If your company or team is going to have regular online meetings, it’s a good idea to decide on a system for asking questions, such as raising your hand or using chat to ask a question. Wait for a few moments of silence before speaking up in case there’s a sound delay. It’s a lot easier to accidentally interrupt on a video call. Also, if you need to get up or move around or do something else during the call (or if your toddler suddenly makes an appearance), it’s a good idea to switch off your video to avoid causing any distractions.ĭuring in-person meetings, you can pick up on visual cues to help find the right time to speak. Your microphone can pick up a lot of background noise, so muting allows others on the call to easily hear who’s speaking. Mute your side of the call if you’re not speaking. Know when to turn off your audio and video
A good way to do this is by having everyone either check in or introduce themselves. Once the call has started, check to see if everyone can hear and see each other.
Give yourself a few extra minutes before the call to set up and if possible, log onto the call a little early, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the software that your host is using. Also, make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi connection and that your device is either plugged in or fully charged. It’s a good idea to test your video conferencing software before the call, especially if you’ve never used it before. It also doesn’t hurt to have good posture.
Wearing a bright white or black shirt may cause your camera to auto-adjust the brightness and make it hard to see your face, so wear a less extreme color. It’s best to avoid patterns or stripes which may be distracting on camera. You don’t need to do anything extra, like put on makeup if you don’t wear it normally, but it’s a good idea to present a reasonably good appearance. Dress how you would for an in-person meeting, and make sure to follow your workplace’s dress code. One of the best parts about working from home is getting to wear sweatshirts and sweatpants all day, but that may not be the right move for a video call. Oh, and you might also want to set up a virtual background, if you don’t have time to tidy up your space. Open up the camera on your laptop or switch on your external camera and see what’s visible in the background before the call, and check that you’re comfortable showing that on a video call (so put away your laundry and make sure whatever’s on your walls is work-appropriate). Backlighting can often make it hard to see if you can’t change the backlighting, try to put another light in front and to the side of your face.Ĭlean up the area around you. Natural lighting and side lighting work best, but overhead lights will work well, too. If you’re using a separate camera, place it near your screen - it’s best to put the camera at eye level, so that when you’re looking at the screen, it appears as if you’re looking at the person you’re talking to. Don’t sit too far from (or too close to) the camera. Set up your device or camera so that it has a clear, unobstructed view of you. If you have roommates, partners, or family members who are also working from home (or just stuck at home), let them know beforehand that you’ll be in a meeting to minimize interruptions. If not, use headphones to minimize background noise. If you can, find a private place to take the call. Here’s a guide to the do’s and don’ts of video conferencing. While it’s helpful to treat it like an in-person meeting, there are also a few more things you have to consider when you’re on a video call. If you don’t have a lot of experience with video conferencing, it may take some getting used to - especially when your whole team’s now working remotely. Meetings are moving entirely online, which means that we’re attending a lot of video conference calls.
As more and more workplaces transition to being remote, we’re learning how to navigate all the aspects of working digitally.