10 Reasons to leave your camera on during Zoom calls

In the hierarchy of business communication, video calling sits right below being physically present and with someone in a shared space. Being able to see and hear your interlocutor helps you feel more connected to them and can improve communication.

Like many people, I've been known to zone out during phone meetings. This becomes much harder when being observed over video even while muted, which incentivizes me to pay more attention.

They say that actions speak louder than words. By turning your video on during calls, even though it might seem easier to keep it off, you're doing something "hard" and showing a bit of leadership that might inspire the people around you.

For many reasons, some of which are listed here, managers love when people have their video on. Admittedly, keeping your camera on probably won't be heavily weighted in your performance review, but it'll likely buy you a few brownie points. Plus, so much of succeeding at work comes down to being liked, so why not lean into that if you can and there's little downside?

With remote work, it's easy to forego your morning routine. Knowing your colleagues or external people will see you over video is a helpful push to get ready for the day, despite the inertia of being comfortably at home.

Connecting with colleagues and clients is such a big part of workplace dynamics, and we lost a lot of this human connection during COVID. Having the video function on is a reminder that other people are more than faceless voices.

Maybe this is a stretch, but having a (somewhat) professional background is important while taking work calls. Knowing you're going to be observed (and, let's face it, probably judged) can push you to clean up your space.

With your camera on, other people can see your body language and facial expressions and can therefore gauge your sincerity. This helps to build trust.

On the other hand, if you have something to hide, leaving the camera off might be a better idea.

This one might be a bit of a stretch for most of us, but identity theft and impersonation are real things. This is especially true in workplaces that have cutting-edge products and techonologies or those that operate in highly-competitive marketplaces. The camera helps verify that you are who you say you are.

We use a few different tools to record our calls at work (to make note-taking easier, for refrence purposes, etc.). When I watch recordings where my camera is on, I'm better able to see how I present myself and how I come across. This is a great way to identify specific behavioral changes you can make to appear more charismatic.