More participative all-hands in 4 steps (no monologues)

Everyone dialled in, cameras off, and a silence broken only by the presenter. That is how an all-hands dies: not from a lack of content, but from a lack of conversation. The good news is that turning it around does not mean redesigning the whole meeting, just four well-placed moments.

What is an all-hands

An all-hands — also called a town hall or a company-wide meeting — is a gathering where the whole organisation comes together at once: leadership shares updates on strategy, results and what is coming next, and the team gets a shared moment to ask questions and hear the same message directly. It is usually held on a regular cadence, monthly or quarterly, and in remote or hybrid companies it runs as a video call or a livestream.

The name says it: “all hands on deck”. Unlike a team stand-up or a departmental sync, an all-hands is company-wide by design — its whole point is to get everyone on the same page and give people across the company a direct line to leadership. That is also why it goes flat so easily: the bigger and more one-directional it is, the harder it is for anyone to speak up, which is exactly what the four steps below fix.

Why all-hands go quiet

The format works against you. One person speaks, dozens or hundreds listen, and asking out loud in front of the whole company is intimidating. So people stay quiet even when they have doubts, and the presenter is left not knowing whether the message landed.

The result is a monologue with an audience. And once the team learns that the all-hands will never ask them anything, they start treating it like just another notification: in the background, mic muted, mind elsewhere.

4 steps to an all-hands that actually talks

You do not need to turn the meeting into a game show. With these four moments spread across the session, the team goes from spectator to participant. Each one leans on a different question type.

Close the loop (or there won't be a next one)

The most common mistake is treating each all-hands as an isolated event. If you collect questions and sentiment but nothing changes, the team stops taking part. Export the results — available on paid plans — share the actions that come out of them, and open the next all-hands by recalling what you promised. Closing the loop is what turns participation into a habit.

Make it yours, and at scale

For a small team, the Pro plan already gives you everything you need. As the company grows, the Team plan adds what you need at scale: team spaces, seats for your People leads, shared templates so every all-hands starts from the same base, your own branding and team analytics. And, as always, with data hosted in the EU and anonymous voting by default.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Q&A questions really anonymous?

Yes. Participants write without identifying themselves and voting is anonymous by default. You can turn on moderation to review questions before projecting them.

Does it work for remote or hybrid teams?

Yes. Each person takes part from their phone or computer browser with the code or the QR, whether they are in the room or joining from home.

Where is the meeting data stored?

All data is hosted in the European Union and processing complies with the GDPR, with anonymous voting by default.

Which plan do I need for a company all-hands?

The Pro plan covers small teams with up to 1,000 participants. For team spaces, seats, shared templates and team analytics, the Team plan is the right fit.