How to get people to turn on their cameras

As you’ve probably realised, distributed working isn’t going away any time soon. The new normal is hybrid, with some people in offices, some working from home, and others in all sorts of random places.

And as everyone adjusts, one important question is still being asked. “How do I get people to turn on their cameras in meetings?”

The thing is, for meeting leaders and facilitators, life is hugely easier when everyone has their camera on. For a start, it’s the biggest single factor in keeping people focussed on the meeting, rather than multitasking. Plus, instant visual feedback is continuously available – just as it would be for an in-the-room meeting. You can see whether people are interested, agreeing/disagreeing, have questions or whatever, which makes it possible to respond in the moment.

But to get reluctant people to turn on their cameras, the fact that it’s good for the leader or facilitator just isn’t enough. There are potentially quite significant barriers to overcome:

• Desire to multitask (don’t underestimate this. People are super busy)
• Not feeling ‘camera ready’, either personally or workspace-wise. Not everyone has a private home office with good lighting!
• Bandwidth can be a genuine issue in some places, especially on the move or in countries where data is expensive.
  

To get people to turn on their cameras, we may need to address the specific, individual barriers that they face. That probably means talking about it, one-on-one.

There’s a big diversity and inclusion issue involved. Women, black people and disabled people are less likely to turn on their cameras than white men, because they are more likely to be impacted by the barriers mentioned above. Let’s do the work to fix that.

And, in those one-on-one calls, be ready to let them know what’s in it for them to turn on their cameras.

What’s in it for them to turn on their cameras?

I like to mention some or all of the following:

• Greater satisfaction. The research shows that people are much more likely to rate a meeting as successful if they’ve actively participated in it. And people are much more likely to actively participate if their camera is on.

• Grab the wheel. People with cameras on are providing instant visual feedback to others on the call, who are likely to respond. So the people with cameras on have more influence over the direction of the meeting than those without. Camera on gives you more chance of getting what you, specifically, want from the meeting.

• Getting heard. On calls with a mix of cameras-on and cameras-off participants, the people with cameras off are called on to speak less often, and later, than those with cameras on. If you want to be heard, you need to be seen.

• Long-term prospects. People tend to like, and to trust, those they see frequently more than those they don’t. That’s going to be true of the people who have influence over the next steps in your career – assignments, promotions etc. So make sure they see you in meetings!

• Diversity and inclusion. There’s a real possibility that white men will became proportionally more visible in this new world of hybrid work. By putting your camera on, you can be part of the solution!

What have you found to be successful in getting people to turn on their cameras? Please comment below.