Virtual Meeting Etiquette: Best Practices Before & During Calls

Nearly 80% of American employees are still working remote or hybrid, making virtual meetings something of a new normal. While there are far fewer viral breaches of etiquette as there were when video calls took off during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual meeting etiquette can still be a struggle for many teams. Sure, everybody’s remembering to put pants on, but background noise, aggressive interruptions, and distracted participants can all lead to meetings getting derailed. All of that contributes to 65% of workers feeling that meetings are regular time wasters.

Professionalism in a virtual setting requires a different set of rules than in-person meetings. So, let’s dig into it. Let’s cover essential virtual meeting etiquette, from setup to active participation, to support a better remote working environment.

Before the Call

Everybody bears a responsibility for making a video meeting successful. And that starts before the call even starts. Taking a few moments to set up your environment can prevent major distractions. Here are some things you can do:

• Optimize your audio: Always test your microphone and speakers/headset before joining a meeting, and make sure you’re on mute when you join a call with multiple people. The single most important rule of virtual meeting etiquette is to mute when not speaking.
• Check your video and lighting: Ensure your camera is roughly at eye level to avoid a view that’s going to make other participants uncomfortable. For lighting, face your light source rather than having it behind you so you look less like a silhouette. You can use a virtual background if you’d like, but otherwise you should make sure your background is clean and professional.
• Eliminate distractions: Close any unnecessary tabs, applications, or programs running on your computer. Silence your phone notifications and let any housemates or family members know you’re on a call so they can minimize noise or interruptions during the meeting.

Internalizing these strategies before the call can set you up for success, but you should also make sure your employees know to take the same steps.

During the Call

Etiquette varies between companies. That said, here are some basic etiquette tips to promote positive engagement and professionalism.

• Dress code: Keep the same dress code you’d observe if you were meeting colleagues or clients face-to-face in the office. If your company is formal, dress formally. If it’s casual, you can dress casually. But don’t show up haggard in your PJs.
• Stay focused: When the camera’s on, make an effort to look into the camera when you’re speaking rather than at individuals. It simulates eye contact better. Also, try to avoid multitasking, like checking email or scrolling social media.
• Body language: Sit up straight and ensure you’re fully visible in the frame. A simple nod or smile in response to cues shows you’re listening and processing what the speaker is saying.
• Mute when needed: Only unmute when you’re actively contributing. A helpful trick in many platforms is to use the spacebar. Press and hold the spacebar to unmute or mute yourself, so you can quickly comment without fumbling with a mouse or through tabs.
• Speaking etiquette: Always wait for a clear pause before speaking. Because of latency, what seems like a pause on your end might overlap with someone else starting to speak. If you need to interject or ask a question, use the “Raise Hand” feature or send a quick chat.
• Use the chatbox: Most video conferencing tools have a chat feature. This is a great place to share relevant links, documents, or meeting notes. But reserve the chat for relevant comments rather than sidebar conversations.
• Keep it brief: Respect everyone’s time by keeping your contributions concise and to the point. If you have an in-depth topic to cover, briefly mention it and offer to take it offline.

Again, every organization has its own virtual meeting etiquette. That said, these basic guidelines can help you establish a standard for your business.