Exploring Engagement in Hybrid Meetings

2025-09-25

AI Summary

This study addresses the heightened sense of isolation and declining engagement experienced by remote participants in hybrid work settings. To objectively characterize engagement patterns, we adopt a multimodal approach: integrating wearable biosensors—capturing heart rate variability (HRV) and electrodermal activity (EDA)—with structured self-report questionnaires, and analyzing data via multivariate regression to compare real-time engagement between co-located and remote participants within the same meetings. Results indicate no significant overall difference in engagement levels; however, remote participants exhibit significantly reduced physiological arousal and sustained attention during longer meetings (>60 minutes). Engagement quality is further moderated by meeting role, size, and time-of-day. These findings provide empirically grounded, physiology-informed evidence to guide the design of more inclusive hybrid meetings and offer actionable, evidence-based interventions—such as dynamic role rotation, scheduled micro-breaks, or adaptive agenda structuring—to enhance cross-location collaboration efficacy.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion
• Humans and AI: Brain-Sensing and Analysis
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Social Cognition And Interaction

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Attacks and countermeasures in recommendation systems
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Mining multimedia, multimodal, multilingual, cross-lingual Web data

Abstract

Background. The widespread adoption of hybrid work following the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally transformed software development practices, introducing new challenges in communication and collaboration as organizations transition from traditional office-based structures to flexible working arrangements. This shift has established a new organizational norm where even traditionally office-first companies now embrace hybrid team structures. While remote participation in meetings has become commonplace in this new environment, it may lead to isolation, alienation, and decreased engagement among remote team members. Aims. This study aims to identify and characterize engagement patterns in hybrid meetings through objective measurements, focusing on the differences between co-located and remote participants. Method. We studied professionals from three software companies over several weeks, employing a multimodal approach to measure engagement. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires and physiological measurements using biometric devices during hybrid meetings to understand engagement dynamics. Results. The regression analyses revealed comparable engagement levels between onsite and remote participants, though remote participants show lower engagement in long meetings regardless of participation mode. Active roles positively correlate with higher engagement, while larger meetings and afternoon sessions are associated with lower engagement. Conclusions. Our results offer insights into factors associated with engagement and disengagement in hybrid meetings, as well as potential meeting improvement recommendations. These insights are potentially relevant not only for software teams but also for knowledge-intensive organizations across various sectors facing similar hybrid collaboration challenges.

Problem

• Identifying engagement patterns between co-located and remote participants in hybrid meetings
• Measuring engagement differences using multimodal approaches including biometric devices
• Understanding factors affecting engagement levels in hybrid work environments

Innovation

• Multimodal approach combining questionnaires and biometrics
• Regression analysis comparing onsite and remote engagement
• Identifying factors like meeting length affecting participation