Jugo, the global leader in immersive virtual experiences, released survey data that unpacks American workers’ current virtual habits, including their worst behaviors during a video conferencing meeting and their thoughts on the do’s and don’ts regarding virtual etiquette. The findings come as we approach the 53rd anniversary of the world’s first commercial video call on July 1, 1970, which paved the way for Jugo and other virtual meeting platforms’ video technologies.
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Jugo is an innovative experiential platform reimagining how people connect in the digital world. (Photo: Business Wire)
Informed by the survey’s findings, Jugo has created a free etiquette guide to help remote and hybrid workers avoid the most significant virtual meeting faux pas. Jugo Virtual Meeting Etiquette 101 can serve as the golden standard for organization leaders and HR executives as they align on company-wide protocols regarding virtual workplace etiquette.
“As we usher in a more digitalized world globally, we believe we need to understand and define the behaviors within a virtual space that convey politeness, respect and kindness towards others,” said Joseph Toma, CEO of Jugo. “Our free guide is the perfect antidote to the confusion and lack of knowledge that permeates the virtual world, defining new and appropriate standards for virtual interaction within hybrid and remote workplaces.”
Jugo partnered with Elaine Swann, a leading authority in corporate and social etiquette, who shares tips and advice on etiquette, communication and relationships through her social media pages, to offer tactical tips that ensure virtual and hybrid employees understand and can implement appropriate behavior.
“When the pandemic first hit, workers and companies were thrust into remote work and video conferencing without any real guidance or protocols. People shifted and moved based upon the correction of mishaps and embarrassing incidents,” said Swann. “Now that we are on the other side of the pandemic, it’s clear that video conferencing will remain a key part of the work environment. Businesses need to implement a clear set of standards and guidelines that benefit the workplace. The goal is to have the employees represent themselves and the company well. Companies can wisely provide the necessary tools and systems for them to do so.”
Virtual Meeting Etiquette 101
With remote and hybrid work here to stay, a significant portion (36.9%) of the general U.S. population spends time in virtual meetings. As these meetings become the norm, workers must be aware of pitfalls, such as not having good eye contact. “The Jugo platform addresses the pitfalls of virtual conferencing tech that hinders employee engagement, such as lack of eye contact, speaker focus, noise removal, and room echo,” said Toma. “These robust tools deliver an additional layer of engagement, replicating the experience and benefit of face-to-face interactions in the digital workplace. Jugo’s human-focused communication is built with the most advanced AI by NVIDIA and the power of AWS Cloud and Chime Streaming technologies.”
More than a quarter (26.7%) of Americans find it hard to pay attention in meetings because of poor eye contact, 30.6% acknowledge they look at themselves in a meeting, and 13% don’t look at meeting participants.
And we thought sleeping during a meeting was rude
Although many respondents (46.4%) confirm virtual meetings are their preferred setup—citing increased productivity as the reason—there is also evidence that focus can be a struggle. More than a third (34.2%) of Americans find it hard to pay attention if co-workers are distracted rather than giving their full attention. Some behaviors of virtual participants reveal a dramatic lack of engagement during a meeting:
- 68% have texted friends
- 28.6% have gone for a walk
- 25% have worked out
- 21.9% have slept
- 13.2% have had sex
Are pants de rigueur?
The survey confirms that remote, virtual meetings are causing Americans to neglect their workday appearance. Many Americans (46.7%) are not dressing for success in the virtual world, with 21.8% of respondents wearing sweatpants and 5% wearing nothing during a virtual meeting. Less than half (42.5%) shave and shower, and more than a third (39%) don’t style their hair before a virtual meeting.
Nor are participants always conducting business in the ideal environment:
- 38.4% have taken a meeting while in the bathroom
- 28.2% from a gas station
- 33.3% from a gym
But when it comes to what is considered the rudest behavior, the worst offense, according to Americans, that’s not muting yourself while there is background noise (29.3%). This beats out someone remaining on camera while picking their nose (24.1%) or scrolling on their phone (19.3%).
Mom would be proud
However, despite some questionable activities, Americans also exhibit positive behaviors regarding virtual meetings. An overwhelming majority (84.7%) confirm they are always or often on time for virtual meetings and sit up straight and have good posture (78.1% ) while on a call. More than two-thirds (67.5%) report they never or only sometimes interrupt others during a virtual meeting.
Click here to access your free and downloadable guide to the biggest do’s and don’ts for working appropriately within the digital world.
About Jugo
Jugo is an innovative experiential platform reimagining how people connect in the digital world. Harnessing the power of the Unreal Engine and the latest in mixed reality technologies to create stunning immersive spaces, Jugo brings accessibility to virtual experiences, making them more impactful and meaningful, all without the need for any VR headsets. Jugo’s pioneering mixed reality technology places real people in virtual environments, creating a new standard for human connection in the digital world, and unleashing the power of real human interaction to immerse, engage, and inspire. Established in 2022, Jugo is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, with offices in North America and Europe. For more information, visit Jugo.io
About Propeller Methodology
Propeller Insights, a full-service market research firm based in Los Angeles, strives to achieve statistically significant samples that meet the minimum industry standard of a 95 percent confidence level and a 5 percent margin of error, based on the population being represented for all online quantitative surveys. Propeller works with the leading online sample providers, and the sources they use are based on the project requirements/target, as well as sample size and incidence rate. Jugo’s ‘Future of Virtual Experiences’ survey, conducted in May of 2023, surveyed 1,000 Americans in full-time, part-time and self-employed roles with the United States.
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