Suffering from Zoom fatigue? This platform is making virtual calls more engaging

Nearly three years into hybrid and remote work, it's safe to say that Zoom calls are here to stay. But that doesn't mean they can't use a facelift. 

In response to the shift to remote work, Donut, a team building platform, recently launched a new Zoom extension that gives employees conversational ice breakers before workplace meetings, including one-on-ones, onboarding and even informal hang outs between colleagues. The prompts ask things like, "Are you an early bird or a night owl?" and "What's your favorite instrument?" 

Pre-pandemic, Donut brought employees together by suggesting in-person coffee outings among coworkers. After the last few years, the platform was due for an upgrade, while keeping that spirit of connection top-of-mind. 

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"Hopping onto a Zoom with people you've never met with really no context or prompt can be a little awkward," says Dan Manian, Donut's CEO. "We saw this demand from our customers to actually help facilitate these initial conversations between folks in different settings."

At the start of the pandemic, Donut had already shifted gears to help employees deal with the sudden lack of connection — the platform added a "water cooler" option, which drops a random prompt in a designated Slack channel that employees can answer at their own pace and use as a quick form of socialization. They also integrated Zoom links that would find a time in the participants' schedules and suggest a meeting time. 

"The pandemic was definitely an intense period," says Manian. "The demand for Donut really skyrocketed. We were suddenly adjusting to working remotely and keeping the whole team safe, while also serving more customers than we ever had." 

While the new tweaks were initially designed to spur casual conversation among employees, Manian and his team realized employers and employees wanted and needed even more support. In turn, the platform found a new mission. 

"People started using it to run mentorship programs and DEI discussion groups and all sorts of interesting use cases," he says. "Donut expanded from just being about helping me meet new people at my organization, to also, Donut can keep me connected with my direct team." 

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In order to avoid the dreaded "Zoom fatigue," described as the tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with overusing virtual platforms, Donut's new extension does allow users to opt in or out of different conversation categories, or even create ones that are most appropriate for the setting. 

The point of Donut — however users engage with it — is to promote organic connection between employees. Since launching earlier this year, Manian has seen CEOs use the prompts in large Zoom conference calls, to the head of IT using ice breakers to make long training sessions more palatable. 

"If the conversations deviate and go somewhere else, that's great," Manian says. "This is really just to kind of get things going."