The trap of hybrid meetings
More and more companies are embracing hybrid meetings – some join from the office, others from home or even abroad. But in reality, these meetings often center around those physically present, leaving remote participants and non-native speakers behind.
Let’s take a real scenario: a new colleague who only speaks English joins a weekly team meeting conducted in Hungarian. While the presentation visuals are clear, the spoken content is inaccessible without live translation or captions.
Microsoft Teams features that make a real difference
Microsoft Teams offers several built-in tools designed to create equal access in such situations.
1. Live captioning
Live captions display spoken content in real time. Participants can select their preferred language – Hungarian, English, German, or from over 30 others.
This feature is helpful not only for colleagues with hearing impairments but also for those working in noisy environments or not fluent in the meeting’s spoken language.
2. Meeting recap
After the meeting, Teams automatically generates a summary with key points, decisions, and action items. This helps those who couldn’t attend or had trouble following in real time.
Recaps include:
- Notes with timestamps
- Highlighted tasks and decisions
- Links to recordings and shared content
3. Multimodal notes and access
Teams supports more than just text. Meetings can be recorded visually and with audio, enabling employees with different learning styles or accessibility needs to engage with the material in their preferred format.
Speech recognition features enable:
- Transcription of spoken content
- Screen reader compatibility
- Easier participation for those who struggle to take notes while listening
Real challenge – real solution
The English-speaking new hire initially felt excluded. Once the team enabled live captions and recaps, the meetings became fully accessible, and the colleague could contribute with confidence. Language differences were no longer a barrier.
Gloster Cloud’s role: Inclusive hybrid collaboration made simple
Hybrid work demands new approaches to inclusion. Gloster Cloud supports organizations by:
- Configuring Microsoft Teams’ accessibility features
- Establishing inclusive meeting best practices
- Training teams in empathetic, effective collaboration
No one should be left out just because they weren’t in the room or spoke a different language. The tools are ready – let’s use them.
