AltoPartners: The Great Debate – to turn on webcams or not?

There are clear advantages to keeping cameras on during meetings, such as increased human connection, easier to determine non-verbal cues, and it is clearer to observe staff well being. However, there are downsides that come with having your camera on too much.

A lot of people start to focus on their own face when in a meeting with their camera on. They become focused on how they look and over-analyze their expressions. This can cause employees to be less involved with the content of the meeting, which leads to less engagement and employees are less likely to express their ideas.

AltoPartners outlines some things leaders can do to decrease this zoom fatigue:

• Keep your camera on
• Mix it up
• Get technical 
• Remember that webcams distort the way people look