65.4% Felt a "Lack of Satisfaction" in Face-to-Face Meetings

"Is this just our company?" "Are other companies doing something creative?"

Learning about the situations at other companies can reveal areas for improvement in your own.

In this series, we conduct web surveys on familiar themes related to "workplace comfort" and report on the results.

This time's theme is...

[65.4% Felt a "Lack of Satisfaction" in Face-to-Face Meetings]

We will consider the current reality of face-to-face meetings after the COVID-19 pandemic.

With remote work becoming established and work style options expanding, opportunities for face-to-face gatherings are now emphasized in many offices.

However, have you had experiences like this?

"Even though we gathered, the discussion didn't pick up." "Even after the meeting, I didn't feel like we had thought things through together."

It's often assumed that communication naturally becomes more active when people gather face-to-face, but the reality seems to be not that simple.

This time, we surveyed 500 office workers about the reality of face-to-face meetings.

◆Article page here (Plus Furniture Company Official Website)

https://kagu.plus.co.jp/4090/

[Survey Results Summary]

In face-to-face meetings, approximately 65% experienced some form of "lack of satisfaction," indicating that simply gathering does not lead to sufficient communication.

Factors contributing to this lack of satisfaction included operational challenges such as "unclear objectives," while factors that could be improved through spatial design, such as "difficult atmosphere for speaking," "seating arrangements that make monitors hard to see," and "positions that make it difficult to see faces," accounted for over half of the responses.

Even when the same members gather, ease of conversation varies greatly depending on the meeting room layout, including factors like enclosure, seating orientation, and distance between participants. To improve the quality of face-to-face meetings, it seems important to consider not only operational improvements but also a review of the space itself.

[Survey Implementation Information]

Method: Internet survey

Collection Date: July 15, 2025

Target: Business workers aged 20-65, employed in companies with 30 or more employees, engaged in desk work, nationwide.

Sample Size: 500 people

Q1. What happens in face-to-face meetings?

First, when asked about their feelings during face-to-face meetings, responses included "I feel like other participants are doing other work," "I worry if they are listening to what I say," and "I feel it's no different from a web meeting."

Furthermore, only 34.6% responded "I didn't feel anything in particular," indicating that approximately 65% have experienced some form of "lack of satisfaction."

Even when gathered in the same space, if it's difficult to see others' reactions or if there's no sense of shared discussion, the very meaning of gathering face-to-face diminishes.

Even if the location returns to face-to-face, the quality of communication doesn't automatically return.

So, where does this "lack of satisfaction" stem from?

Next, we asked those who felt some form of "lack of satisfaction" in Q2 about the contributing factors.

Q2. Why do you feel "lack of satisfaction" in meetings?

So, what are the causes? When asked about the factors for those who felt "lack of satisfaction" in Q2, the two most influential were "unclear agenda or objectives" (67%) and "formal atmosphere that makes it difficult to speak" (66%).

Additionally, factors that can be improved through spatial design, such as "seating arrangements that make monitors hard to see" (57%) and "positions that make it difficult to see faces" (58%), accounted for over half of the responses.

It is evident that not only operational challenges like "unclear agenda or objectives" but also factors related to the space, such as a difficult atmosphere for speaking and difficulty seeing monitors or faces due to seating arrangements, affect the quality of face-to-face meetings. Incorporating layouts that allow for easy adjustment of seating arrangements according to the purpose, not just formal meeting rooms, could be a clue to improving meeting quality.

In recent years, offices that provide casual conversation spaces using sofas and stools have been spreading. With the increase in new types of meeting layouts, why not re-examine the "choice of location" in your company's office?

Summary

Face-to-face communication is influenced not only by "who you talk to" but also by "in what kind of space you talk." In a previous survey (16th), approximately 40% responded that they had experienced difficulty speaking due to an "uncomfortable meeting space." Many also voiced concerns like "I don't want others to overhear" and "It feels oppressive," showing that even for the same discussion, ease of conversation varies greatly depending on the sense of enclosure, seating orientation, and distance from others.

In this survey, factors contributing to the "lack of satisfaction" in face-to-face meetings included operational challenges like "unclear agenda or objectives," as well as factors related to space such as "formal atmosphere that makes it difficult to speak," "positions that make it difficult to see faces," and "seating arrangements that make monitors hard to see," which accounted for over half of the responses.

Even if the location returns to face-to-face, the usage of meeting spaces does not automatically become optimized. Especially now that remote work is established, re-examining the layout and seating arrangements of meeting spaces to suit the purpose can lead to increased value of face-to-face gatherings.

▶ [Workplace Comfort Web Survey] 16th "What is the Ideal Layout in This Situation?"

◆Article page here (Plus Corporation Furniture Company Official Website)

About Plus Corporation Furniture Company

Plus Corporation Furniture Company manufactures and sells office furniture and office interior products, and designs spaces for offices, hotels, residences, and medical, welfare, and educational facilities.

At our own office, "PLUS DESIGN CROSS," located in Yebisu Garden Place, Tokyo, we offer tours where you can see employees actually working and the ingenuity put into office design (reservations required). For details, please visit our website. https://kagu.plus.co.jp/designcross/

[Regarding Citation of Survey Results]

You are welcome to quote in your company's publications or internal documents, etc., by clearly stating "Quoted from Plus 'Workplace Comfort Web Survey.'"