Six of the most hilariously awkward lockdown video call meetings

This is a sponsored article in association with EPOS...

As a result of the current global situation, more and more of us have found ourselves working from home.

Now, working from the comfort of your own living room definitely comes with its perks. For example, you can enjoy a cheeky lie-in and roll out of bed five minutes before your shift starts. And thanks to video conferencing calls, I have only been dressed from the waist up for the last three weeks.

However, working from home has also come with its many, many challenges.

The sudden influx in video call meetings means there is now a host of new ways that we can screw up at work. From making sure our audio setup is perfect to remembering to turn off the potato filter when you accept the call - we have all had to endure the same crash course on video conferencing.

Here are six examples of home workers discovering how not to conduct a video call in lockdown and what the rest of us can all learn from them:

1. Make sure you turn up to the right meeting

If you were still working in the office, you wouldn't just walk into some random meeting that you hadn't been invited to - and this rule still applies for video calls.

The video below shows the hilarious moment a random guy turned up for the wrong class... in the wrong country.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ZoomFail/status/1242851622755196933]]

So, if you've been sent a meeting ID, make sure you input it correctly - otherwise who knows where you'll end up?!

2. Bad audio is bad for business

Being heard is the most important part of any business call. A recent study commissioned by EPOS, a provider of high-end audio solutions for enterprises, found that the average worker loses 29 minutes of productivity every week due to poor sound quality on voice calls. Substandard audio setups can result in misheard instructions, poor connections, background noise, and more - making "What?" the most expensive word in business today.

[[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf-b1ennxQY]]

In fact, approximately one in five company decision-makers report that bad audio has resulted in negative financial and reputational effects to their organization - including dissatisfied clients, losing a pitch, and losing a key piece of work that has resulted in a financial loss to the company.

Of course, as Daniel quickly realized, there are also occasions where you should just need to remember to hit the mute button:

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/danieltaroy/status/1239614345472065538]]

3. Potato Boss

If you're a tech-savvy individual, then you already have a clear advantage when it comes to video calls.

Pressing the wrong button and not knowing how to undo your mistakes can result in some awkward situations, such as this boss who accidentally transformed herself into a potato during a team meeting.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/PettyClegg/status/1244649528285855746]]

Tweeting out about her boss' filter fail, Rachele said: "My boss turned herself into a potato on our Microsoft teams meeting and can’t figure out how to turn the setting off, so she was just stuck like this the entire meeting."

4. Remember to actually hang up

Okay, so let's say your call goes perfectly. Everybody loved your contributions and the wifi signal held out long enough that you didn't freeze once while you explained your 23-point plan to increase turnover. Hooray!

You say your goodbyes and give everybody an awkward little wave – but then forget to hang up. Well, that's exactly what happened to Tony, who perfectly demonstrated how 90% of people working from home are currently dressed.

[[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48KjeTeWe7Y]]

Top Tip: Don't be like Tony.

5. Keep an eye on your new co-workers

For some of us, working from home means you could be surrounded by a host of new "colleagues". Of course, I'm talking about your housemates, cats, dogs, and - the most interruptive of all - children.

Matt Staneff quickly found out that your own kids are even worse than Karen from Accounting when it comes to interfering with your workday and borrowing your office equipment.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/MattStaneff/status/1240341003048857600]]

Staneff tweeted: "When you walk into your WFH office and realize your #newcoworker just video called your boss…"

Let's just hope your daughter doesn't get that big promotion before you, Matt!

6. Maintain focus and remember where you are at all times

Sure, you may be wearing sweatpants and sitting in your own bed, but if your webcam is switched on then you've got to remember to act professionally at all times.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/MeggiOwen/status/1242921740004659201]]

Just like if you were there in person; maintain eye contact, don't start daydreaming, and most importantly, don't start rummaging around your cleavage for Pringles crumbs.

(Sadly, that was the risk you were willing to take when it came to that particular potato chip, Megan.)

Overall, the success of video call meetings is to treat them as if you're there in person - and that means making sure you are seen and heard. You wouldn't expect to conduct a meeting in the office where half the team is muffled and the other half can't be heard because of background noise.

EPOS found that 79% of business decision-makers believe that quality audio equipment can be an effective antidote to poor-quality sound, as well as an effective solution for mitigating issues such as time loss due to misunderstanding between colleagues.

During this difficult time where we are forced to be apart, make sure everyone in your company meetings can still be heard. For more information, visit EPOSAudio.com/bad-audio-is-bad-business.