I awoke with a face swollen with sleep. I hobbled downstairs to my computer to start my next exciting day of working from home.
Granted, I’ve always been a slow morning person, but I try to get an early start sometimes. Historically, my puffy, underslept eyes, pajamas, and bedhead have never been a problem. That is, until, my 9 AM interviewee asked to make our audio call… a video call. It was definitely an “Oh, sh*t” moment, and I felt a tepid sort of shame at the idea of having to expose her to my unenthused morning face and tattered PJ top… Of course, the ridiculous beauty standards propagated by society are harmful, and I agree with Beyoncé that we all wake up flawless… But I just didn’t look professional or feel put-together, and even if I’m not always put-together in an existential sense, I try to at least look it.
Granted, this mildly mortifiying moment would not have occurred if I’d thought to clarify beforehand whether the call was to be video or audio only… But all this led me to the underlying question that more of us seem to be pondering in the stay-at-home era: When should a call be video, and when is audio sufficient? In other words, when should we absolutely be Zooming, and when are we good to just “phone it in” with a classic phone call?
WHEN ZOOM IS NECESSARY
First-Time Meetings
When you’re engaging with someone for the first time, Zoom is a superior medium to phone calls. Why? You’ll gain a more complete understanding of a person if you’re able to see and take into account their nonverbal communication — which is very hard (if not impossible) to pick up on over audio only. “So much of our communication is nonverbal. Our gestures, our facial expressions, our tone — all of those things you can pick up over video,” explains Margaret H. Greenberg, executive coach, positive psychology pioneer and bestselling author of Profit from the Positive. For her work, Greenberg’s used Zoom video conferencing for the last four years.
Job Interviews
When it comes to job interviews, Zoom is the way to go, says Lesley Pyle, founder of HireMyMom.com. “It’s always a good idea to learn about someone as if it were an in-person interview. Right now, Zoom is as close as it gets to in-person contact,” asserts Pyle.
Team Collaborations
Zoom is also good for work teams wanting to stay bonded and nurture relationships during the pandemic. These days, it can be so valuable to have face-to-face contact with people you haven’t been able to see in a while, Pyle notes.
WHEN PHONING IT IN DOES THE TRICK
You Already Know The Drill (And The Person)
Phone calls have been staples of work life for years, and are often sufficient when the parties already have an established relationship. “You already know the person, so you don’t need video to get a feel for who they are,” Pyle says. A phone call is perfect for doing a quick check-in with a colleague.
Showing Some Love For A Working Mother
Many women are juggling family and work in ways they’ve never had to before, states Greenberg. “One minute they’re in a Zoom meeting, playing the role of manager or employee, and the next minute they have to put on a teacher hat, and teach their kids from home.” With all that’s going on now, says Greenberg, it’s especially important to find out how people are feeling and how they are doing. “Pick up the phone, call your friends, colleagues, and coworkers. Don’t pretend that this isn’t happening. Because it does impact the workplace. We can’t separate the workplace and the world.”
Dissecting Complex Topics
Phone calls can also be good for discussing especially difficult or complex topics, Greenberg says. Examples include social injustice, COVID-19, and something like asking for a promotion. One reason is because a phone call enables you to do a walk-and-talk. “Sometimes when we’re sitting, we’re putting our bodies in a physical state where we’re stuck. But if we’re walking and talking, our ideas flow more easily and we have more energy,” explains Greenberg.
Phone calls allow you to practice what psychologists call “embodiment.” It’s a fake-it-till-you-feel-it mentality: How does it work? “If you want a raise, ask by phone,” advises Greenberg. “Stand up while you’re doing it to harness a feeling of power, and have bullet points in front of you that you’re referring to.” The phone allows you to do what physically feels good (and empowering!) while you’re talking.
Fighting Zoom Fatigue When It’s The Only Option
Seeing other faces is refreshing… until it’s not. At a certain point it can become exhausting. “For a lot of people, working from home is new. Before, people used to use Zoom maybe once a day, or week. But now, people are experiencing what’s called ‘Zoom fatigue’ as a result of being in these virtual meetings back to back, all day long,” explains Greenberg. “When you’re in a meeting in a real conference room, you’re not looking at yourself. You’re looking at other people and their nonverbals. But on a Zoom call, when we turn on video, we start to get fixated on ourselves and what we look like.”
When your frustration with Zoom hits its peak, you may be thinking: Not only do I have to virtually interact with people, but I have to WATCH myself virtually interact with people? I’m not in the mood to see faces today…let alone my own!
To help with Zoom fatigue — and stay focused and energized during your calls — click on the three blue dots in the right hand corner of your box and click “Hide self-view.” This way, you can see the other people on the call, but you can’t see yourself — only others can. Because let’s face it, wouldn’t all meetings be better if we could just focus on the important words and thoughts from our colleagues and ourselves?
More from HerMoney:
- How to Speed Up Your Job Search and Make Yourself More Marketable
- 6 Ways to Clean Up Your Resume and Wow Hiring Managers
- How To Nail A Zoom Job Interview
- Fired? Here’s How To Finesse It On Interviews, Job Applications, And On Your Resume
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