Video conferencing etiquette: Tips to work from home like a pro

Remote work

will remain as long as the COVID-19 pandemic lasts, so video conferencing will be an essential tool.

Nevertheless, it is a working model that needs to be improved in many areas to be as effective as possible.

Néstor Guerra

, a teacher at Udemy , a global online education platform, shares a guide with recommendations to make the most of video conferencing.

Clothing

Do not get carried away by comfort . Despite being at home, choose a proper work outfit that makes you feel comfortable at the same time. Dress every week as if you went to the office and, depending on the kind of company you work for, adapt your style .

Works pace

Determine an area of your house to work and consider video conferencing when choosing it. You do not need to pick a white wall as a background for people will understand you are at home and so there will be some details from your own style in the picture, however, be careful with what you display.

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A recommendation is to choose a place with natural lighting so that your face can be clearly seen. Likewise, make sure activities at your house do not interfere at the time you are attending a video call.

Technical aspects

In order to have efficient connectivity at video calls, pay attention to the following technical aspects:

Mute

your microphone when another person is talking in order to prevent distractions. A good option to better explain the points of your presentation is to use visual presentation tools .

Keep your desk organized if you are going to present something and make sure to only open the websites you will need in your meeting.

If possible, use a high bandwidth and avoid using Wi-Fi, instead, use a cable directly connected to the router; in case you are left without connection, you can consider alternative options such as mobile data .

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Times

Establish a schedule for video conferencing and stick to it. It is best for meeting to last no longer than an hour to keep the attention of all the attendees.

Try not to jam your schedule and have two video calls on average per day. In case it is not possible, leave 10 to 15 minutes free between each call so that everyone can take a break .

Breaks

In order not to get tired and frustrated physically and mentally , it is good to get up from your workspace every two hours, do relaxing exercises , stretch yourself, and take a snack and drink water. Another suggestion is to establish a video call-free day to focus on individual work and rest.

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