Remote and hybrid work is undoubtedly here to stay in some form or another. According to the US Census Bureau, before the Covid-19 pandemic, 5.7% of working Americans (roughly 9 million people) worked from home. That number tripled in 2021 to 17.9% (27.6 million people). But at the height of the pandemic, 70% of US full-time employees in non-rural areas worked from home. More than half of those employees (51%) worked entirely remotely, while the rest (49%) returned to the office at least one day a week. Although hybrid work was already experiencing an upward trend, the pandemic transitioned people into an unknown and unplanned situation without all the tools needed to do it right.

Successfully maintaining the hybrid work transition has required companies to reevaluate managerial styles and the technologies they use to support in- and out-of-office employees, how they work and collaborate, and its implications for equity in the workplace.

I'll examine how a pronounced focus on equity and inclusion in meetings has evolved in this article. I'll also dive into why it's imperative that technologies continue to foster the inclusiveness that remote and hybrid work cultivates, plus look at some companies working on this critical issue.

Challenges of video conferencing technology and meeting equity in hybrid work

Previously, video conferencing technology could exacerbate equity issues, such as lack of access to high-speed internet or digital literacy. Emerging and improving technologies address meeting equity challenges with AI to help increase bandwidth in low-connectivity areas and rectify video resolution issues. This means that, regardless of the quality of a device or its broadband connection, meeting participants can access the same clear video and audio without "glitching" in and out of discussions.

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