Do you go on camera on Teams?

[thelastgoonthemerrygo]

I had a meeting with a supplier today and he had his camera off the entire time and I just find it unprofessional, like you’re suppose to be building up a relationship and I’m just talking to a black screen.

Ive worked with colleagues I’ve not met in person and they still don’t go on camera. So bedsides a profile photo I’ve don’t have much idea what they look like.

I say this as someone who hates seeing myself on camera.

In one on one or small groups then yes, always, but if it’s a large meeting or training session then no - I want to focus on the speaker, all the bobbing heads can be really irritating and distracting.

You know you can blur your background or have a green screen right?

Also no one is that invested to care what your home looks like tbh.

company policy is to put camera on for greetings at the start of a conversation. which is a good compromise I think. we don't expect everyone to be online all the time, but we do expect a minimum of camera presence.

I don't talk with my mug up to a black screen. If it's a 1-1 and they have their camera off then I put mine off and treat it like a phone call.

In groups it depends. If all contributing then definitely camera. If mainly observing then probably not as likely to be multitasking.

If large group then definitely not unless speaking as some of our team and sites have fairly shitty bandwidth.

If someone wants me to put my camera on then I will do. I often ask people to do so when I'm training and need the feedback on how it's going.

Always on unless it's a large call/presentation etc, I hate talking to a black screen!

So just phone then!! Ffs.

I find it hard work too when people don't put on their camera. It's different in a big meeting and I often turn my camera off when it's a lot of people but in a 1:1 or very small meeting it may as well be a phone call if cameras aren't on.

The thing is that Teams has replaced normal phone calls a lot as well as meetings, so I'm not sure it's necessary to always see someone's face for every conversation when you wouldn't if you had called them in a conventional way pre Teams culture.

I usually do use my camera but sometimes it feels a bit odd for perfunctory calls that last for like 30 seconds.

I normally do but can see why some wouldn't if its a phone call situation

This

Camera off - definitely!

Occasionally but not often. They wouldn't be able to see me on a phone call so why do they need to see me just because I'm using a different kind of audio based communication.

Thanks for your helpful advice, but it's more when others contact me

I do in small meetings, I don’t in really big ones. I’ll turn it on to contribute though. I also find it extremely unnerving to talk to a black screen if my camera is on. PP who say they want to keep your home life private, would using a background be an option? I do that if I’m in our upstairs office which doubles as a laundry room, but not in the downstairs office which is just lined with books.

In our division it's 85% cameras off, I would say.

If I'm in the office, I don't mind having my camera on, seeing as I'm usually half-presentable and in a neutral space. At home, my camera stays off!

Camera on. I've passed over vendors that who take a call about a tender with cameras off. It's rude!

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I'm usually having to potter away in the background when I'm in a meeting so I'm not generally looking at the person on screen anyway. I rarely have one to one calls though, if I did I'd give them my full attention.

I love the Teams backgrounds. One guy in our office has a new one every time and some of them are hilarious. There was one that looked like he was in space, and I really struggled to keep a straight face.

Strictly camera on.

If you still haven't turned your camera on after 5 minutes you are removed from the call and considered absent.

I sometimes use my phone for Teams calls, if I do then I have to hold it to my ear (shitty work iPhone). I always tell people if this is the case. I find it really strange if someone leaves their camera on... Like they're staring at my ear. Obviously they're not but it still feels odd.

In general we are supposed to have our camera on for internal calls but it really depends on who you speak to.

Our group - no. Close colleagues - maybe, depending on the mood (and subject I sometimes think)
My bosses - definitely.

I don't really have external team calls, we also use teams as phones so it doesn't necessarily mean I have a video call, it can also be a call to a mobile/landline.

Large meeting with more than 5 people - camera off, also if someone is presenting.

Strangely, I found it really stressful during lockdown to have my camera on. Even though I could blur backgrounds etc. I don't know why, I think it was a psychological thing because I couldn't go anywhere else. Luckily, my manager was understanding about it and let me turn my camera off if I needed to. It was this horrible intrusive feeling, I do have anxiety so it was coming from there... I'm glad that feeling has passed now!

we don't have phones and all contact with our clients is via teams now too.

Internal: cameras on unless it's a big meeting esp with a presentation or something. But we are hybrid and nearly no meetings are 100% in person, it just doesn't happen. So we are cameras on because it will often be 50/50 in person/remote.

If i call someone where I'd usually use a phone (in the old days) i don't usually put my camera on unless they do.

I don't deal with clients. All comms are internal. During lockdown we were told it was expected that our cameras would be on, which I understood, but now it is mainly used instead of phone calls.

No profile pic. Rarely have camera on unless it's meeting a new team member / team building exercise.

I run a weekly meeting, attend several others each week. Everyone else is the same. There is absolutely no issue with professionalism. Everyone is courteous, attentive and focused.