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Video Conference Meeting Etiquette

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While Zoom meetings have existed since 2011, it wasn’t until the pandemic arrived in 2020 that many people first learned of Zoom. Working from home thrust the app company into mass usage as employees began working from home.

In the span of less than a year, virtual team meetings have become a part of the daily work routine for millions of workers. Whether you use Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Go-To-Meeting as a platform, professional conduct while participating in video conferences call can improve the efficiency of meetings. Since video conferencing is here to stay, we’d like to share 12 etiquette tips for participating in a virtual meeting.

As companies and employees scrambled to adapt to the use of video conferences, many questions were raised about rules, etiquette and conduct. Is it okay to wear your pajamas in a Zoom meeting? Is it okay to sip on a glass of wine? Must you comb your hair before joining a Zoom call? Employers have been literally invited into your home, your private domain, your personal jungle. Since you are at home, can you act like you are at home? The answer is, not really.

As a result of this work from home arrangement, a professional Zoom etiquette has emerged. In general, there has been a relaxing of the uptight nature of the corporate world. Are we really going to wear a tie in our home all day? The new work environment is a challenge as parents try to do their own work while also helping their kids access online school. Spouses are sharing workspaces together and some may even be sharing the home computer.

12 Etiquette Tips

  1. Turn your camera on – be present in the meeting
  2. Invest in the fastest internet – don’t drag the meeting down by freezing
  3. Minimize Multitasking – look like you are paying attention
  4. The mute button is your friend – unless speaking – be muted
  5. Learn how to use the virtual conferencing tools such as “share screen”
  6. Turn your notification sounds down or off and stay off your cell phone
  7. Participate, engage and add value to the meeting you were invited to
  8. Watch your body language – crossed arms, slouching etc.
  9. Create a quiet, dedicated area for video conference calls
  10. Work-from-home situations are different – kids and pets may appear
  11. Dress as you would for an in-person meeting
  12. Keep your virtual backgrounds professional and relative to your business

Other things you might consider for better virtual meetings are upgrading your microphone to get better audio quality, adding an external video camera for better video performance, and even upgrading your lighting in your dedicated video conference area.