Nowadays, virtual meetings are just the same as working from home seven days a week was a decade ago. However, with any significant discussion comes a need for an inclusive conduct code — one that ensures all attendees feel included, heard, and can participate meaningfully in the discussions. Virtual meeting etiquette helps teams increase productivity, and they are on the right track and develop professional connections.
Explore the most fundamental rules of modern meeting manners and what virtual meeting etiquette means, its benefits, and the ten most important rules to be followed in any professional setting online.
What is Virtual Meeting Etiquette?
Virtual meeting etiquette sets a standard for how leaders and teams should conduct themselves and behave in online meetings. Imagine it as a set of standards to ensure professionalism across the board.
Online meeting etiquette is expected of you when connecting with other colleagues on video calls, facilitating project meetings, and sharing thoughts with colleagues. A company’s remote meeting etiquette is closely tied to its fundamental values, philosophies, and goals.
10 Virtual Meeting Etiquette Rules
Even though you think you are generally practicing appropriate virtual meeting etiquette, small details can make a big difference, which is why we have created these virtual meeting etiquette rules applicable across online business settings.
Make them available to your colleagues so that you can improve the standard of your virtual meetings.
1. Behave As You Would In Person
If you were at an in-person meeting, you would not make a phone call or have a meal of fajitas as the presenter was speaking. It’s not a good idea to show up in bare clothes or with workout equipment, and you shouldn’t bring your pets or children.
The standard for virtual meeting etiquette is to act as if you were at an in-person meeting with investors or the CEO of your company.
There are several virtual meeting etiquette tips in this list, but should you read the preceding sentence, get yourself into the frame of mind, and then take action, we’re certain you’ll find additional suggestions.
Also read: Top 10 AI Generated Meeting Notes
2. Keep Track Of Your Mute Status
Muting or unmuting at the appropriate times may seem straightforward, yet when online meetings become the norm, it becomes an additional source of difficulty.
As soon as you are not speaking or commenting, ensure your microphone is muted. Before it is your turn to speak, unmute and then mute it again when finished speaking. This ensures everyone can communicate without background noise and without disruptions.
3. Turn Your Video Off If You Need To Get Up
Emergencies can happen. It’s a factand you’ll need to stand up and get yourself out of the way to take a break now and then (an unplanned bathroom break brings to mind).
Virtual meeting etiquette requires that, in such situations, you switch off your camera before standing ready to address an incident.
Once back at your meeting (but before turning your camera back on), ensure that you remain positioned exactly as before leaving the camera.
Returning and leaving your gathering this way won’t be as distracting for those present, providing a smoother transition process than taking an unplanned stroll out of frame, only to walk back inside it later with a camera in hand.
4. Minimize Distractions
As previously discussed, unexpected events occur and cannot be predicted. However, you don’t need to allow those interruptions to disrupt the conference.
You are practicing proper virtual meeting etiquette. Keep both the microphone and the camera off whenever possible. Inform family members not to interrupt you during meetings unless an urgent matter needs their immediate attention.
5. Keep Your Background Clean And Professional
Another important aspect of virtual meeting etiquette that everyone should adhere to is to keep what is behind us clean, neat, and professional.
This includes not putting up in a café with people coming and going behind you. This means that you should point your camera at a clean, decorated (or empty) wall when you can.
If your background features an intermittent white wall, your camera might capture other furniture or doors nearby, or even the floor as well. To minimize distractions and ensure a professional-looking background, turn your camera on early to check what can be seen before tidying your space.
6. Dress for Success
If you’re working at home, it’s easy to rise just five minutes before the appointment, dress in an outfit, comb your hair, and then sit at your laptop or tablet.
Do not fall for this temptation if you can, as it’s definitely not part of proper etiquette for virtual meetings. Dress and dress as if you were meeting with the CEO of your business and the investors who might finance your business for the coming year.
It doesn’t matter if the attendee or the host, good dress and grooming do matter.
For most people, this is wearing business-like clothing or casual if that’s the corporate culture, and the hairstyle as if you were at work.
7 Improve Your Virtual Meeting Etiquette with a Quality Mic
As home-based work and virtual meetings become more prevalent, investing in a quality microphone for your tablet, phone, or laptop can significantly enhance communication for you and your team. Built-in mics on devices or external webcams often lack clarity when sitting further away; you don’t require studio-quality microphones-just reliable options that ensure all attendees can clearly hear you!
8. Avoid distractions
Another useful tip for etiquette is to silence your mobile phone and other noises that might occur. This can distract from the discussion.
You may not be thinking about these sounds during your typical day working from home. If they occur when your microphone is in use, the other person at the table loses their focus and forgets what the speaker or you said.
It is a good idea to keep your mouth shut about things like your:
- Mobile phone
- Landline phone
- TV
- Radio
- Computer-generated notification
- Clock alarms
In common areas of your home and apartment might pay attention to the noise from the washing machine or doorbells.
It’s impossible to eliminate all noises, but try your best to be considerate of all other participants at this virtual conference.
Also read: How to Manage Remote Teams Effectively in the Quiet Quitting Era
9. Know Your Meeting Platform
It’s not necessary to be a professional, but you should take this virtual meeting etiquette tip and familiarize yourself with the standard settings in the virtual meeting app.
If keyboard shortcuts become accessible, they are generally faster and less complicated than using the trackpad or mouse, but if you can perform the basics required to take part in a virtual meeting, you’ll be able to participate.
Those basics include being able to:
- Participate in the meeting
- Change your screen name (if allowed)
- Mute/unmute the mic
- Turn your video on and off
- Raise your hand
- Leave the meeting
Hosting a virtual meeting requires knowing how to share both your screen and your computer’s audio (for videos). Also important are sharing attendees in your meeting, eliminating participants, establishing breakout rooms, lowering all hands simultaneously, and switching microphones off as necessary.
10. Set Goals and Agendas
Like a regular meeting, a virtual one can be a disaster if there aren’t any goals or a clearly defined meeting agenda. Create one and send it out to all attendees within a few days before the beginning meeting. This will enable them to communicate any other topics they would like to include.
For instance, the team might want to discuss Amazon management or Amazon SEO. These topics can quickly consume much of your meeting’s time. Preparing a list of goals and subtopics to discuss before convening is likely to facilitate conversation more smoothly while decreasing any chance of becoming sidetracked from discussions on different subjects.
Final thoughts
Do you find today’s virtual meeting etiquette tips helpful?
These guidelines and rules will ensure online meetings are run as professionally as they would in an office environment, increasing productivity while decreasing distractions and increasing employee engagement.
FAQs: Virtual Meeting Etiquette
How should I set up my background for virtual meetings?
Choose a clean, uncluttered space or a neutral wall. Avoid busy environments like cafes or areas with foot traffic.
How do I manage multiple online meeting platforms?
Familiarize yourself with the basics of each platform: mute/unmute, video toggle, screen sharing, raising hands, and chat functions.
How long should virtual meetings last?
Keep meetings concise, ideally 30–60 minutes, and stick to the agenda to respect everyone’s time.
Can virtual meeting etiquette improve team collaboration?
Yes. Following etiquette fosters respectful communication, reduces distractions, and creates a professional environment that encourages collaboration.
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