Manchester office workers divided over best environment for meetings, finds survey

Office workers in Manchester prefer shorter meetings with only a handful of attendees, according to a new survey, although opinions on the best setting are more divided.

Data commissioned by office space company Workplace found that eight out of ten office-based employees in the city think meetings should be kept under 20 minutes, with discussions going off topic highlighted as a particular annoyance.

Further, 68% of the survey’s respondents said they believe meetings should be attended by only ‘three or four’ individuals.

The vast majority (about 90%) of Manchester’s office workers also consider Wednesday to be the best day for a meeting, with 10.00 to 11.30 being the preferred timeslot.

Louise Pollard, Workplace’s sales director, said of the findings: “The survey has revealed some interesting insight into the mind of the Manchester office worker.

“As people move away from the traditional working day, it’s about using your time effectively and productively but in a fun and engaging way.”

Elsewhere, the survey found office workers in the city to be divided when it comes to the best location for a meeting; around 58% said they should be held in ‘social, creative and open’ spaces, with the rest preferring more traditional settings.

Louise continued: “Small casual meetings are becoming more popular, with less than two per cent still enjoying a long afternoon board meeting.

“People want flexibility, collaboration and creativity which is something that we were keen to reflect in Workplace.”

The firm, founded by Louise together with fellow entrepreneurs Adrian Stevenson and Jane Schofield, is due to open its first Manchester hub on Monday (October 19), with plans for further openings across the UK in the pipeline.