45 Meeting Statistics and Behavior Trends

Managers now spend almost half of their workweek in meetings, but meetings continue to be costly; unproductive meetings cost businesses in the United States upwards of $375B a year. While this sum may seem astronomical, it’s not unrealistic. According to a Bloomberg article, unnecessary or ineffective meetings waste $25,000 annually per employee—adding up to $101 million a year for organizations with 5,000 or more employees. Keep reading as we learn more about the current meeting landscape across America while diving into some of the most jaw-dropping statistics on meetings. 

• Meeting behavior trends: Fellow study
• General statistics on meetings

Meeting behavior trends: Fellow study

• How much time are managers spending in meetings?
• How much time are non-managers spending in meetings?
• What’s the average cost for a manager to attend meetings?
• What percentage of meetings have more than eight attendees?
• What percentage of meetings have no end date?

1How much time are managers spending in meetings?

There’s no denying that meetings are a necessity, especially in an ever-changing work landscape that continues to embrace both hybrid and remote work models. Despite the importance of meetings, many people fail to recognize just how much time managers are spending in meetings, which can cost your organization tens of thousands of dollars per year. Research by Fellow shows that 40% of managers have more than 15 hours of meetings a week, meaning almost 40% of their time is spent in meetings. In 2020, this was only 25%. Not only do these staggering meeting statistics pose a threat to your bottom line, but there can be additional consequences to them—like poor performance, burnout, meeting fatigue, and more. 

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2How much time are non-managers spending in meetings?

Many people think that meetings are largely attended by management, but this isn’t always the case. Research by Fellow suggests that in 2023, 12% of employees in non-management positions spend more than 15 hours a week in meetings; in 2019, this number was just 9%. This not only means that your organization is losing tens of thousands of dollars from year to year in costly meetings, but it also means your workforce may not have the time necessary to focus on deep work or recharge. To mitigate these risks, it’s important to reduce the number of meetings you’re facilitating while creating a culture that prioritizes intentional meetings. 

3What’s the average cost for a manager to attend meetings?

Chances are that you aren’t aware of just how much your meetings cost. Research by Fellow states that it costs organizations $18,000 US per year for managers to attend meetings, which is a staggering $10,000 more than it was in 2019. To combat these rising costs, it’s important to use a Meeting Cost Calculator to understand just how much it costs your organization to bring your team together. From there, you can reduce your meeting frequency and the number of meetings you’re hosting and make more intentional decisions that lead to fewer, more effective meetings. 

4What percentage of meetings have more than eight attendees?

Many people hosting meetings fail to be meticulous with their guest list. Instead, they end up inviting employee after employee and before long, there are more than eight people in attendance in several meetings.

The more people that attend your meeting, the more it costs your organization. Research shows that 24.4% of all meetings have eight or more people in attendance; eight meeting attendees making an average of $70,000 per year that meet twice per week for one hour would cost your organization a whopping $28,000! Check out our Meeting Cost Calculator to learn exactly how much it costs to host meetings with more than eight attendees at your organization. 

5What percentage of meetings have no end date?

If you’re responsible for facilitating a number of meetings or recurring meetings, it’s likely that you’ve failed to schedule an end date. Instead, these meetings live on your team members’ calendars for months on end, taking up time week after week whether the meeting continues to be necessary or not. Fellow found that 92.4% of all meetings don’t have an end date, leading to many drawbacks including reduced productivity, disengagement, burnout, meeting overload, inefficient meetings, and difficulty planning. 

General statistics on meetings

• Up to 36.2 million US employees will work remotely by 2025.
• 71% of senior executives say meetings are unproductive and inefficient.
• 47% of professionals stated that Monday is the worst day to host a meeting.
• 35% of employees say fewer people in attendance equates to more successful meetings. 
• 72% of professionals say that having clear objectives is the key to hosting effective meetings. 
• Employees reported their work-life balance satisfaction rose from 62% to 92% when meetings were improved.
• 67% of professionals state that having a clear meeting agenda is the most important element when hosting effective meetings. 

Source

• Only 37% of workplace meetings actively use meeting agendas. 
• 82.9% of professionals believe that not all video meetings require video.
• 58% of introverts experience Zoom fatigue compared to 40% of extroverts.
• 83.13% of employees spend up to one third of their workweek in meetings.
• 55% of remote employees think that a majority of meetings could have been an email. 
• 54% of professionals believe they attend more meetings than they did before the pandemic.

Source

• 47% of professionals prefer in-person meetings.
• 55% of employees multitask while attending meetings.
• 58% of employees report that their meetings last over 30 minutes. 
• 21% of professionals take Zoom meetings while walking or jogging.
• 15% of remote workers perform house chores during online meetings.
• 42% of Zoom users say they’ve attended a virtual meeting from their beds.
• 45% of employees feel overwhelmed by the number of meetings they attend.
• The average executive manager spends at least 12 hours in meetings per week. 
• 35% of employees state that two to five hours spent on meetings each week are not beneficial. 
• 65% of employees state that meetings prevent them from completing their own work.
• Since the start of COVID-19, 50% of employees have had at least one to three hours of virtual meetings per week.

Source

• 31 hours are spent on unproductive meetings monthly. 
• 47% of professionals complain that meetings waste their time the most at work. 
• 45% of professionals feel overwhelmed by the number of meetings they attend. 
• 71% of professionals waste time every week due to unnecessary or cancelled meetings. 
• The average professional spends an hour and 9 minutes simply preparing for each meeting.
• 40% of professionals waste up to 30 minutes just searching for a collaborative space for meetings.

Source

• 64% of senior managers state meetings come at the expense of deep thinking. 
• 65% of senior managers state meetings keep them from completing their own work. 
• 62% of senior managers state meetings miss opportunities to bring the team closer together. 
• Only 17% of senior leaders report that meetings are productive uses of group and individual time. 

Source

• 65% of employees say that meetings are an escape from their own work.
• 39% of meeting attendees admitted to dozing off in the middle of a meeting.
• 15% of remote workers do house chores while participating in Zoom meetings.
• 54% of professionals spend more than 30 minutes in each meeting they attend daily. 
• In the coming 3 years, virtual meetings will become 50% of overall virtual events. 
• 37% of workers believe that unproductive meetings are the biggest expense for their company.
• Meetings take up about 35% of the time for middle management staff and 50% of the time for higher management.
• 50% of employees have participated in at least one to three hours of Zoom meetings each week since COVID-19 began.

Source

Have these meeting statistics inspired you to spark positive change? 

The numbers are staggering, with most meeting statistics pointing towards the inefficiencies of meetings. While the majority of meetings being held lack direction, clarity, and productivity, they remain a necessity. So, what’s the solution? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but it is apparent that change is long overdue. To rewrite the narrative, it’s time to rethink how you plan, facilitate, and attend meetings. Meeting statistics suggest that hosting shorter meetings with fewer participants is a great place to start. Based on a recent study, 550 leaders report their meetings are 16% shorter with Fellow, which equates to a total savings of $7,000 per year per manager. According to Fellow’s 2022 survey, 87% of managers surveyed stated that Fellow makes it easier to reference and track decisions, which leads to more efficient meetings. Learn more about how to cut company costs and improve meeting productivity with Fellow.