A How-To Guide: Remote Work Etiquette

A How-To Guide: Remote Work Etiquette

Businesses Around the World Are Reconfiguring Their Workflows, Tools, and Policies to Adopt a Work-from-Home Culture, But For Many Employees, the Concept is Entirely Unfamiliar…

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, businesses have been forced to choose between shutting down or embracing remote work. But for many employees, the concept of working from home is entirely unfamiliar. While organizations rush to adopt cloud and remote access tools, and in some cases, enforce remote work policies that govern the security and confidentiality of information, many are forgetting one crucial detail – etiquette. It’s a difficult time for many with remote workers struggling through:

  • Complex feelings surrounding the pandemic
  • Difficulty managing their time, communication, and deadlines
  • Adjusting to juggling family priorities as schools/daycares close down

In the meantime, they’re also learning a whole new form of work, and in turn, etiquette for handling that form of work.

Remote Work Ediquette

Our Tip for Remote Work Etiquette…

When it comes to remote work, one of the trickiest aspects of working from home is communicating and collaborating with other team members, partners, and customers. For many, the answer is simple: video conferencing software. Naturally, there are many options available for those who need to incorporate face-to-face interaction:

  • Zoom
  • Microsoft Teams
  • GoTo Meeting

Regardless of which video conferencing software you choose, it’s all about following proper etiquette to maintain a professional appearance. Here are our tips:

Focus on the meeting

It’s easy to get distracted with other priorities, such as finishing up a report or sending a few emails to colleagues. Try to stay focused on the meeting as much as possible. Don’t multitask during video conferences. Even if you think it’s not noticeable, chances are, it’s entirely noticeable to others, especially if you’re typing without being on mute.

Dress for success

Look, we know how tempting it is to stay in your pajamas or wear sweatpants during the day. But our recommendation? Dress for success. Wear something similar to what you’d wear if you were going into the office or a formal meeting. When in doubt, choose what you’d wear in person rather than what you’re tempted to wear at home.

Pay attention to your lighting

Poor lighting conditions can seriously impact video quality. If you don’t have enough natural light in the room, consider investing in some office lighting. You can find reasonably affordable options online nowadays. Aim to have the best lighting coming in through the side of where you’re sitting as opposed to above or below you.

Set up a workspace

If you don’t already have a workspace setup, try to set one up in an area free of distractions. You don’t want to be on a video call with your children or spouse walking around in the background. If you don’t have an office room, opt for a guest room or basement with adequate lighting that can be off-limits to others throughout the day.

Get a backdrop

Similar to the point above, the purpose of a backdrop is to eliminate any unnecessary clutter or distractions in the background. This ensures that you’re portraying a professional image free of any sort of mess. You can either purchase a backdrop online or opt for a tool that gives you the ability to blur the background, such as Microsoft Teams.

Wait to eat, smoke, etc.

While we’re working from home, it’s tempting to relax a bit, even while you’re on a video conference call. But it’s always best to refrain from relaxing too much in terms of eating, drinking, or smoking while you’re in a meeting. Coffee is excellent, but anything else can wait until you’re finished the call.

Don’t try to sneak out

In a video conference call, it’s perfectly acceptable to let your team members or those on the call know that you have to leave for a specific time. After all, we’re all juggling a lot more during the day right now. But don’t try to sneak out. Instead, take the first few moments of the meeting to announce when you have to leave.

Need Assistance Finding and Implementing a Video Conferencing Software? Get in Touch with Acapella Technologies at (603) 647-1784 Now.

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