Video conferences have proven to be viable alternatives to face-to-face meetings, presentations, and seminars. Now that video conferencing technologies like Zoom, Google Meets, Skype, and Microsoft Teams have become mainstream for various industries, it’s safe to say that people will continue to rely on them for professional matters.
But technologies aren’t the only things that have evolved. Now, most offices uphold a particular etiquette—or “netiquette,” if you will—for conducting oneself during video conferences. The rationale of this netiquette is to make it easy for co-workers to identify each other, stay productive in their hybrid or work-from-home environments, and uphold a veneer of professionalism no matter where they are.
Several of these social cues have to do with an employee’s appearance and other important visual and textual elements in the video call. If you want to look your professional best when video conferencing with your clients or colleagues, pay attention to these said elements and make sure to do the following:
Wear Office-Ready Clothing in Front of the Camera
To be consistent about the impression you leave on others while you’re attending to your work, dress up for your video calls the same way you would for the office. Observe the same dress code, whether that’s business casual or formal wear.
When you dress up for your video calls, you send the message that you value people’s time and presence as much as you would if you were meeting them face to face. Extend professional courtesy to them by showing up in work-appropriate clothing.
Avoid Flashy Jewellery or Overly Busy Prints
On the topic of dressing up, keep your outfit simple and clean. Do away with flashy gold or silver accessories as these can induce an unpleasant glare on other people’s screens. The same goes for overly busy fabric patterns for your shirt and other top layers. The patterns may come out distorted on video and thus distract people instead of making them pay attention to you. Play it safe with crisp, neatly pressed tops in neutral colors, and finish your look with simple jewelry.
Adjust the Angle of Your Webcam
In addition to your general appearance, pay attention to the angle of your laptop camera or standalone web camera and make sure it’s at a good angle. Center your webcam and keep the lens at eye level. That way, the people you’re conferencing with can see your face and maintain eye contact like they would if you were talking in person.
Use Bright and Natural Lighting
On top of looking unprofessional, a dark environment will make it difficult for people to recognize you. Don’t take lighting for granted and make sure that you have sufficient lighting for your upcoming video calls.
What if your work desk isn’t located near a window, or what if you don’t get enough sunlight in your home office? If that’s the case, place a lamp or ring light behind you. Take some time before each video call to adjust the brightness and positioning of your lighting source so that you’re sure it looks just right onscreen.
Declutter Your Surroundings or Change Your Background Screen
You should also take care to clean up your immediate surroundings and to put away any items that you think will be distracting to other video call participants. This is an important step not only for maintaining professionalism within the call but also for protecting your personal privacy.
If you think that your current background may draw undue attention away from your person, either change your background screen to a plain one or blur your background out using the video conferencing app. It’s also an option to use a company-issued wallpaper as your background if you have one on hand.
Configure Your Display Name
Lastly, before you enter a call, check that the name is displayed on your video panel is your real name or the name that you regularly use in the office. For everyone else’s convenience—in particular, if you don’t already know each other—you can also add attachments like your official job designation or the department you hail from.
It may also be appropriate to add your company’s name or an abbreviation of it in your display name. This will be particularly helpful if you’re attending an online event with participants from other organizations. The details in your display name will make it easier for a speaker, facilitator, or fellow participant to engage with you during the call. They may even be able to customize their response to you based on what your display name tells them about the type of business you’re in or your home industry.
Final Words
Even in the face of constraints like physical distance and differing time zones, a video conference will make it possible for you to connect with others and to clear important business objectives. Communicate your readiness to do these by ensuring that you always look professional in front of your webcam.