Do’s and Dont’s of Video Conferencing Etiquette

Video Conferencing Etiquette and Meeting Tips. Video conferencing has become the standard in business for a whole number of different industries. From conducting job interviews to meeting new clients or connecting with co-workers from all around the world, video calls are becoming more and more important in the workplace.

Video Conferencing Etiquette and Tips

It is important for businesses to ensure that their staff members have access to video conference training as it is becoming used more and more increasingly across the world. To ensure that you and your staff are fully aware of correct video conference and call etiquette, we’ve put together some top tips from the experts.

Do Get to Know Your Equipment

Today’s devices and equipment are surprisingly easy to use when it comes to video calling and conferences. But you don’t want to be getting to grips with a new piece of equipment two minutes before you’re set to be on the call.

Before taking or joining a video conference, it’s important to make sure that you understand the video and audio settings of the equipment that you will be using so that you don’t end up holding people up or being unable to work the devices during the call. Click here for more information.

Look at the Camera

The rise in popularity of unified communications means that more and more employees are using video calling and conferences as a part of their day-to-day job. Whether you are on a video call, participating in a video conference call or participating in a video interview, it is vital that you focus on the camera, as this will make you appear fully engaged in the conversation.

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Avoid looking at the computer screen and at yourself talking on the computer screen. Eye contact and body language are just as vital on a video call as they are in person when it comes to building good professional relationships.

Consider Your Environment

One of the biggest advantages of cloud computing is that more and more people are being able to work from home, but because of this, it also means that more and more employees are taking video calls and appearing on video conference calls from their home.

If you are expecting to be on a video conference when you are out of the office, it’s important to ensure that you are in the right environment for it. When setting up your conference call, you should definitely consider the things that are in the background. You should make sure that any wall art or decorations in the background are work appropriate, and ensure that the area is clean and tidy.

Stay Focused

It is easy for the other participants to see whether or not you are fully focused and present during the video conference call. Don’t check emails or browse the web whilst you are on a video conference call, as this is not the time for multi-tasking.

If an important notification pops up whilst you are on the call, the polite way to deal with it is by alerting your fellow callers to the situation and excusing yourself from the call if needed.

Mute and Disconnect

Failing to mute your microphone or fully disconnect from the call once you have finished participation can result in a lot of unnecessary embarrassment or could cause you to unintentionally annoy others. Even if you are not speaking and are alone in your room or office you should mute your microphone, as the added background noise can be an annoying distraction to other callers.

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Once the conference call is over or you have done your part when it comes to participating, you should make sure that you have hung up, and logged out of the conferencing application.

Think About the Positioning

Before taking a video conference call, you should take into consideration the positioning of the camera and how you will appear on the call. You should ensure that your camera is at eye level so that it’s easier for you to focus on it, and be careful not to position it too high or low, or hooked to a different computer monitor to the one you are directly in front of.

Weird camera angles can be very distracting, both for the other callers and for yourself as you try and fix the angle whilst focusing on the call at the same time.

With remote workers becoming more and more popular and working from home being more readily available to many employees due to cloud computing, video conference calls are increasingly becoming an integral method of business communication. In today’s business industry, understanding proper video conference call etiquette is a must. 🙂