What are some best practices for video meeting etiquette when working remotely?

Before joining or starting a video meeting, it's crucial to ensure that all your equipment is in working order. Test your device, internet connection, camera, microphone, and speakers in advance to avoid technical difficulties. Dealing with these issues during a meeting can waste time and be frustrating for others. Additionally, choose a reliable and secure platform that meets your needs and preferences. By taking these steps, you can ensure a smooth and professional video meeting experience for everyone involved.

While location is key, it’s equally essential to have high-quality personal peripherals—speakerphone, headset, webcam—suited to your surroundings. The right devices make a huge difference: imagine taking a meeting from a bustling coffee shop with a basic headset that connects via a 3.5mm jack and lacks active noise cancellation (ANC). It’s no surprise when the meeting experience suffers. In today’s world, it’s less about where you are and more about how well-equipped you are to handle your environment. Make sure your devices are adaptable to your location, ensuring clear communication no matter where you join from.

To create a professional setting, select a neutral background or use a virtual background if your platform supports it. This helps remove distractions and keeps the focus on you and your message. It is essential to avoid noisy or busy environments such as cafes, airports or public places to maintain clear audio and visual quality.

From my point of view, even when working from home, it's crucial to dress appropriately for video meetings. While the setting may be more relaxed, it's important to maintain a professional image. You never know who might see you or when you might need to stand up, so following the dress code of your organization or industry is wise. Avoiding overly casual, flashy, or revealing attire is key; instead, opt for outfits that convey professionalism and confidence. This not only reflects well on you but also shows respect for your colleagues and the work you're doing.

One of the things I’ve also found helpful is being mindful of posture. Even if you’re well dressed, good posture can add tremendous value.

I attend too many video conferences where there is no introduction of the parties I am meeting or myself to them. It seems impersonal enough that we cannot meet in person, but to carry on a dialogue with someone you are guessing about is de-evolutionary and does nothing for building relationships. I suggest that the meeting organizer should be responsible to introduce all involved parties. Call me old fashioned.

To start well, greet & make sure everyone can see and hear you, be aware of the start and end times scheduled. Allow others the space to speak.

During multi-party Video call, remember to mute the microphone when not speaking. Avoid unnecessary tapping, rustling of papers, or side conversations. Keep papers away from microphone. This prevents broadcast of background noise to the other sites and acting as a distraction. Pause between speakers and wait to receive comments or responses from other sites.

Pay attention. Do not multitask. Don’t check your emails, work on your to do list or surf the web. Give your colleagues your respect and undivided attention.

Do what you can to enable eye contact. It is not so easy, as the cameras that most of us use for video conferencing sit atop a monitor or are above the screen on a laptop. But always keep in mind where the camera is, as that is what is going to give the effect of eye contact. So, that means, if you are in a two-screen setup, making sure that your camera is above the screen that the meeting will be on, as that is the one that you need to be looking at. It means squaring up to that camera, so the abovementioned posture is good.