Let’s not sugarcoat it: 2020 was a hard year for many businesses and their employees.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, companies of all sizes had to clear many unexpected hurdles: temporarily shutting down offices to keep employees healthy, requiring employees to work from home, finding new ways to communicate with in-person options off the table, trying to keep morale and productivity high – the list could go on and on.

One of the most striking changes for businesses to accept last year, though, was realizing exactly how much business had to occur virtually. Many businesses understandably chose to incorporate more video conferencing and virtual meeting options that use video into their daily routines.

However, all those video calls and meetings may be backfiring. There are some indications that video burnout may be affecting employee performance and productivity.

So, it may be time for companies and organizations to adapt one more time and provide a solution to this burnout: audio conference calls.

Video burnout, or video fatigue, is a real problem

As COVID-19 forced lockdowns, quarantines and voluntary remote work-from-home situations for many, video conferencing solutions were a welcome solution. They offered the closest thing possible to in-person meetings.

Some of the benefits were the same, such as seeing visual cues and being able to identify with emotions among coworkers.

But now, some users of these video call services are starting to grow tired of these meetings, which for many can fill out entire days, even weeks.

This video burnout, referred to by some psychologists as video fatigue, is starting to present itself as a very real problem for businesses.

How video fatigue affects employees

Video fatigue, these psychologists argue, could be caused by a number of reasons, primarily participants’ “excessive self-awareness” when on video and the fact that they are scheduling too many meetings in the first place.

People who must appear on video conference calls or meetings must be mentally prepared and often must convey emotions that may not be entirely authentic. It’s easy to see how this can become exhausting, especially when it must happen day after day.

Now, it’s true that there are some benefits of seeing colleagues on screen, but many businesses are having to deal with the downsides of these virtual meetings. They are beginning to realize that video is still not a replacement for in-person meetings.

Solve video fatigue with more audio conference calls

If a business or organization and its employees are struggling with video burnout, then there is one simple, straightforward solution that may ease the tension and allow for a more relaxed experience: audio-only conference calls.

It should come as no surprise why some users actually prefer audio conferencing over video. For one, they do not have to look at themselves on-screen and wonder how their coworkers and colleagues may view them through the camera lens.

Without video, there are also fewer distractions on-screen that could lead to a slower or less productive conference call.

Audio is just a simpler experience and does not require as much of that emotional performance that psychologists have said has contributed to fatigue when it comes to video meetings.

Audio conferencing is more flexible for many work-from-home employees

Audio conferencing can also address another one of the struggles that have hamstrung many people who have had to work from home recently – the problem of finding a suitable place to join the call.

Take, for example, spouses who are both working from home. There may not be a suitable location in some homes where both people can easily join video conferences and also ensure there is enough privacy and no distractions. Consider parents working from homes with kids also at home and the problem only becomes worse.

However, audio conferencing solutions are better at addressing this problem. With audio, nobody has to worry about visual distractions appearing on the screen. They must only find a quiet location from which to call in and participate in the meeting, something that is much easier to do.

Other reasons why audio conferencing is better than video

There are other reasons why businesses and organizations would do well to introduce more audio-only meetings and conference calls into their employees’ schedules.

Audio is simpler and more intuitive than video

Many companies will find that audio calls are simpler to set up and train employees on how to use. It’s also more suited for quick check-ins and can promote more efficient conference calls.

But consider for a moment how much time it often takes to teach employees how to use a new video conferencing service and compare that to the simple dial-in options that many audio-only services feature.

Audio quality is better, more stable

With video conferences, audio quality is dependent on an internet connection. If an internet connection from any participants’ device becomes unstable, then often not only will the video quality suffer, but the audio quality will be decreased, too.

Many audio conferencing services, including Conference Town, are not reliant on an internet connection. They connect users with reliable, digital lines that offer HD quality audio for all participants.

This makes participants’ voices easier to understand. It’s also easier to identify who is talking because you can differentiate speakers.

Some video conference call services have security issues

Security is also a concern with some video conference call services. In the past few months, many businesses have discovered the need to better secure their video conferences because of unwanted drop-ins by people seeking to harass participants and disrupt calls.

With audio-only calls that rely on digital lines, you get a much more secure connection that is easier to keep private among only people you invite to join the call.

Host better conference calls with Conference Town

Start hosting a simpler, more efficient audio conference call with Conference Town, the best free conferencing service available.

Conference Town offers a wide variety of features that other services make you pay for. However, with Conference Town, every call is always free.

Enjoy a better conference call experience by signing up for free or starting an instant conference call now.