In exposing the behaviours and experiences - good, bad and just plain, odd - of the rapidly growing number of people meeting via video around the world, almost one in five Kiwis dress inappropriately during remote meetings.
That’s according to a new study by online meeting tool join.me, sourcing answers from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, which covered usage patterns, direct experiences and opinions on best and worst practices.
Findings ranged from the mundane to just plain weird with some of the surprisingly common video conferencing taboos including:
1. Dress the part, at least the part that shows up on camera
21 per cent of Americans admitted to attending a video conference with a professional top and pyjama pants while 17 per cent of people worldwide report seeing someone dressed inappropriately.
2. Stay out of bed – you snooze, you lose
More than six per cent have actually seen someone taking a video conference from their bed, though 57 per cent admit to finding a place in the house that makes you look more professional in prep for your video conference.
3. Don’t use video as a mirror
18 per cent have seen someone using the video camera as a mirror to fix their hair, makeup and appearance.
Interestingly, one in four Americans admit to applying make-up before getting on a video conference, whereas Kiwis, Australians and Germans tend to go natural with only 13 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively admitting to the same thing.
4. Stay out of the bathroom - enough said
21 per cent of people surveyed voted this was the worst thing someone could do on-screen - and horrifyingly enough, six per cent have actually seen someone taking a VC from their WC.
5. Don’t pick your nose - don’t pick anything
Read more: Infographic: Video conferencing – dos and don'ts
One in 10 people have seen someone pick their nose on-screen during a video conference.
6. No pets – No dog. No cat. Or any other animal for that matter
16 per cent of people have seen an attendees pet make an unexpected cameo.
7. No strange sounds – please do not emit awkward, inappropriate bodily noises.
Yes, eight per cent people reported to have heard awkward and inappropriate bodily noises on a video conference.