Virtual meetings: Tips for keeping remote workers in the loop

As telecommuting gains favor, managers struggle with keeping everyone on the same page.

That means running effective and efficient virtual meetings.

According to the State of the Remote Job Marketplace report from FlexJobs, 3.9 million U.S. employees—about 3% of the U.S. workforce—work from home at least half the time. Moreover, within the next decade 38 percent of full-time staff will be working remotely.

Here’s how you can overcome geographic boundaries to optimize meetings and achieve team and organization goals:

Plan every aspect.

Beyond informal check-ins, these online gatherings require forethought. In a previous article, Choncé Maddox suggested key steps, including tailoring your format to your audience, focusing on timing and other logistics, and doing a test run to correct any glitches:

In addition, assign key roles, such as a note-taker and timekeeper, rotating these functions among meeting participants.