5 Online Meeting Rules (Zoom Etiquette)

The age of the home office is well underway and with that we need some online meeting rules! And our access to unlimited fibre internet thanks to Home-Connect (Don’t have our unbeatable fibre internet yet!? Check your area for coverage) has made working from home a no-brainer. The advent of the home office has meant we have had to relocate our meetings to online platforms like Zoom. (Don’t have Zoom? You can download it here). Now before we discuss several Zoom etiquette rules you’d do well to observe, lets first educate you on Zoom’s history.

The brain’s behind this brilliant video communications company is Eric Yuan, a former Cisco engineer who founded Zoom way back in 2011 and launched it’s software in 2013. As luck would have it, Zoom’s software usage saw an incredible global rise in popularity courtesy of quarantine measures adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about Zoom’s history here.

Here are 5 Zoom Etiquette Rules You’d do Well to Observe.

 

1.) Be On Time

 

Seems obvious. And it is. Just like in the real world, tardiness in the Zoom world is not a particularly desired quality. Trust us, being late on Zoom is easier then you’d expect. You arrive at your laptop 5 minutes early for a meeting only to discover that your meeting ID and passcode is lost in a plethora of emails never to be found again. After searching for five minutes, you raise the white flag, WhatsApp a colleague for the required information to log in. Make sure you’re arrive at your laptop early, ready for the meeting and be sure to save those Zoom meeting ID’s and passcodes.

2.) Take Control of Your Noise

Audio is one of the most important factors to consider when taking part in a Zoom meeting. Don’t think you can simply open your laptop and get going – but consider what other people can and can’t hear. It’s important that along with sourcing a good set of headphones to hear clearly what others are saying, that you also situate yourself in a quiet area. Having dogs barking or a child screaming in the background isn’t fit for a business environment. Your Zoom meeting location should be free of undesired noise.

3.) Dress the Part

Just because your boss has allowed you to start working from home 3 days of the week – doesn’t mean you get to rock up to important work meetings in your pyjamas. It’s always better to overdress than underdress. Generally speaking, online meetings are more relaxed, attire wise, than their physical counterparts. But it still remains important to strike a good balance between comfort and professionalism.

4.) Use Your Video

We understand that using your video is not always possible. Perhaps your babysitter left early and now you’re left in the lurch looking after your two kids while juggling the mute button between screams from your fighting toddlers. But whenever possible, make sure that your video remains on. Nothing makes someone seem less trustworthy then when a video remains curiously off, during an entire meeting.

5.) The More Light the Merrier

Video quality is highly affected by light. The more light, the better your video quality will be. You’ve arrived early at your laptop for your meeting, you have all necessary passcodes saved and you’ve located yourself in a noise free environment and you’re dressed to impress; don’t let all that handwork be spoiled by bad lighting. If your house is poorly lit – invest in an extra lamp and place it in front of you so you’re easier to see.

 

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