Video Call Etiquette: A Professional Guide

Video calls are now a core part of professional communication. Here’s how to handle them well.

Before the Call

Test Your Setup

• Camera — at eye level, good lighting in front of you (not behind)
• Microphone — reduce background noise, close windows
• Internet — stable connection (use Ethernet if possible)
• Background — clean, neutral, or use a professional virtual background

Join on Time

5 minutes early is professional. 1 minute late is acceptable. Don’t keep people waiting.

During the Call

Mute When Not Speaking

This is the #1 rule. Background noise (typing, eating, dogs, traffic) is distracting for everyone.

Use Video

Turning on your camera builds trust and engagement. Turn it off only if:

• Your internet connection is unstable
• You need to eat during the meeting (meal times)
• You’re in a public space

Look at the Camera

When speaking, look at your camera — not your screen or yourself. It simulates eye contact.

Tip: Put a small sticker next to your webcam to remind you where to look.

Speak Clearly

• Speak slightly slower than in person (audio lag distorts fast speech)
• Pause briefly after questions (allows for audio delay)
• Say your name before speaking in large groups
• One person speaks at a time

Use Hand Gestures

Virtual hand raise features exist in most platforms. Use them instead of interrupting.

• Zoom: Reactions → Raise Hand
• Google Meet: Hand raise icon
• Teams: Raise hand button

Screen Sharing Best Practices

Before Sharing

• Close unrelated tabs and windows
• Disable notifications
• Clean up your desktop
• Set your display to a reasonable resolution (not 4K — small text is unreadable)

While Sharing

• Announce before you share: “Sharing my screen now”
• Share only the relevant window, not your entire desktop
• Slow down your cursor movements
• Zoom in on important details
• Stop sharing when done

Hosting a Meeting

Send an Agenda

A meeting without an agenda should be a Slack message:

Subject: Marketing sprint review — agenda

Agenda:
1. Last sprint results (Alice, 5 min)
2. Q3 content calendar (Bob, 10 min)
3. Social media performance (Carol, 5 min)
4. Open discussion (10 min)

Start on Time

Don’t wait for latecomers. Start at the scheduled time — it rewards punctual attendees.

Manage Participation

• Ask quiet members directly: “Alice, what do you think?”
• Use round-robin for updates
• Watch chat for questions (assign a co-host for large meetings)

Record Decisions

Share a summary immediately after the meeting:

Subject: Meeting notes — Marketing sprint review

Decided:
- Launch Q3 campaign on September 1
- Budget approved: $5,000 for paid ads

Action items:
- Alice: Draft campaign copy by Friday
- Bob: Set up tracking by Wednesday
- Carol: Create social media assets by Thursday

Common Mistakes

Meeting Types

Platforms Comparison

Related: Set up your ergonomic workspace and learn work from home tips.