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Do all corporate jobs have this many meetings?!

16 replies

Yuja · 28/08/2025 17:41

So I started a new job 6 months ago in a well-known and very big company. I work hybrid and for the most part I like the job, the company have a good culture and the people are nice so this isn't a deal breaker or anything, but it is the first time I've worked in a company of this size and industry prestige, and I worked in public sector for the first ten years of my career.

What I am finding a bit tiresome, however, is the amount of meetings we have!! They just have meetings about everything all the time, bringing together various different groups of people. A lot of the time we just seem to be repeating the same information, and at the end of the meetings nothing ever seems to be agreed in any concrete way and we just arrange the next meeting where we largely go through it all again. Decisions never seem to get finalised. I find it such a drain on my productivity to be honest, always being interrupted for another meeting which I wouldn't mind, but they very rarely have an outcome! Especially at the moment as we are in a quiet period. It feels a bit like people trying to justify their jobs but I'm sure we could have less people overall if we stopped having so many meetings. My line manager (who is lovely) even has a 1-1 of one hour every week with the people she line manages - that's 5 hours a week. Sometimes I don't have much to tell her from the week before! Like I say, it's a nice enough job but I am a bit exhausted by all these meetings and was wondering if this is normal practice in the big corporate world or if it's just where I am.

OP posts:
EBearhug · 28/08/2025 18:07

It can be. If you think they are repetitive, you could suggest they are reviewed to cut them down.

Do they have a clear agenda? Is the purpose of each one clear? If you can show them you could sell be more efficient, there's a good chance they will listen.

LlynTegid · 28/08/2025 18:14

Seems excessive to me. If it means lower productivity or more people working for the company as a result, then customers pay more for what is offered, than could otherwise be the case.

MissHollysDolly · 28/08/2025 18:21

Are you in a position to decline the meetings? I do this regularly and just ask to see the minutes.

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SENMum1727 · 28/08/2025 18:24

I had this, though it wasn’t exactly a corporate job, it was a techie SME with a toxic culture. I felt I had to spend most of my time justifying what I was doing rather than actually doing it. My days were full of meetings and writing summaries of what I did in great minutiae. We did make decisions at meetings but projects always stalled at a level higher than me.Very depressing.

Fitzcarraldo353 · 28/08/2025 18:26

MissHollysDolly · 28/08/2025 18:21

Are you in a position to decline the meetings? I do this regularly and just ask to see the minutes.

Yep. The biggest gift you can give yourself is permission to decline meetings. If you already had the update z and there's no decision requiring your input, don't go. Or delegate if that's appropriate.

SoftPillow · 28/08/2025 18:26

We have meetings, but necessary ones. We wouldn’t tolerate unnecessary meetings, we’ve all got too much to do.

I do spend hours on Teams calls but lots of them are ‘I have an issue, can we speak’ types.

On an average day I perhaps have 3 to 4hrs of pre arranged necessary meetings and another 2hrs of unexpected calls.

Yuja · 28/08/2025 19:04

Fitzcarraldo353 · 28/08/2025 18:26

Yep. The biggest gift you can give yourself is permission to decline meetings. If you already had the update z and there's no decision requiring your input, don't go. Or delegate if that's appropriate.

Thank you for this advice. I hadn’t thought about just politely declining but actually I’ve been there long enough now that I think I could do this in meetings where there isn’t anything I can add or need to hear. I find it amazing that a company has time for this many people to stop what they’re doing to have so many meetings!

there is usually an agenda but doesn’t seem to stop it being repetitive most of the time!!

OP posts:
Fitzcarraldo353 · 28/08/2025 19:28

Some people are just terrible chairs of meetings too. Let agendas ramble and don't tie it together with ' so what is the outcome or action as a result of that discussion?'. Feel free to pipe up on that front if it's something that affects you. Don't let them move on with a clear next step.

Some organisations just work really inefficiently. Far too many meetings with no real purpose. 'Updates' are my nemesis - if it's an update just send it in an email. And do we all actually need an update or are you just trying to show everyone you're doing something? Meetings should be for genuine consultation and decision making. Rarely are updates necessary.

Dabberlocks · 28/08/2025 19:37

I agree with others, just say you are unavailable for the next pointless meeting, and could they please email you the minutes afterwards.

Start by missing one here and there, and gradually reduce your attendance until you are only going to a few. They will get used to you not being there all the time, and will stop noticing.

Rozendantz · 28/08/2025 19:37

I've worked in numerous large corporations (often on 1-2 year projects) and some of them have a massive culture of holding meetings for absolutely bloody anything. One of them literally had a regular scheduled meeting to discuss what meetings they were going to have each week - it was ludicrous!

I agree with @Fitzcarraldo353 that it's often a sign of being inefficient, and that some people simply don't run meetings well, which can then result in yet more meetings being necessary to reach the desired result....

Yuja · 28/08/2025 19:48

@Fitzcarraldo353yes a lot of these are ‘updates’ 😬. I think inefficiencies is right unfortunately. The company is going through a large restructure and to be honest I can see why 😅 really nice people but so much wasted time having meeting after meeting. I am certainly going to take the advice on this thread to reduce attendance where possible - it has a negative impact as I lose my train of thought and usually for no good reason.

OP posts:
Costcogroupie · 28/08/2025 20:25

You should see the number of countless pointless repetitive meetings the NHS have. Nothing gets resolved in under 2 years which is roughly how often the NHS has a 'restructure' when everything is reset to zero and the circus starts all over again.

Happy daze ...

Yuja · 28/08/2025 20:50

Costcogroupie · 28/08/2025 20:25

You should see the number of countless pointless repetitive meetings the NHS have. Nothing gets resolved in under 2 years which is roughly how often the NHS has a 'restructure' when everything is reset to zero and the circus starts all over again.

Happy daze ...

This did make me laugh but also feel sorry for you! Not just the private sector then …

OP posts:
DrRichardWebber · 28/08/2025 21:25

I saw a great Instagram reel today just about this situation where you spend more time updating people with what you are doing in your job than actually doing it. It’s so true where I am. Agree that you should ask yourself whether you are gaining/giving anything from being in that meeting, and if no then leave.

BrentfordForever · 28/08/2025 21:36

Yuja · 28/08/2025 19:04

Thank you for this advice. I hadn’t thought about just politely declining but actually I’ve been there long enough now that I think I could do this in meetings where there isn’t anything I can add or need to hear. I find it amazing that a company has time for this many people to stop what they’re doing to have so many meetings!

there is usually an agenda but doesn’t seem to stop it being repetitive most of the time!!

I personally wouldn’t decline, but I’d nicely question what they’re there for as “you’re super busy “

some teams/people have a meeting for every little thing as they don’t know how else to get things over the line (not working smart…)

rather than declining , you can just come up with an alternate solution- even better if you find an opportunity to apply a more quicker/modern way of working (weekly checking, quick stand up etc) yourself and then other teams can follow (good for your own appraisal 😉)

good luck

reversegear · 28/08/2025 21:49

OP we work with clients like this, they always want a meeting we are a supplier so can rarely say no.. but even today I went to a 40 minute meeting and my summary to the team was “could have been an email” we find most of them are handholds and them justifying their roles, to look busy. Where I’d say 90% could just be a quick email., so I can bet your teams are also having numerous external meetings as well!!

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