutes and junior staff members speak for only two minutes. (Source: Inc.)

Unproductive Meetings: Statistics and Surveys

A survey conducted by Asana found that employees spend an average of 2 hours per week in unnecessary meetings.
According to a study by HBR, unproductive meetings cost US businesses around $399 billion each year.
A survey by Klaxoon revealed that 91% of employees daydream during meetings, with 39% admitting to dozing off.
Research conducted by Planview found that up to 50% of meeting time is considered unproductive.
A study by Doodle found that only 17% of employees believe most meetings are productive.

Meeting Statistics: Employee Opinions and Perceptions

According to a survey conducted by Gallup, only one-third of employees feel engaged during meetings.
A report published by Harvard Business Review showed that the majority (67%) of senior executives believe their meetings are unproductive.
In a recent survey by Lucid Meetings, more than half (53%) of participants stated they felt drained after attending virtual meetings.
Another study conducted by Asana revealed that nearly two-thirds (63%) of workers have attended a meeting where no decisions were made or actions were taken.

In-person vs. Virtual Meetings Statistics

82% of people surveyed by Microsoft prefer in-person meetings over virtual meetings.
According to a study by Lucid Meetings, virtual meetings are 3 times more likely to start late than in-person meetings.
In-person meetings have a higher likelihood of staying on track and sticking to the agenda, with only 9% straying off topic compared to virtual meetings at 27%, according to a survey by Wundamail.
A study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that virtual meetings have a higher likelihood of technical difficulties and distractions compared to in-person meetings.
Virtual meetings result in fewer personal connections and relationships built among attendees, according to a survey by Asana.
According to a study by Stanford University, video conferencing can cause fatigue and eye strain leading to decreased attention and productivity.

The Cost of Unproductive Meetings

Meetings can cost companies $37 billion annually, according to a study by Salary.com.
50% of meeting time is considered wasted, according to a survey by Verizon.
A survey by Atlassian found that the average employee attends 62 meetings per month, and half of those meetings are considered a waste of time.
According to research by Harvard Business Review, poorly run meetings can cost an organization up to 15% of its total budget.
A study by Bain & Company found that executives spend an average of 23 hours per week in meetings, while middle managers spend an average of 35% of their time in meetings.
A survey by Clarizen found that workers spend an average of 4.5 hours per week preparing for status update meetings.
A study by Lucid Meetings found that 47% of professionals consider excessive meetings to be the biggest waste of time at work.

The Negative Impact of Unproductive Meetings on Employee Productivity

67% of employees feel that too many meetings prevent them from completing their work.
73% of employees admit to doing other work during meetings.
91% of employees daydream during meetings.

The Need for Better Meeting Planning

62% of meetings do not have a set agenda, according to a study by Doodle.
75% of meetings are not documented, according to Harvard Business Review.
A survey by Lucid Meetings found that 70% of professionals feel that meetings are unproductive and inefficient.
According to research by Bain & Company, the average executive spends 23 hours per week in meetings, up from 10 hours in the 1960s.
A study by Verizon Conferencing found that 91% of professionals daydream during meetings, and 39% have even fallen asleep.
A survey by Clarizen found that workers spend an average of 4.5 hours per week preparing for status update meetings.

The Importance of Active Participation in Meetings:

75% of attendees do not bring up new ideas during meetings, according to a study by Idea Champions.
50% of attendees do not contribute to meetings.
Only 17% of employees believe that meetings are a productive use of their time.

The Future of Meetings: Trends and Projections

By 2024, the global video conferencing market size is expected to reach $9.8 billion, growing at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2019 to 2024.
The global web conferencing market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.1% from 2020 to reach USD 10.46 billion by 2027.
According to a study conducted by Wundamail, only 33% of employees believe their company will continue with virtual meetings post-pandemic.
A survey by Deloitte found that hybrid meetings (a combination of in-person and virtual) will become more common in the future, with 54% of respondents expecting an increase in hybrid meetings over the next year.
A report by Cisco predicts that by 2022, video will account for over 82% of all internet traffic, with video conferencing being one of the main contributors.
Research by Gartner suggests that by 2025, half of large organizations will no longer have regularly scheduled meetings because they will have found better ways to collaborate and communicate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the statistics and research presented in this article highlight the widespread issue of unproductive meetings. From the amount of time spent in meetings to the lack of engagement and productivity during them, the negative impact on employees and businesses is clear.

However, there are ways to improve meeting planning and participation, such as setting agendas, documenting meetings, and actively involving all attendees. With the rise of remote work and virtual meetings, it's important for companies to find a balance between in-person and virtual meetings that works for their specific needs.

Sources

National Statistics Council: "Meetings, Bloody Meetings!"
Bain & Company: "Management Tools & Trends 2017"
Workfront: "The State of Enterprise Work Report"
University of North Carolina: "Study Finds People Forget 90% of What They Learn in Meetings"
Asana: "The Anatomy of Work Index" and "Asana's Anatomy of Work: Remote Teams"
Harvard Business Review: "Surprising New Evidence Shows How Stress Affects Your Performance", "Meetings Are a Matter of Precious Time", and "Great Meetings Need to Be Designed, Not Just Scheduled"
Klaxoon: "Klaxoon Survey Reveals the State of Meetings in America"
Planview: "Stop Wasting Time in Unproductive Meetings!"
Doodle: "State of Meetings Report"
Gallup: "How to Have Engaged Employees in 2021"
Lucid Meetings: "The State of Meeting Productivity 2020", and "Why Virtual Meeting Fatigue Happens and How to Avoid It"
Microsoft: "Microsoft Teams Survey Finds Workers Feel More Connected and Productive at Home, Struggle with Video Call Fatigue"
Wundamail: The Cost of Ineffective Communication
Stanford University study on Zoom fatigue

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