New Delhi, June 24: As hybrid work continues to be a reality across Indian businesses, a new study from Jabra reveals that poor meeting experiences may be creating a significant but often overlooked productivity challenge.
The research found that 90% of Indian employees experience some level of meeting dread, while workers spend an average of 8.8 hours in meetings every week, among the highest across the markets surveyed. At the same time, ineffective meetings, technology disruptions, and unclear outcomes continue to impact employee experience, decision-making, and business productivity.
The study, which surveyed more than 2,300 knowledge workers globally, found that poor meeting experiences continue to impact productivity, decision-making, and collaboration outcomes.
Key findings
- Indian employees spend an average of 8.8 hours per week in meetings, among the highest globally
- 90% of Indian workers experience some level of meeting dread
- 58% of meeting time is perceived as unnecessary, representing a significant productivity drain
- 75% of hybrid meetings experience at least one technology issue, impacting collaboration and productivity
- 66% of employees leave meetings without clear action items, while 59% require follow-up meetings to clarify decisions
- Approximately 7 in 10 meetings experience situations where participants cannot be clearly seen or heard
Commenting on the findings, Peter Jayaseelan, Regional Vice President, APAC South, Jabra, said: “”India has become one of the world’s most collaboration-intensive business environments. Yet our research shows that many employees are spending a significant portion of their workweek in meetings that fail to deliver clear outcomes.
As organizations accelerate investments in digital transformation and AI, the quality of collaboration is becoming a business-critical issue. Poor audio, technology disruptions, and ineffective meeting experiences don’t just affect employees in the moment. They create downstream costs through lost productivity, additional work, and slower decision-making.”
The findings come at a time when organizations are increasingly looking to AI-powered tools to improve workplace productivity. However, the research suggests that AI alone cannot address the underlying challenges of poor meeting experiences.
While three-quarters of employees have experimented with AI meeting tools, fewer than one-third use them regularly. The study indicates that clear audio, reliable video, and inclusive collaboration remain essential for generating accurate outputs and meaningful outcomes.
As India’s enterprise ecosystem continues to expand, the findings point to a growing need for organizations to rethink how meetings are designed, managed, and supported. In an increasingly digital and AI-enabled workplace, collaboration quality is emerging as a key driver of productivity, employee experience, and business performance.