While virtual meetings have likely been a part of your daily work routine for some time now, it’s still easy to fall victim to some major meeting faux pas. Virtual meeting etiquette is a whole new ball game compared to in-person meetings.
No matter what meeting technology you may be using, follow these seven simple virtual meeting etiquette rules and tips to help you keep your meetings productive and professional.
1. Leave the keyboard alone
Whether you’re diligently taking notes like a model employee or sneakily chatting with your work best friend, the sound of your typing is distracting. It’s not only distracting everyone else in the meeting (because your laptop’s internal microphone is inches away from your keyboard), it is also preventing you from devoting your full attention to the meeting. Choose a quality headset or pick up your notebook and pen to take meeting notes instead.
2. Dress appropriately
One of the magical things about working remotely is the freedom to wear anything to work. It’s the dream, right? Still, there’s no reason to show your co-workers your PJs and a messy head of hair. (Unless it’s a joke the whole team agrees on, in which case we approve).
Take a few minutes to throw on a clean shirt and brush your hair. The best part of actually getting ready while working remotely is that you’ll put yourself in the right headspace to be productive.
See OHS Guidance on Dress Code that has expectations for in person and a virtual meeting.
3. Be aware of your surroundings
Your coworkers won’t be able to hear your ideas or take you seriously when there is a pile of dirty clothes in the corner behind you. You also want to avoid looking like you work from the inside of a cave because of bad lighting.
Adjust your work setup so that you face a window or are exposed to plenty of light. And make sure your background is professional and work appropriate! This means:
- No unmade beds in the background
- No messy rooms or open closets where everyone can see your clutter
- No inappropriate artwork
While kids and pets are adorable (and a much-needed distraction when you’re feeling overwhelmed), your coworkers won’t love having to talk over a screaming child or barking dog. So, be mindful of noise and…
4. Mute your microphone when you’re not talking
There’s nothing more frustrating than hearing that alien echo noise from conflicting microphones. Be sure to join the meeting while on mute—this saves everyone from a possible ear-splitting madness. Or depending on the microphone, everyone could just be hearing you breathe! That can be even more distracting.
In addition, unless you live alone, your house is probably pretty noisy these days. Muting your microphone when you’re not speaking gives other participants the ability to chime in and share their thoughts without distraction or frustration.
If some people just will not mute their microphones and you are the moderator, there is usually a way to mute all participants.
5. Speak up
When you enter a small meeting (around two to five people) announce yourself when you join. It can be awkward to hear the “someone-just-joined” ding followed by silence. When you hop on the meeting, introduce yourself and say hi – just make sure you don’t interrupt someone mid-sentence.
Don’t be afraid to project your voice, too! Your team will appreciate being able to hear you without having to strain their ears or turn their volume all the way up.
6. No food allowed
Try to eat a snack before your virtual meeting. No one wants to see you stuff your face with chips while discussing important business matters. Not only is it distracting to others, you won’t be able to focus on the task at hand because you’ll be worrying about dropping crumbs all over your keyboard. It’s fine to have a bottle or glass of water on hand, especially if you plan on talking a lot during the meeting.
7. Stay seated and stay present
It may be tempting to check your inbox or carry on a side conversation during a dull moment in a meeting, but don’t do it! You might miss out on key information or an opportunity to give input. If you’re using your webcam, use attentive body language: sit up straight, don’t make big extraneous movements, and don’t let your eyes wander too much. If you must be absent for a bit, be sure to leave a sentence in the Chat portion of the meeting that you needed to step away for a few minutes.
See Virtual Training and Meeting Etiquette infographic that summarizes virtual etiquette as a handy reminder. You can download and save on your computer, or print it out to post in your workspace.
To conclude, below is something that you can keep in mind the next time you attend a virtual meeting. Just don’t call out “BINGO” when you get a row filled up! Unless the meeting is very informal and everyone is playing.
Virtual Meeting Bingo Card
How many times were these comments (or something very similar) mentioned during the meeting?
| B | I | N | G | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi, who just joined? | Can you email that to everyone? | Is ____ on the call? | Uh, ____ you’re still sharing… | Hey, guys, I have to jump to another call. |
| Sound of someone typing, possibly with a hammer. | Loud, painful echo/feedback. | Child or animal noises. | Hi, can you hear me? | No, it’s still loading. |
| Next slide, please. | Can everyone go on mute. | I’m sorry, I was on mute | (For overtalkers) Sorry, go ahead. |
Hello? Hello? |
| So (cuts out) I can (unintelligible) by (cuts out) OK? |
Sorry I’m late (insert lame excuse). | I have a hard stop at… | I’m sorry, you cut out there. | Can we take this offline? |
| I’ll have to get back to you. | Can everyone see my screen? | Sorry, I having connection issues. | I think there’s a lag. | Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat? |
