A guide to video call etiquette

Here’s how to ensure you have productive meetings when working from home

Video calls are now the new normal for those of us lucky enough to be able to work from home. But they can come with a few unspoken rules. Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure that you have a productive meeting.

Test your technology

Always test both your software and hardware. Get on a test call with a friend and check whether your internet connection can handle the call. Know how to switch on and switch off both your camera and your microphone. Figure out how to make calls and also how to end them. Testing your tools also helps you ensure that you’ve picked the right ones.

Schedule it

Meetings must be scheduled at least an hour in advance. Just because people are working from home doesn’t mean they can be on call at all times. Many individuals are juggling household chores and work at the same time. Even before making a scheduled call, it is a good practice to text and make sure everyone is ready for the meeting. This also helps avoid the awkward silence or small talk before the latecomer joins in. If you won’t be able to make it, do let your team know so they don’t waste time waiting for you.

Have an agenda

The meeting, especially if done between a large number of people, must have a clear agenda. This must be made clear prior to the meeting so participants can be prepared for it. It also helps maximise productivity.

Dress appropriately

While your work wardrobe need not have to be as formal as it would be otherwise, make sure to be presentable. Make sure to throw on a pair of pants to avoid any accident flashing. Keep in mind your background while picking an outfit. If you have a plain white background, it is advisable to steer clear of a plain white shirt, you could potentially look like a floating head. Also avoid small fussy patterns as they tend to fare poorly on camera.

Pick the right place

Ideally a plain wall works best, but the idea is to get anything that may not be work-appropriate out of the way. You also want the area to be well lit, with the light source coming from the side or behind your camera. Minimise noise as much as possible.

If finding the right place is a task, video calling apps such as Zoom have the option of using an image as a background. Just make sure to pick something appropriate for a meeting. A solid colour is the best choice.

When to switch on video

This depends from meeting to meeting and on your co-workers, but the general rule of thumb is that if the majority of your colleagues are on video call, you should switch your camera on as well. If you are uncomfortable with doing so, it would be best if this is intimated beforehand, so that it doesn’t come across as unprofessional.

Look at the lens

Eye contact is an important communication tool, but it becomes tricky on video. Most of us tend to look at the screen or ourselves, what one must be doing is looking at the lens. Treat the lens as the person you’re talking to, what your lens sees, is what your colleagues see.

Muting the call

Muting the call helps you remove unnecessary noise in a call. The mic may pick up on anything from your breathing to a sneeze or a yawn, keep it muted when you are not speaking to avoid this. Although you must remember to unmute before launching back into dialogue.

Don’t talk over each other

With a call that has multiple people in it, it’s better if it is decided who speaks when. If you have any questions in between someone else’s time, it is best to use the chat function for the same.

In the same vein, having multiple people in a call can sometimes mean you don’t know who is talking. Say your name before you start speaking to avoid any confusion.