Personal Appearance & Call Etiquette

Few differences between remote and on-premise work environments are as fundamental as how workers present themselves.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." ~ Will Rogers

An investment in yourself

Presenting a professional appearance and demeanor is one of the strongest competitive advantages you can realize, both as an individual, and as a leader of teams. This is true whether you work in a traditional office environment, or as a remote worker. However, there are key differences between remote and on-prem we should highlight.

In an office environment, there is significant social pressure to look professional. You know you’ll be seen in the office, and in public, and you want to look your best. However, as a remote worker, this social pressure is nearly non-existent. Yet, it is still crucial that you maintain a professional appearance and demeanor even when working asynchronously.

It is precisely because you have far fewer opportunities to interact with you colleagues and customers that your physical appearance matters that much more. Here are a few guidelines for keeping appearances professional when working in a remote environment.

Professionals look professional

Let’s be frank. You’re judged on how you look. And even as a remote worker, you will have opportunities to make an impression on those with whom you interact. By nature, you see less of your team, and they see less of you. However, this means your appearance matters that much more.

Every work culture has its own specific standards. But what you do within that standard says everything about who you are as a professional. Keep your appearance professional, neat, and clean. Take pride in your appearance, and others are more likely to take pride in you, too

Hair

Dress codes for remote workers are generally similar to those of office workers. Haircuts and hairstyles should be professional within the rules of your specific culture. Honor company policy and keep your personal grooming neat and clean in order to convey a sense of professionalism.

Facial hair

Men who don’t often visit the office in person may be tempted to let their beards become shaggy. However, the same grooming standards apply for remote workers as for office workers. When it comes to facial hair, again, keep it neat and trim. Our own sense of professionalism, as well as how others perceive us, is dependent on how well we present ourselves.

Shirts/blouses

Wearing a professional shirt/blouse during video calls is crucial. A collar is ideal. We like low hanging fruit. And it’s easy to maintain a professional image by ensuring your shirt or blouse looks professional. Since you’re remote, you don’t need an entire suit (more about that later). But a collared shirt, in a well-chosen color, goes a long way toward establishing yourself as a serious professional.

Great colors for video calls are generally muted tones, like blue, purple, navy, grey, green. Beware of shirts, like the one below, which have small, repetitive patterns. They often create a Moire effect (seen below) which is highly distracting on video.

Below the waist

Frankly, below the waist doesn’t matter! The key to remember is that, in a remote setting, you have a relatively small area for presenting yourself to others. Unlike a traditional office, your coworkers, clients, and contractors see you, mostly, as a talking head on a screen. Therefore, it’s critical that these components - how you look from the waist up sitting at your workstation - are how you’ll be judged. So, make your appearance count!

Call Etiquette

Professional call etiquette is never out of fashion, regardless of the type of environment in which you work. In fact, simple call etiquette is often what separates the amateurs from the pros. Here are some rules of thumb which should never steer you wrong.

Be prepared technologically

Serious remote workers come prepared, technologically, and are therefore taken seriously. You’ll agree that there’s nothing worse than showing up to a call with poor internet connection. The resulting poor quality voice and video is a scenario we want to avoid at all costs. For more information on these critical topics, review internet strength and microphone quality.

Video always on

During calls, your webcam should be running and your video should always be on. This may not seem obvious at first. But, eventually, you’ll realize that remote acumen is demonstrated by simple rules of thumb such as this one.

Look ‘em in the lens

Video calls are facilitated through the use of your web cam. Some people are more comfortable than others using such a tool. Whatever your experience level, the more you experience you gain, the more comfortable and proficient you’ll become. A good rule of thumb is to look at the lens of your webcam in addition to watching your colleagues on screen.

Make an effort to pay attention. It’s more obvious than you might think when you lose focus on a video call. Staying engaged in the call - and engaging others - is a sign of professionalism.

Mute if you must

For the remote professional, calls often involve more listening than speaking. If your work environment has background noise, then you must use your mute button early and often. Most common calling platforms (e.g., Zoom) have easy-to-use buttons and hot keys which make muting a cinch.

Conclusion

Few differences between remote and on-premise work environments are as fundamental as how workers present themselves, and how they appear to others. As a phenomenon, remote work is still in its infancy. Therefore, negative stereotypes exist with regard to remote workers, and not all of them are untrue.

In your own career as a professional remote worker, you don’t want to be the person who has such a reputation. Instead, proving the negative stereotype wrong. Advance and grow others’ impressions of you. An investment in how you occur for others is an investment in yourself.