10 etiquette tips for video calls

You’d be amazed what can go wrong during a video conference call. Avoid cringe moments your colleagues will never forget by following our 10 etiquette tips for video calls.

Type ‘Zoom bloopers’ into your search engine, and you’ll see hundreds of examples of what can go wrong during a work conference call.

From the boss who accidentally turned herself into a potato for an entire meeting and couldn’t figure out how to ‘unpotato’ herself, to forgetting how the mute button works, there is huge potential for mishap during conference calls.

But by following a few of our etiquette rules and checks, we’re confident you can avoid most of the potential conference call pitfalls.

1. Make friends with the mute button

This has got to be the number one rule – knowing how to mute your sound so your co-workers are unable to here anything you do or say. Recognising when you are, and when you are not, muted will save you from many moments of potential embarrassment. From the doorbell ringing to the toilet flushing, from family chaos, to shouting for someone to shut the door, you will have this all covered with an adept use of ‘mute’.

2. Don’t mess around with apps

When you’re on a call, no matter how riveting the subject matter may be, do not be tempted to play around with apps to amuse yourself. The boss who turned herself into a potato is real, and could happen to you. Don’t be a spud. Choose a time when you’re not on a call to mess around with the apps.

3. Be VERY confident about how to PRIVATELY message/chat during a conference call

If in doubt. Just. Don’t. Do. It.

4. Don’t eat, drink or chew

If you’re not on mute, eating, drinking or chewing are all intensified sounds in the microphone and are extremely irritating for your co-workers to listen to. Do you want the sound of them eating, drinking or chewing in your ears? No. Well it works both ways.

5. Warn your household beforehand

If there is half a per cent chance one of your household may stroll by your screen on their way to the shower, come in from a jacuzzi or need help to apply sun cream, or any one of a million scenarios that are really just for the privacy of your own sweet abode, warn your roomies. You’re going to be on a conference call at whatever o’clock and you just need them to not exist.

6. Check your background artwork

Do you have something on the wall of your workspace, in full view of your screen that you don’t want your co-workers to see? Perhaps that Tibetan fertility statue you love so much could be put out of shot… Your home is your home; it’s up to you what you decorate the place with but if you’d rather your colleagues didn’t have a glimpse into your quirkiness, just move said item/s out of shot.

7. Falling asleep is not professional body language

Look alert, engage with what’s going on, and no matter how rubbish it is, don’t slouch, scroll your phone or close your eyes. This is your job remember.

8. Don’t talk the talk all the time

There’s nothing worse than a call where everyone is talking over each other. A clear agenda, with timed slots for each contributor, should help. But when it comes to discussion, leave time between each speaker, to allow for lag and buffering.

9. Test your kit beforehand

There is nothing worse than dealing with dodgy kit and connection under pressure in a video conference. Don’t waste all those people’s time by faffing and apologising for your equipment. Test it beforehand then you can concentrate on the meeting.

10. Pets are ok

Don’t worry about your dog, cat or lizard stealing up for a cuddle. Everyone likes a cute animal moment during a work meeting. Just go with it and you’ll look cool, calm and collected.

Don’t let all these hazards put you off video conferencing. People are at their most creative when face to face so you should always choose to get online with your colleagues whenever you can. Your work and your projects, as well as how colleagues engage with you, will benefit.

And it’s also good for your wellbeing to chat online socially with your team.

Just. Be. Careful. 

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