Virtual meetings have become a regular part of the working day for many of us, especially with the rise of global hiring and the shift to remote and hybrid work models. However, while technology makes it easier than ever for employees to connect from anywhere in the world, it can be very difficult to keep these meetings productive, engaging and focused. That’s where a solid global virtual meeting etiquette policy comes in. With the right framework in place for your team, you can create an environment where collaboration thrives, communication flows and everyone feels heard and valued, wherever they’re dialing in from.
So, why is it so important to design a global virtual meeting etiquette framework, and what should you include in this policy?
Read on to find out everything you need to know about virtual meeting etiquette policies and how you can design your own framework using our policy template as a base.
What is a virtual meeting etiquette policy?
A virtual meeting etiquette policy is a set of simple guidelines that your employees must follow whenever they participate in online meetings. Essentially, it’s all about setting some basic expectations, like when to mute your mic, when to have your camera on, and how to be respectful of people’s time. The goal is to make sure everyone feels comfortable, focused and able to contribute, so your virtual meetings are as productive and stress-free as possible. Think of it as a roadmap to help your global team stay connected and engaged during every meeting, wherever they’re based.
Why you need a virtual meeting etiquette policy
So, why is it so important to establish a formal framework for this? Surely, it’s just common sense, right?
Actually, no. It probably won’t surprise you to hear that 45% of employees admit to turning off their audio or video during remote meetings because they get distracted or disengaged, and only 17% of senior managers believe that their virtual meetings are a productive use of time. These figures are pretty worrying when you consider that employees spend, on average, 392 hours per year in meetings. That’s a lot of wasted time and effort, not to mention all the frustration it creates for you and your team.
And it doesn’t end there. There are a number of other challenges that often pop up during virtual meetings, especially when your team is spread across different time zones and people have different expectations about how things should run.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common problems you might face during a virtual meeting and how setting and communicating clear guidelines can help you overcome these challenges.
Common challenges
- Scheduling conflicts across time zones. When your team is spread across different time zones, it can be a real challenge to find a meeting time that works for everyone. A virtual meeting etiquette policy can help by setting clear guidelines for rotating meeting times or using tools that make scheduling easier, reducing frustration.
- Missed documentation and follow-ups. Without clear notes or follow-ups, important details can be forgotten. A policy ensures everyone shares meeting minutes and next steps, keeping everyone on track.
- Lack of clear meeting roles and structure. Meetings can quickly become chaotic without clear roles or an agenda. A policy clarifies who’s leading each section, what topics are being discussed, and who’s responsible for what.
- Low engagement and participation. It’s easy to zone out during a virtual meeting. A policy sets expectations for active participation, making sure everyone stays engaged.
- Technical difficulties. Connection issues or poor audio can disrupt meetings. A policy includes tech checks before meetings to avoid disruptions and keep things running smoothly.
- Miscommunication and misunderstandings. It’s really easy to misunderstand someone when they’re not right next to you, especially if you’re hiring foreign workers who speak a range of languages. A policy encourages clear communication, reduces the chances of confusion, and helps everyone feel heard and understood.
Key components of an effective global virtual meeting policy
Let’s take a look now at the key components of a virtual meeting etiquette policy so you can build one that works for your team. We’ve included these sections in our free template, which we’ll explore in more detail later in the post.
Scope
As with any policy that you write, the first section explains who the policy applies to. Be clear about whether it’s for full-time employees, part-time workers, contractors, freelancers or interns. This will set expectations right from the start so that everyone understands their role in following the policy.
For example:
This policy applies to all full-time employees, freelancers, contractors and interns who participate in virtual meetings.
Guidelines for organizers
Organizers play a big role in making sure the meeting runs smoothly. Here’s what to include in this section of your virtual meeting etiquette policy to set clear expectations.
Preparation
In this section, you’ll help organizers figure out how to get everything ready for the meeting. The main goal here is to make sure everything’s set up in advance so the meeting runs smoothly.
Make sure you mention that organizers should send out invites with enough time for everyone to prepare. You also want to remind employees that meeting times should work for everyone, especially if your team is spread across different time zones. To keep things fair, consider rotating meeting times so no one is always at a disadvantage. This way, everyone gets a chance to join at a reasonable hour.
Finally, encourage organizers to think about who really needs to be there. A smaller, more focused group usually makes the meeting flow better. No need for a huge crowd, just the people who are involved and can contribute.
For example:
- Send invites in advance so everyone has time to prepare. If possible, try for at least 48 hours. Reserve last-minute meetings for urgent or critical issues.
- Rotate meeting times to ensure fair participation for team members in different time zones.
- Invite those whose input is essential. Keeping it smaller ensures focused, valuable discussions.
Meeting information
This section of your virtual meeting etiquette policy is where you’ll explain what information organizers should include in the invite. The goal here is to make sure everyone knows what the meeting’s about and how they can prepare.
To make sure all this information is clear, organizers should include the agenda in the invite email. They should outline the main topics that will be covered and the meeting’s goals. It’s also important to clarify whether the meeting is for making decisions, sharing updates or brainstorming ideas. Finally, organizers should attach any documents or materials to the invite that attendees will need to review before the meeting. This way, everyone comes prepared.
For example:
Agenda:
- Welcome and introductions (5 mins)
- Overview of the campaign goals (15 mins)
- Assigning tasks and deadlines (10 mins)
- Q&A and next steps (10 mins)
Meeting goals:
- Discuss the campaign strategy and get everyone on the same page.
- Assign key tasks and deadlines for the campaign.
Documents to review:
- Campaign brief (attached)
- Timeline for project milestones (attached)
Platform: Zoom (include link)
Execution
Use this section to highlight the importance of sticking to the agenda and not getting side-tracked during meetings. This is also a great place to remind organizers that they should be encouraging participation from everyone. If someone hasn’t spoken up, they should gently ask for their input.
Also, make sure organizers understand that they should make decisions when needed and clearly explain all next steps before the meeting ends. This helps everyone understand what’s expected of them and what they need to work on.
For example:
After the meeting, send out a quick recap with the list of attendees, what was discussed, and any tasks assigned to people. Include next steps so everyone knows what to do.
Guidelines for attendees
The final section of your virtual meeting etiquette policy is where you define meeting guidelines for attendees. It’s important to include this information as it helps to keep employees engaged and productive during meetings.
Commitment
In this section, explain that attendees need to confirm if they’ll be at the meeting, and they should let the organizer know as soon as possible if they can’t make it. This is also a good spot to remind employees that the company expects them to be on time and ready to participate. If they’re running late, they should give the organizer a heads-up.
For example:
Attendees should confirm their attendance at least 24 hours before the meeting. If they can’t attend, they should notify the organizer via email or chat. If they’re running late, they should let the organizer know at least 15 minutes before the meeting starts.
Ways of working
Finally, it’s helpful to include guidelines on how attendees should behave during virtual meetings. This includes stressing the importance of staying focused, avoiding distractions and joining in. It’s also helpful to remind everyone to keep their cameras on and mics muted when not speaking to help keep things clear and avoid distractions.
For example:
- Be respectful. A friendly and collaborative attitude helps everyone stay focused and productive.
- Be a team player. Regularly skipping meetings, showing up late without warning, or not responding to invites could be something your manager will need to address.
- Be mindful of audio. Keep your mic muted when you’re not speaking to avoid background noise and distractions. Make sure your audio is working properly before the meeting starts.
- Be present. Keep your camera on to stay engaged and make the meeting more personal and interactive.
Tips to improve your policies
Creating a global virtual meeting etiquette policy is about more than just gathering all the necessary information in a document. The real challenge is making sure the policy is clear, accessible and easy for everyone to follow.
We’ve learned this from our own experience. Our previous virtual meeting etiquette policy wasn’t as effective as it could have been. Employees often had trouble finding it, and when they did, the way it was written made it difficult to follow. They kept asking questions that should have been obvious.
So, we decided it was time to make some changes. After all, a policy that isn’t useful is a waste of time, right?
To tackle these issues, we focused on making the policy clearer and more accessible. We simplified the language, broke it down into easy-to-understand sections and made sure that it was easy to find and reference. Along the way, we picked up some key tips that can help you create a policy that works for your team too.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Readability: Keep it simple and clear
Let’s be honest: If your policy is hard to read, employees won’t bother with it. So, we focused on making ours clear, simple and easy to digest.
Here’s what worked for us:
- Stick to bullet points. Long paragraphs are a turnoff. Bullet points make it easy to find what you need fast.
- Use visuals. Adding icons, tables or images makes it easier to take in information.
- Keep the tone casual. We made sure the language we used was relaxed and conversational. This makes it more approachable, particularly for employees who may not be native English speakers.
- Simplify long sections. For longer sections, using dropdown lists or collapsible content keeps things focused and prevents the document from feeling overwhelming.
- Make it fun. Emojis might not sound like a big deal, but they help break up the text and add personality. Plus, they keep people engaged!
Distribution: Easy to find, impossible to miss
Even the best policy is useless if no one can find it. So, we made sure that everyone could easily access our virtual meeting etiquette policy whenever they needed it.
Here’s how we made our virtual meeting etiquette policy impossible to miss:
- Centralize your policies. We’re working on creating a central hub where all policies live. Employees shouldn’t have to dig through emails or old documents to find what they need.
- Offer different formats. Not everyone likes reading a PDF. We’re offering the policy as a web page, a searchable document and a quick reference guide to meet everyone’s needs.
- Spread the word. We’re promoting the policy during team meetings, internal newsletters and through chat channels. Employees need to know where it is and why it’s important.
All of these changes have made a big difference, but we’re always looking for ways to improve. Policies should evolve, so we’ll continue updating ours to make sure it’s as easy to use as possible.
How to create your own global virtual meeting policy
We know that creating a global virtual meeting etiquette policy might seem like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. And believe us, it’s worth the effort. The key to success is keeping your policy clear and simple. That way, everyone understands their role, all members of the team feel comfortable, and employees can fully participate in meetings, wherever they are in the world.
So, how do you create a policy that works for your global team? Start by covering the basics: clarify who the policy applies to and set clear guidelines for both organizers and attendees. And remember, the policy should be easy to read and easy to find, so everyone actually uses it.
To make it even easier, you can use our free, customizable global virtual meeting etiquette policy template. We’ve taken everything we’ve discussed today and turned it into a ready-to-go template, so you don’t have to start from scratch. The template covers all the essentials, like how to prepare for meetings, what’s expected from everyone and tips for keeping people engaged. By using this template, you’ll save time, avoid the guesswork, and create a policy that helps your global team work better together.
Check out our templates for asynchronous communication and travel and expense too. And don’t miss our global workforce playbook to better understand the global workforce management insights that informed our policy templates.