Zoom virtual meetings and conferencing services have transformed working dynamics. After the Covid 19 outbreak, many companies had to restructure their business operations to allow working from home.
Even after the resumption of normal working hours, many companies have retained a work-from-home dynamic to allow employees to have a better life-work balance.
Besides official meetings and conferences, Zoom is ideal for casual meetings with family, friends, and acquaintances.
If you’re unfamiliar with Zoom, you may wonder how early you should join a Zoom call. While there’s no set timeline, it’s good practice to be on time for your Zoom calls, especially in a professional setting. Being on time helps you compose yourself, notice distractions, and be better prepared for the meeting.
You’re not alone if you’re struggling with Zoom call etiquette factors like when to join a Zoom call. Read to the end to learn about the best Zoom practices in your professional settings.
Overview of Joining a Zoom Meeting
Before joining a Zoom meeting, the host needs to set up the meeting. They then share details of the meeting, including time and agenda, with the participants. Usually, the host will share an invitation link to the meeting.
Hosts can enable settings allowing participants to start joining the meeting after them or before the session starts. The latter is best because participants can prepare in advance.
If you’re new to Zoom, joining a meeting can initially be confusing. But after enough practice, you’ll realize it is straightforward. The first thing to know is how to join a Zoom call. There are several ways to do this, including via the app or Zoom website.
Here are the steps to join a Zoom meeting if you have the app on your PC.
- Click your meeting invitation link.
- Click on the “Open Zoom app” button on the popup.
- Click “Ok” on the prompt to access your computer’s video and audio features.
- Click “Accept” to allow Zoom live changes.
- Enter your Display name.
- Click on “Audio” or “Video” to connect.
- Click “Join.”
Next, we’ll cover the best timeline to join a Zoom meeting and other Zoom meetings etiquettes.
Best Time To Join a Zoom Meeting
As noted earlier, there’s no set timeline to join a Zoom meeting, but it’s best to be early. One of the reasons to be early for a Zoom call is that you can test your audio or video functions. Realizing your microphone or camera isn’t working when the meeting is in progress can be distracting and paint you as ill-prepared.
For professional Zoom meetings, being early also gives you time to prepare your contribution to the meeting. For example, you can skim through your notes and prepare your introduction. It’s also an excellent chance to spot and correct distractions like background, camera angle, or volume.
If you’ve attended several Zoom meetings before, you’re likely familiar with the necessary preparations. In that case, joining the Zoom meeting five minutes before the meeting begins is ideal. If it’s your first Zoom meeting, extend the timeline to ten or fifteen minutes, so you have everything in place.
Besides your microphone and camera, testing your internet connection is crucial. Experiencing lags and downtimes during the Zoom meeting can be embarrassing. Frequent downtimes also delay the meeting because you can’t contribute to the meeting as planned.
For new Zoom meeting participants, use the time before the start of the meeting to familiarize yourself with the mute function. Muting is blocking any sound from your end to avoid distracting other participants. This is crucial if you’re attending the Zoom meeting from home. Ensure you are in a quiet room that kids or pets can’t access.
Additionally, practice muting and unmuting. Remember, your microphone should be on mute when another person is speaking. Ensure you learn how to unmute, so there are no incidences of you speaking when your microphone is muted.
Finally, note things like relevant notes and presentations, the proximity of your computer’s charger, and a pen and paper to write notes. Also, familiarize yourself with Zoom controls like “Chat” and “Record” if you wish to record the meeting for future reference.
Summary
Even though there’s no set timeline for joining Zoom meetings, it’s best to join five to ten minutes earlier. Joining earlier allows you to review a few things, like your audio and video settings, notes, and camera angle.
Before joining a Zoom meeting, ensure you’re in a quiet, well-lit room with a plain background. Keep your computer charger closed and check if your internet connection is stable.
