10 Jun Transcribing board meetings is a special skill
Our tips, having spent thousands of hours transcribing board meetings, meeting notes and client letters
Overview
We transcribe dictations using many forms of software in order to deliver accurate transcripts of meetings.
With the exponential upward trend in the mandatory recording of meeting notes comes the necessary dedication of time to this invariably arduous administrative task. The problem is that many meetings are long, especially the quarterly board meetings, and to make a worthy transcript of them can take anything from two to ten times the meeting’s length. Meeting dictation software is now widely available to use, but it’s the automated transcription that still lacks accuracy.
Why is transcribing board meetings so important versus just having an audio file recording?
It’s easier – and quicker – to scan a transcript for key words and the section, or sections, you need to refer to.
Making sure you capture the right content before paying for transcription of board meetings
All content discussed in any meeting is highly important and confidential. Capturing all of it concisely and securely is paramount. This is incredibly difficult if you are relying on, say, one support staff member taking notes as you go, or, as is a favourite go-to for many these days, using voice recognition software to attempt to capture the meeting in written form live. When you have six, seven or more competing voices in an environment like this, the latter can lead to some highly amusing, yet (we’re betting) equally frustrating results.
AI and speech-to-text technology versus intelligent human transcription
There is no denying the advancement of AI and speech-to-text technology. However, it still falls substantially short in terms of the accuracy and intuitive sophistication that can only be achieved from intelligent, human transcription. Moreover, in reality, working with speech-to-text applications can amount to substantial additional administrative time being spent in having to listen back to the audio while cross-referencing with the ‘transcript’, amending and gap-filling the inevitable mishears, homophone confusion, name/industry terminology spellings and other grammatical bloopers. Your time that could better spent elsewhere.
Advantages of having full audio recordings
Full audio recordings of meetings are great to have, and in this age of virtual meetings, the ability of video-conferencing software to record both video and audio automatically has been efficient and a blessing for many. However, as with any meeting that handles confidential client or company-specific data, security, of course, is an issue. You are effectively giving the program you are using permission to ‘access your meeting’ and listen to everything that’s being said. More traditional methods of recording meetings, such as via a dictaphone or smartphone using the voice recorder, are safer, but in both instances, you are left with hours of recordings that have to be listened to and either summarised or, in some cases, transcribed in full, to create appropriate regulatory records from a compliance perspective. In other words, the recording itself only gets you halfway there.
The best ways of capturing everything you need from meetings
AGM, board and committee meetings should have a clear agenda. Without an agenda, a clear, coherent and compliant record is harder to ‘hear’ and ‘transcribe’. Board meetings may not always cover the same content, and members will come and go or take on additional duties. A clear set of objectives helps both the attendees and the transcription team.
Transcribing board meetings relies on a good quality recording
So naturally, first and foremost, you need to make sure the quality is good and there are no dropouts. Do a test recording. Board meetings have the ability to be some of the best, most in-depth internal meetings a company can have. However, as with any meeting involving numerous speakers, if a live audio recording is made, however that may be executed, participants should always take care to speak as clearly as possible and not to talk over fellow colleagues or members where at all possible. This is particularly pertinent in a virtual meeting setting, where it’s not as easy to play off one another’s body language or chip in as quickly with an, ‘I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please – I didn’t hear you’. When transcribing board meetings, the transcriptionist has to be aware of human nature as well as what is being said.
What to do with your recordings
It has long been the role of administrative and support staff to turn these spoken words into written words to create a formal record. However, the role these employees play within a company has changed over the years, and they are finding themselves without the time to complete audio transcriptions.
We would encourage you to carry out due diligence on whatever provider you decide to use. Make sure they store your sound files securely and permanently, fully, delete them within your requested timeframe
ISO-accredited companies are essential when transcribing board meetings, as they are confidential
Using an ISO-accredited, reliable and secure transcription service like VoiceNotes is one of the best ways, if not the best way, of outsourcing this work. We are trained, highly experienced audio transcriptionists and proofreaders. We ensure pinpoint accuracy and consistency, and we fact-check every name, every company, every fund, and anything else that needs verifying.
With our wealth of experience and expertise, we can truly be the answer you have been looking for from a time management point of view. We can have a full two-to-three-hour meeting transcript with you, fully proofed, within 48 hours (two business days), or a summary call report dictated post meeting back with you within the same business day.
Why VoiceNotes is the number 1 choice for accuracy and security when it comes to transcribing board meetings
Quality, quality, quality! Every transcription passes through at least two members of our team – one audio transcriptionist and one proofreader.
- Fast turnarounds due to employing our own staff, so we don’t need to search for a freelancer
- Only our trained, experienced, editorial-grade proofreaders and copy-editors will work on your project
- You will have a dedicated account manager
- You can upload your audio files securely
- Everything is date and timestamped for legal and compliance auditing
- We have over a decade’s experience of working with FTSE 100 companies, SMEs and individuals
- As an ISO 27001-accredited company, we ensure data is kept safe and confidential at all times
- For compliance and security, we guarantee to keep all work and data-handling on your transcription UK-based
- We get it right first time, so no reworking is necessary
- No set-up fees
- No minimum requirements
We are also members of the Association of Virtual Assistants
Here we have joined a community of other administrative, transcription, proofreading, secretarial and virtual assistant services.
How much does it cost to transcribe board meetings?
We have a two-step process, as every transcription passes through at least two members of our team – an audio transcriptionist and a proofreader. We charge from £3 + VAT per audio minute to transcribe a multi-person board meeting. However, we also offer a monthly subscription-based price, which represents a lower cost for regular work. Please ask us about what you are looking for, as we can almost certainly meet your requirements.
Here are some further articles that might be of interest:
For details on how to record a meeting note for regulated sectors.
From Regulation To Recession article.
For testimonials from banks and investment firms who use VoiceNotes Ltd’s transcription service.
Human Resources transcription service.
The importance of an ISO-accredited transcription company.
To hear our views on fintech, hedge funds and online meetings.
Please get in touch with any questions about transcribing board meetings: info@voicenotes.co.uk / 0207 117 0066 / online form.
