Virtual meetings are the new standard. That’s why virtual meeting etiquette is something everyone should educate themselves about.

Even if you are not a remote worker, you might have to attend an online meeting to meet with a customer or a business partner. This new standard comes with a new set of rules that specify how we should behave.

Master Virtual Meeting Etiquette: DOs and DON’Ts

Here are 15 rules that will help you ace your virtual meetings:

Virtual Meeting Etiquette DOs

1. Be prepared.

Being prepared is crucial for both attendees and hosts. When both parties are well-prepared, the meeting will go smoothly without any delays or interruptions.

• Make sure you have a stable internet connection, and test your camera and microphone before attending the meeting.
• If you are the host, share the meeting agenda and send out the necessary documents beforehand.
• If you are a guest, check the meeting agenda along with the shared documents.

2. Choose an appropriate background.

The environment you are in is important both for you and the other participants. Anything messy or chaotic will be distracting.

• Make sure the ambiance you are in is appropriate to have a meeting.
• If you are unable to find a professional background, you can use the virtual blur offered by the meeting software.

3. Dress appropriately.

Dressing appropriately is one of the essentials of virtual meeting etiquette. Sparing no effort is one of the fundamental ways of showing your respect to the participants. No matter where you are, you are still having a professional meeting. So make sure that your attire matches that.

4. Join the meeting early.

Logging in just a few minutes early gives you the chance to test your setup and deal with any problems related to the meeting platform.

You can also have a light chat with the participants and break the ice before the meeting starts.

5. Record the meeting and share transcripts for accessibility.

One of the key aspects of a well-organized meeting is its accessibility and inclusivity. Recording meetings is crucial for making sure that even no one misses anything.

• Record the meetings to make them accessible even after it ends.
• Notify everyone that the meeting is being recorded.
• Turn those video recordings into transcripts so that it is easier to find specific discussions and review any point you want.

Transcribing a video might sound intimidating. But don’t worry. You don’t have to generate transcripts manually.

Maestra’s AI-powered video to text converter allows you to create transcripts with time stamps and speakers labeled without having to spend hours on it.

While some online meeting platforms provide transcription services to their premium users, they are very limited in the languages they support. However, you can transcribe in 125+ languages with Maestra and sit back while it works with unmatched accuracy.

6. Look at the camera while speaking.

Looking at the camera as you speak during online meetings is the equivalent of maintaining eye contact in real life. That’s why it is a valuable part of virtual meeting etiquette. It helps with your concentration and improves your authority as the presenter.

• Make sure that your camera is positioned at your eye level.
• Even if you need to check your notes while you are speaking, go back to looking at the camera after a short glance at your notes.

7. Use headphones.

Using headphones with a microphone improves audio quality. The built-in microphones that come with headphones are usually better at reducing background noise than your PC’s microphone.

• Choose a noise-canceling headphone so that you won’t be bothered by the noise that comes from your surroundings.
• If it’s a long meeting, you need to consider your comfort too. Using an over-ear headphone will be better for your ears.

8. Mute the microphone when not speaking.

Keeping your microphone muted when you are not the one talking is crucial for preventing unintended interruptions.

• Any background sound can be distracting for the speaker. Make sure that you know how to mute and unmute your microphone and learn the shortcut keys.

• Some online meeting platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams provide a push-to-talk feature. You can activate that feature to make sure your microphone is only open when you speak.

9. Follow up with meeting minutes.

We’ve already covered the importance of recording and transcribing the meeting. But, another important part of online meeting etiquette is following up with meeting minutes right after the meeting ends.

Meeting minutes are the documents that include the key points of a meeting. The action items decided upon and the decisions made during the meeting are documented for each participant to stay on track.

• You might choose to write the minutes yourself, but there are two problems with that:
  • If you decide to write them during the meeting, multitasking might be difficult and disorienting.
  • Trying to write them after the meeting is not ideal because you might miss some important points and fail to include necessary details related to action items when you have to rely on your memory.
• To avoid these problems, you can benefit from the meeting transcript you generated with Maestra.

• If you are not the host but the designated minute-taker, you can use the free live caption tool to directly transcribe the necessary points for the meeting minutes. All you need to do is to activate the tool when something you need to document is the topic of discussion.

Virtual Meeting Etiquette DON’Ts

1. Don’t interrupt others.

It might be difficult to control the urge to contribute an exciting topic, but interrupting another speaker is disrespectful.

• Wait for the Q&A session to pose a question or the speaker to let you ask your questions.
• Most virtual meeting platforms provide a raise hand button. You can use it to signal that you want to add something or ask a question.
• If you interrupt someone unintentionally, you should apologize as soon as you realize that.

2. Don’t get distracted by other tasks.

As a part of remote meeting etiquette, you shouldn’t try multitasking. As irresistible as it is to answer an email whose notification has just popped up on the screen, it is disrespectful to the participants. Plus, even just a few minutes of distraction can cause you to miss important points.

• Make sure to silence notifications and close unrelated tabs.
• Give all your attention to the meeting.

3. Don’t slouch.

Even though that’s a virtual meeting, body language is as important as it is with in-person meetings. Your posture determines how others percieve you.

To be professional and show attentiveness, you need to sit uprigt.

4. Don’t forget to practice active listening.

Attending a virtual meeting and muting your microphone doesn’t meen that you cannot practice active listening.

• While listening, you can show that you agree with the speaker by nodding.
• Online meeting platforms enable you to react with emojis as well.
• Reflect upon what’s beeing said and ask questions.

5. Don’t leave the meeting without informing the others.

If you need to leave the meeting early for some reason, you shouldn’t exit abruptly.

• Don’t interrupt the speaker and notify the participants using the chat.
• If it’s not personal, share your excuse.

6. Don’t take notes using the keyboard.

Wanting to take notes is only natural during a meeting, but using a keyboard for that is noisy most of the time. It also requires you to multitask and might cause you to miss what is being said.

You might risk being perceived as unattentive while you are looking at your keyboard.

• If you have to use your keyboard while someone is speaking, make sure that your microphone is muted.
• Use tools like Maestra’s web captioner or video to text converter that can generate transcriptions for you in real time or on demand so that you can listen to the meeting without any disruptions.

The Importance of Following Virtual Meeting Etiquette

Following the rules will ensure that you are not wasting anybody’s time. When everyone sticks to the rules, the meetings should be more effective and professional.

If you learn online meeting etiquette:

• You can leave a positive impression as a participant.
• Communication will be more smooth, and decisions can be made easily.
• Your meeting will be well-organized and productive.
• Everyone in your team will feel included even if they miss the meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the key netiquette rule in virtual meetings?

The netiquette rule in virtual meetings is to always show respect. You need to be respectful to all the participants, their time, and ideas.

How do I make a virtual meeting less awkward?

If you are feeling awkward, you might want to try using icebreakers at the beginning of a meeting to relieve stress.

Seeing other people is also quite helpful, so you can kindly ask them to turn their camera on. This allows you to see their reactions and feel like you are talking to them in person.

How do I kick off a virtual meeting?

1. If you are the host, you should be the first one to attend the meeting. Then you can welcome each participant.
2. Make sure everyone is hearing you.
3. After a light chat, introduce the agenda and start the meeting.