Town halls have long been used for top-down, company-wide broadcasts. But as hybrid teams and shifting trends redefine work, your target audience yearns even more to be heard.
Data shows this target audience—your employees—expects more than one-way updates. They crave real dialogue rooted in transparency, reassurance, empathy, clarity, and recognition. These profoundly human needs become even more critical in times of uncertainty, growth, or unfortunately, the lack of it.
Below are key trends and insights to help you refocus and refine your approach. Hone in on objective data about your employees to make your company town halls truly relevant—that is, sensitive, relatable, and effective in driving your message home.
First things first: why employee engagement matters
We already know that engaged employees drive better business outcomes. But what does this actually look like in numbers?
- Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6x more likely to perform at their best. (Forbes)
- Companies acting on frontline workers’ feedback are 80% more likely to innovate. (McKinsey)
- Highly engaged teams experience 18% higher productivity and 23% higher profitability. (Gallup)
- Employee recognition results in a 56% lower turnover rate. (Deloitte)
Town halls are just one piece of the engagement puzzle. Yet, they offer a unique opportunity to recognise employee achievements at scale.
Company town halls in context
The authors of Line of Sight list town hall or all-hands meetings as a key channel for internal communications to flourish. They help employees understand the broader strategy and their role in executing it successfully. Despite their importance, they often fall flat. Let’s dig a little deeper to see why.
Here’s the reality for many companies today:
- In 30% of organisations, employees struggle to grasp and align with leadership goals. (Line of Sight)
- Up to 95% of employees remain unaware of or unclear about their company’s strategic direction. (As cited in Line of Sight)
- People are more likely to stay engaged when they can connect their work to the bigger picture. Yet, many lack that clarity, and disengagement remains a concern. In 2024, U.S. employee engagement dropped to a decade-low of 31%, matching 2014 levels. (Gallup)
Town halls are meant to provide strategic clarity. But poor execution and one-sided communication often get in the way:
- 64% of recurring meetings have no agenda. While town halls aren’t singled out, lack of structure can make them aimless, time-consuming, and ineffective. (Flowtrace)
- Besides the mic and projector woes of in-person, technical difficulties derail online and hybrid town halls. Nearly 3 out of 4 digital workers experience delays. Meanwhile, 70% struggle to see everyone’s faces and another 70% have trouble hearing speakers. (Owl Labs)
- What about town hall content? In LaunchDarkly’s case study, 75% of presentations were just department updates. We know that if a speaker is sharing information relevant only to their team, the rest starts zoning out. (The Gathering Effect)
☝️ One-sided communication signals that leadership isn’t ready to discuss the perspectives of the employees in charge of executing strategies.
A smarter approach to town halls
It’s not all doom and gloom. Some companies recognise that town halls need a refresh. They’re taking cues from industry trends and...
Rethinking the town hall format
- Respondents from banking and finance, tech, healthcare, and education sectors find large-scale online meetings highly effective (96%)—second only to in-person or virtual company-wide events (97%). This affirms efforts to get remote town halls right. (Gallagher)
- Companies are also adapting meetings, ranging from small-scale presentations to town halls, to hybrid models. In the past year, 65% of digital workers said their companies have upgraded meeting spaces and tech, while 64% noted their orgs have provided new etiquette guidelines to promote inclusive engagement. (Gartner)
- 30% of creative industry companies use town halls to promote open communication and show respect for diverse perspectives. (ResearchGate)
Want your town halls to be a two-way conversation between leadership and employees? Try pre-submitted questions, real-time polls, and live Q&A to ensure everyone has a voice in your next town hall meeting!
Enhancing structure and execution
- Fast-growing organisations see optimal engagement from weekly town halls, while stable firms prefer monthly or quarterly schedules. (Hoppier)
- For SaaS brands that share their town hall insights, the average duration is 60–90 minutes—long enough to cover key topics, but short enough to maintain focus. (Buffer, ClickUp)
- Dedicate at least 30% of meeting time to open Q&A to encourage active participation. (ClickUp)
- A flexible town hall agenda helps you adapt to the occasion, whether it’s a regular update or a special session. Regular town halls should focus on 3 things: company performance, strategic priorities, and answers to employee questions and concerns. (Corporate Rituals)
- Should you celebrate wins in town halls? Yes, unless you’re in crisis mode or handling urgent matters. Employees prefer recognition from leaders (36%) and managers (32%). (Deloitte)
- Two weeks before the town hall or all-hands, invite employees to submit questions or upvote topics. (Workvivo)
- Keep channels digital if you host virtual or hybrid town halls. Zoom is the most popular videoconferencing platform due to its simplicity and ability to handle large meetings. Google Meet and Microsoft Teams follow as top alternatives. (ResearchGate)
Improving content and interactivity
- Stories can make presentations more engaging. 63% of people remember stories, while only 5% recall statistics. (Made to Stick via LinkedIn)
- Audience attention wanes after 10-15 minutes. (Lisa Schulteis via Event Tech Live) Break up your content with interactive elements to refocus eyes and minds.
- Digital tools like live Q&A reactions and polling are great for gauging real-time sentiment. You can also analyse them later to gain actionable insights. (London Filmed)
- 74% of employees would be more inclined to give feedback if the channel was truly anonymous. (Forbes) Forward-thinking leaders weave anonymous live Q&A and polls into town halls, creating a safe space for people to voice ideas and concerns in real time.
- For sessions with more than 250 people, you’ll likely need a moderator to filter the most relevant questions. (Workvivo)
- Keep the conversation going. A town hall or all-hands hub for recordings, slides, post-town hall Q&A links, and key takeaways extend the impact after the event. (Workvivo)
Additionally, you can craft a post-event survey to see what worked well and what else can improve in future town halls.
For example, if employees feel leadership isn’t spending enough time to address their concerns, you may consider asynchronous town halls. This format focuses on pre-recorded updates via the intranet or email and live Q&A during the meeting.
Future-proofing with AI and data-driven insights
The future of town halls is AI-powered and data-driven—without removing the human factor, of course.
AI is reshaping town halls via online channels and tools used for videoconferencing, live polling and Q&A, and meeting analytics (ScienceDirect):
- Real-time transcription and translation enables instant captions and multilingual support, breaking down language barriers when engaging global teams
- AI-powered analytics tracks real-time participation, sentiment, and trending topics, helping leaders adjust communication and improve future town halls
- Computer vision and augmented reality provide facial recognition, gaze tracking, and virtual environments, replicating in-person engagement cues to enhance hybrid town halls
For those within the Microsoft ecosystem, tap into built-in systems to assess event quality (Microsoft Teams):
- Good experience: Less than 2.5% rebuffering
- Poor experience: More than 2.5% rebuffering
Drive your desired results by asking the right questions before the town hall or all-hands meeting (The Gathering Effect):
- What level of knowledge are we trying to build?
- What attitudes are we trying to improve?
- What do we want employees to understand after the town hall?
- What do we want their takeaway to be?
Beyond attendance, track metrics around real-time engagement, direct feedback, and technical aspects (Corporate Streams):
- Engagement rate: Use attendance and participation rates in live polls and Q&A
- Retention rate: Monitor drop-offs during your livestream
- Employee sentiment: Check people’s mood by encouraging them to join the polls, react with emoji during Q&A, or express thoughts in the chat without disrupting the speaker
- Communication effectiveness: Assess comprehension through quizzes
- Technical performance: Ensure technical setup meets standards of excellence
- Actionable feedback: Push surveys during the town hall (not after) or keep the Q&A open afterwards
Bonus: 3 companies conducting successful town halls
- Hyundai - Inclusive, hybrid town halls that support organisational changes
Hyundai’s new CEO conducted his first town hall, bringing together over 800 employees in person, while the event was livestreamed to global offices.
- Marsh McLennan - Virtual town halls
This professional services firm builds a multi-method approach to listening, which includes hosting virtual town halls for its local and global teams.
- Collaborative Student Transportation - Employee-focused hybrid town halls
The CEO leads staff town halls and incorporates employee recognition to set the tone and reinforce company culture.
Town halls as a two-way street
With what’s at stake for people and organisations, we can’t afford to stick with the status quo. Use the insights and tools available today to transform your town halls into a place for clarity and connection. Prioritise listening to and delighting employees, and watch your company achieve desired results.
