Meetings and Your Paycheck: A Surprising Connection
Many professionals often lament that a significant portion of their workday is consumed by meetings, frequently thinking that these discussions could have been resolved through a simple email. However, a recent academic paper suggests that engaging in numerous meetings might actually be a positive indicator for both company prosperity and individual career progression.
This new research explored the link between various daily work activities, including email correspondence and individual assignments, and the trajectory of salary increases. The findings highlight that "meetings are the most powerful predictor of wage growth" among all the examined activities. Harvard economist David Deming, one of the paper's authors, noted that businesses with more frequent meetings generally achieve greater success, and employees who attend more meetings tend to experience higher wage growth and career advancement. It's crucial to understand that this is a correlation, not necessarily a direct cause. Simply attending more meetings won't automatically boost your salary. Instead, a robust meeting schedule often signifies involvement in demanding, high-level tasks that typically lead to increased compensation for both the employee and the organization.
Deming further elaborated that if an employee is deeply integrated into meeting structures, it signifies their indispensable role in the employer's operations. More intricate job responsibilities, requiring specific knowledge and expertise, inherently lead to a greater number of meetings. The authors observed that indicators reflecting intense workplace interaction, such as hours spent in meetings, meeting frequency during office days, and active collaboration, all show a positive association with salary progression, with meeting hours being the most significant factor. Conversely, broader elements like team support and shared responsibilities showed only a weak connection to salary increases. The study, based on a 2025 Norstat survey of thousands of workers combined with Norwegian administrative data from 2022 to 2024, examined wage growth up to 2023. The researchers acknowledged that their wage-growth analysis relied on the assumption that employees' meeting environments remain consistent over time.
Despite the observed link to wage growth, many employees still perceive meetings as tedious. The study found that individuals who regularly attend meetings spend, on average, over an hour each workday in these sessions. A December survey of approximately 1,000 US workers by Resume Now indicated that about 64% felt half or fewer of their meetings were truly effective. Yet, traditional meetings also offer distinct advantages. Most office workers can relate to the frustration of protracted group chats and the desire for a quick meeting to achieve alignment. Deming posited that "meetings represent the necessary cost for orchestrating and coordinating highly specialized, intricate production." He added that for complex projects involving diverse teams and elaborate workflows, meetings are often the only effective way to ensure everyone is synchronized. Deming concluded that individuals might simultaneously view meetings as wasteful and essential, likening them to "the broccoli of work: widely disliked, but probably necessary." Meetings can also serve as valuable learning experiences, especially for new employees, providing opportunities to absorb company culture, routines, and to identify key knowledge holders within the organization.
Embracing meetings as an integral part of professional development and organizational success can transform a perceived burden into a powerful tool for growth. Rather than viewing them as interruptions, consider them as vital communication channels that foster collaboration, refine complex tasks, and ultimately contribute to both individual career advancement and the overall prosperity of the enterprise.