Key figures for meetings in France
Numerous articles and reports on the subject have highlighted France's bad habits when it comes to company meetings. While managers meet on average 3.5 days a week, meetings are even more frequent in large companies; there is even talk of 'réunionite'.
Even if exchange is essential to ensure good collaboration within teams, companies in France are particularly fond of meetings. There is no shortage of opportunities:
- Daily Stand-up (Agile / Scrum)
- Service meetings
- Brainstorming
- Project reviews
- Training courses
- Trade meetings
- Management meetings or CODIR
- The conferences
- The seminars
- Briefings
- One-to-One
We have looked at the latest key figures to give you a better understanding of the trends in this area.
1. 27 days per year in meetings
The French still spend a lot of time in meetings. According to a survey by IFOP (the French public opinion institute), professionals are increasingly taking part in these meetings, spending an average of 27 days per year (1), based on a 35-hour week. Unfortunately, not all meetings are always productive.
2. A meeting lasts on average 57 minutes
Worldwide, the average meeting lasts 48 minutes. In France, however, this time is 57 minutes, according to a study by Barco (2). This practice can sometimes affect the commitment and productivity of employees.
3. 60% of professionals think that meetings should be shorter.
In everyday life, many meetings can feel like a waste of time. According to the Barco study, 60% of employees think that meetings should be shorter (3). To avoid this feeling and facilitate performance, don't hesitate to reduce the length of meetings.
4. 22 minutes is enough for an effective meeting
According to a survey by Circle Research and Barco, meetings last too long and sometimes become unproductive. According to this study, the duration of a meeting should be limited to 22 minutes (4). It is important to specify the objective of the meeting by sending an "agenda" to employees.
Tip: assigning roles to each person (chairperson, timekeeper, note taker...) can be a good idea to optimise your meetings even more.
Finally, if you need detailed reports on the use of your meeting rooms, so that you can adjust your practices, our Hamilton Meeting solution can help you manage the change.
Source
- (1) IFOP - In 2018, executives will spend more time in meetings than on holiday
- (2) Barco - Five lessons on meeting culture
- (3) Barco - Five lessons on meeting culture
- (4) Barco - Seven tips for more productive meetings