Company Systems User Guide - Internal Meeting Scheduling

Overview

This guide walks you through how to schedule a meeting with internal RRI contacts in Outlook, including how to check attendee availability and how to attach a unique Zoom meeting ID. It also covers how to set this up as a recurring meeting and how to maintain it over time.

Who This Is For: All employees who need to schedule internal meetings in Outlook.

Before You Begin

Important: You must have the Zoom add-on installed in Outlook before you can attach a Zoom meeting ID to an invite.

To install it:

• In Outlook, click File in the top-left corner.
• Locate the option to manage your add-ons.
• Find and download the Zoom add-on.
• Once installed, the Zoom icon will appear in your meeting ribbon, and you will be able to follow the steps below.

Also think ahead about who from the RRI team needs to attend, and double-check for any known scheduling conflicts before you begin building the invite.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Create a New Calendar Event

• Open Outlook and go to your Calendar.
• Select the time slot you wish to schedule the meeting for.

• Double-click on that time slot. This will populate a new meeting window.
• In the title field of this new window, label the meeting clearly so attendees know what it's about. For example: "Quick Catch-Up" or "RRI Team Sync."

Step 2: Invite Attendees

• At the top of the ribbon, select Invite Attendees.

• Once you click this, a Required field and an Optional field will populate for adding attendees.

• Click into the Required field. This will open the internal address book.
• In the address book window, select Global Address List to make sure you are pulling the most current, up-to-date email addresses for RRI contacts.

• In the search field, type the name of the individual you want to add.

• Select the correct individual from the dropdown once it appears.
• Decide whether this person should be placed in the Required or Optional field for this meeting, and select accordingly.

• Repeat this process for each additional internal contact you need to invite.
• Once all attendees are added, click OK at the bottom of the address book window.

Step 3: Check Attendee Availability

Since you won't automatically know whether each participant is free at your selected time, always check their availability before finalizing the invite.

• Go to the Scheduling Assistant tab at the top of the meeting window and click on it.

• This will bring up a calendar view showing each attendee's availability.
• Look at the row next to each attendee's name. A solid block on their row means they are not available during that time.

• If any attendee is not available, select a different time where you and all participants are free.
• Once you've confirmed a time that works for everyone, go back to the Meeting tab at the top of the window.

Step 4: Set the Duration, Recurrence, and Time Zone

• Adjust the duration of the meeting as needed (for example, 30 minutes or 1 hour).

• If this meeting needs to repeat, set the recurrence (for example, weekly, bi-weekly, or a custom pattern such as every 2 weeks on Tuesdays).

• Set the start date and time for the meeting or the recurring series.

• If participants are in different time zones, double check that the meeting time and time zone settings are correct for everyone before sending.

Step 5: Add a Zoom Meeting

This step requires the Zoom add-on to already be installed (see Before You Begin above).

• In the meeting ribbon, locate the Zoom icon. This add-on allows you to attach a unique Zoom meeting ID directly to this invite.

• Click Add a Zoom Meeting.

• Outlook will automatically populate a unique Zoom meeting ID and link inside the invite.

• In the meeting body, confirm the Zoom link, meeting ID, and passcode (if applicable) are all visible to attendees. You can also add a short note such as: "Join via Zoom: [link] — Passcode: 123456."
• Optionally, set a reminder for attendees (for example, 10 minutes before the meeting starts).

Step 6: Add an Agenda or Notes Section

In the meeting description box, add a short agenda so attendees know what to expect. For a recurring meeting, this can be a placeholder that repeats each session, for example:

If applicable, encourage attendees to add their own agenda items in advance of the meeting.

Step 7: Review and Send the Invite

• Double-check the date, time, recurrence pattern, Zoom link/ID, and full attendee list one more time before sending.
• Click Send to send the invite to all participants.
• After sending, confirm the meeting appears correctly on the calendars of a few attendees if possible, especially if anyone is in a different time zone.

Step 8: Maintain the Recurring Meeting

• If participants or frequency change, update the existing recurrence settings rather than creating a brand-new meeting series.
• Keep the agenda section current, and share any updates with attendees ahead of each session.
• If the recurring meeting is no longer needed, cancel the full recurring series, or mark it as "not required" going forward, rather than leaving it active and unused.

Best Practices

Follow these guidelines every time you schedule an internal meeting:

• Always confirm the Zoom add-on is installed before starting; without it, you will not see the option to add a Zoom meeting.
• Always use the Global Address List when adding attendees to make sure you're using their current, correct email address.
• Always check the Scheduling Assistant before finalizing a time. A solid block on someone's calendar means they are not available, and the meeting should be moved.
• Double-check time zones any time participants are in different locations.
• Include the Zoom link, meeting ID, and passcode directly in the meeting body so attendees can join easily without searching for it.
• For recurring meetings, update the existing series instead of creating duplicate invites when something changes.
• Keep agendas current and share them ahead of time so meetings stay productive.

For questions or technical support, please submit a ticket through Zendesk and select Business Operations.