Video Meeting Etiquette - 5 tips to have better video meetings
4 (almost 5) years into a hybrid, remote-first workplace and we still do not have standard expectations for how to show up as our best selves on video meetings.
With younger generations entering the workforce, there is a lot of talk around how they are unprepared for the professional world and lack the professionalism needed to be successful in Corporate America.
And to that, I ask you - have they been trained properly? Have you communicated explicit expectations with your younger workforce?
Gone are the days where organic onboarding, mentorship, and professional development happen on a daily basis at work. It is not enough to assume new hires and younger professionals will “get with the program” when the program is constantly being changed, is hosted on numerous virtual platforms, and hasn’t been updated for the evolving workplace.
Establishing expectations on video meeting etiquette is pivotal to the success of building relationships in the workplace and producing collaborative and productive working teams.
Is there a required virtual background for your meetings?
Where are acceptable locations to take video meetings?
What attire is acceptable for video meetings?
Here are 5 video meeting etiquette tips to teach your teams -
Mirror Camera on vs. Camera off
If the other person has their camera on, turn yours on too. If the other person has their camera off, it’s ok to keep your camera off too. Every workplace has a different culture when it comes to expectations of camera on versus camera ask. Follow their lead and when in doubt… ask “would you prefer to have this meeting with our cameras on or cameras off”.
2. Seek consent when recording
Luckily, most video conferencing platforms automatically offer notifications for consent when logging into a recorded meeting but be aware of your states recording laws. In Illinois, for example, their is an all-party consent rule. This means that all participants in a private conversation must consent to being recorded. Illinois is one of the states with stricter eavesdropping and wiretapping laws, and it applies to both in-person and electronic communications.
3. Be mindful of body language
Synchronous communication channels allow us to perceive body language just like in an in person conversation. Even though it’s through a computer screen, be intentional in maintaining eye contact, be conscious of your body language, etc.
4. Minimize distractions + multitasking
I will admit, this one is the hardest to do in a remote work environment. With the millions of pings, notifications, emails, slacks, etc etc etc, remaining focused on the task at hand, such as the meeting we are on, is hard to do. Use the do not disturb function to your advantage. Be present so it will not only save you time later when needing to recall what was discussed in the meeting but it will position you as an attentive listener amongst the people you work with.
5. Champion participation
If you are facilitating a meeting, be mindful of including people in the conversation. Video meetings are very different than in person meetings because you can’t always tell when someone wants to add something to the conversation behind a computer screen. When you are in a conference room together in person, you can usually read the body language of someone when they want to offer an idea or feedback in a conversation – they will shift in their chair, they will take a deep breath right before wanting to speak, they will maintain eye contact with the person speaking. However, when on a video meeting, this becomes harder to recognize. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the person running the meeting to explicitly ask each individual attending the meeting to contribute however they feel most comfortable.
Video meetings are a GREAT asset to our workplace. We can work across timezones, we can collaborate at a much faster pace, and we get the ability to work from wherever, whenever. Be sure you are equipping your team with the right tools and expectations to use video conferencing as a productive communication channel.
