Remember the last time you tried to schedule a meeting? The endless back-and-forth emails? Let’s make that a thing of the past with Scheduling Poll: a smart Outlook add-on that helps you quickly find a time that works for everyone.
Getting Started
To use Scheduling Poll in New Outlook, you’ll need Microsoft 365.
Start a New Email or Calendar Event
- Open Outlook and create a new email or calendar invitation.
- Add the invitees in the To field.
Insert a Scheduling Poll
- In the message or event window, go to the Message tab (top left menu)
- Click Scheduling Poll (top right menu). This opens the poll panel on the right side.
Choose Meeting Options
- Select a date and duration for the meeting.
- Outlook will suggest time slots based on attendees’ availability (if their calendars are accessible).
- Click on the time slots you want to include in the poll.
Customize Poll Settings
- Click Next to proceed.
- Add a location and optionally enable Teams Meeting.
- You can also adjust settings like allowing attendees to suggest new times or requiring responses.
Create and Send the Poll
- Click Create Poll.
- The poll will be embedded in your email or meeting invite.
- Click Send to distribute it to participants.
Track Responses
- Attendees vote on their preferred time slots.
- You’ll see a summary of responses, making it easy to pick the best time.
Availability Colors:
- 🟩 Green – Available
- 🟪 Purple – May be busy
- 🟥 Red – Unavailable
- ⬜ Grey – Unknown
How It Works
Each attendee selects their preferred time slots. You can receive notifications as votes come in, set a location (including Microsoft Teams), and once a consensus is reached, lock the poll and let FindTime send out invites automatically.
While voting is in progress, FindTime can tentatively hold time slots in your calendar and confirm the event once finalised.
Things to Note
Scheduling Poll relies on Outlook data, so it may not account for time zones or non-Outlook users. Despite this, its benefits far outweigh the limitations.
Why Use Scheduling Poll
It saves time, reduces email clutter, and makes scheduling meetings effortless. Whether it’s a team catch-up or a client call, Scheduling Poll helps you focus on what matters most. For assistance with accessing and using Scheduling Poll, contact Synapse IT.
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