Video conferencing is on the rise, and with it comes the challenge of establishing and navigating the social norms surrounding what’s acceptable in a professional video conference. Whether you’re new to remote work or are a veteran looking to brush up on your video conferencing etiquette, here are tips, best practices, do’s, and don’ts to help you master video conferencing.
1. Be on time
The conventional rules for meetings still apply. That means being on time for your video conference just as you would for a physical meeting. That said, if you’re the one hosting the conference call, it’s also common courtesy to provide a little time for attendees to sign on to account for technical issues and avoid having to repeat information to key attendees.
2. Dress appropriately
Dress appropriately for the type of video conference you’ll be hosting. Is this a typical work meeting or a casual team-building check-in? While it may be tempting to call-in wearing your PJs while working from home, it’s always safer to dress up rather than down.
Present yourself as you would in a face-to-face conversation. Maintaining social norms by dressing up for your remote work days can give you a psychological boost from sticking to your normal routine.
3. Avoid or mitigate background noise
Before you enter your call, it’s important to check your surroundings for unwanted background noise and possible interruptions. Most people don’t have a soundproofed privacy booth in their homes, so try to find a room with little noise or let your family or roommates know when you’ll require silence for your call. And while we’re on the subject of your video conferencing setup…
4. Prep your camera frame
Some people just join from their phones or let the natural positioning of their built-in webcam determine the frame of their video call. While fine for personal interactions, if you’re attending a meeting, hosting a sales call, or otherwise need to present an air of professionalism, it’s worth investing in your setup. Here are some things you can do to set up your camera frame:
- Center yourself in your camera frame. Ideally, your head and shoulders should occupy most of the camera frame, similar to a professional portrait.
- Mind your lighting. Set up your frame so that primary light sources such as windows cast light on your face, not from behind.
- Eliminate distractions from your background. Remove clutter, junk, bright lights, and other distractions from your webcam’s line of sight.
- Stylize your camera frame. Consider setting up a muslin backdrop or professionally stylized shelf to give your camera frame a polished look and feel.
5. Test your tech before you call
Technical difficulties are an inevitable part of the modern workplace. This is especially true when working remotely. You’ll want to make sure your video conferencing technology is working properly before you sign into a meeting. It’s a good idea to check your software, mic quality, and video and audio quality before a meeting or webinar.
6. Mute your mic when not speaking
It’s considered common courtesy to press the mute button when you aren’t speaking on a video conference call. Microphones can still pick up minor background noises even when you think you’re being silent. Your neighbor could suddenly decide to start mowing their lawn or someone you’re living with might ask you a question without realizing you’re in a conference call.
Depending on your setup, something as innocuous as typing into the group chat can still be enough to distract other participants on the call. Get into the habit of muting your mic until it’s your turn to talk.
7. Look into the camera
There’s nothing like eye contact to build a connection with another person. This is still true when you’re video conferencing from home. The difference is that if you look into the eyes of the person while you’re speaking it won’t appear that way from your target audience’s screen. The trick is to pretend you’re a news presenter and look directly into the camera when you’re speaking.
8. Share a specific window when presenting
There are some things you can’t get across with a static presentation. Screen Share is a lifesaver when it comes to collaborating online with a distributed team. This is especially true for walking people through a spreadsheet or large multi-page document. The simplicity of getting a point across by sharing everything on your screen is not to be understated.
On the flip side, it is possible to share too much. Not only could it be embarrassing for social media tabs and email conversations to be revealed to conference attendees during a screen share, but it’s also a potential security liability. Sensitive internal information could be exposed to an unintended third party such as a client.
That’s why it’s best to get into the habit of sharing a single app or browser tab. The idea is to only share the item relevant to the discussion. If you have multiple monitors, you can select a specific screen to share with the group.
9. Remember to exit screen share
The whole point of video conferencing is to leverage the benefits of face-to-face interaction to engage with your audience remotely. When you are finished presenting a slide and need to have a discussion, stop sharing your screen so your video returns to full screen. This will keep the group engaged for the remainder of the video conference.
10. Give 100% of your attention to the video conference
We get it. You’ve got a lot of work to do, and you’re technically alone at your desk miles away from anyone else on the video conference call. But research suggests that only 2% of the population are true multitaskers. For the rest of us, multitasking can lead to diminished focus, increased stress, and reduced attention.
You’re more likely to miss something important or make a mistake in your work. It can also come off as rude to the speaker and other participants on the call. Your safest bet is to treat virtual meetings like physical meetings and devote 100% of your attention to the speaker.
Remote work doesn’t have to be isolating, but if you’re struggling or looking for advice, check out our list of work-from-home tips for staying productive and sane. Video conferencing technology can give you everything you need to engage an audience and maintain that human connection with your peers. We hope that these video conferencing etiquette tips will give you the confidence you need to tackle your next virtual meeting with the class.
