The 7 Types of People in Your Work Video Calls

We have been working from home for almost two years now due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, naturally, some observable patterns have emerged. Disclaimer: This is not by any means a way of calling out our beloved colleagues (honest!), but to poke fun at our quirks and the way we are sometimes online.

As all of our meetings migrated online, we've definitely found ourselves spending hours on video calls with our colleagues, whether it be on Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or Microsoft Teams. Here are the seven types of people you've probably encountered in one of those work meetings!

The Monopolist

The Monopolist is called such because they monopolize every single conversation in every work video call, so much so that no one can ever get a word in. It isn't so much brought on by arrogance, but by their unawareness of the other people around them. That, or they just love hearing the sound of their own voice. Bring them down a notch by interrupting them politely when they go off on tangents, just to make sure everyone else gets to speak, too.

The Paw Parents

Ah. The Paw Parents. In the middle of a call, they usually pop out their dog or cat from nowhere and introduce them to everyone even though nobody asked for it, as if they’re a part of the work family, too (they actually are). Even if you don't like dogs or cats, you’ll find yourself cooing and saying, "How cute!" because everyone else is doing it. Shower their pets with attention until such time that they are removed from the camera. We’re not complaining, though. Seeing a fluffy face on cam in the middle of a tiring workday can be great for lightening one’s mood.

The Actual Parents

The Actual Parents are easy to spot. Usually, there's a baby or child crying in their background that interrupts them mid-sentence. This is always followed by an apology by the said parent about their child, usually along the lines of “Sorry, there’s a baby in the room” or “Sorry, my child’s crying.” No apologies needed, though! We know being a parent is difficult, and even more so raising a child in the middle of a pandemic. So, parents, we salute you!

The Bleacher Peeps

Remember one of Taylor Swift’s songs that goes, “She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers?” People on the bleachers, or the sidelines, are those who usually come into a video call, say nothing, and spend much of the entire time just smiling and nodding their heads. They’re probably unsure of their purpose there, or are spaced out, which we can only forgive them for.

That One Person With the Dad Jokes

Yeah, we all know this guy. He’s the one with the corny (but truthfully endearing) dad jokes that crack every tension and awkward silence in a work video call. Sometimes their jokes are so corny they fly over your head and all you can do is laugh and laugh. We appreciate their service!

That One Person With Bad Internet/Technical Issues

But wait. Is this not all of us, though? How many times have we had our internet disconnect on us during an important work call or have our screens freeze while in the middle of talking? Many times, definitely, and we’re not even ashamed of it. The COVID-19 pandemic may have ushered in the WFH revolution, but it’s also brought on a wave of “Can you guys hear me?” and “My internet got disconnected!” It comes with the package!

The Multitasker

Sometimes, you aren’t sure if one is a Multitasker or a Bleacher Person, mostly because they’re both characterized by their silence. One thing about Multitaskers though is that you know when they aren’t paying attention sometimes because their eyes rove about in their screen, making it obvious they’re working on something else while in the middle of a video meeting. But then again, is this not all of us? We’ve been guilty of multitasking in a work video call maybe once… or twice. Ha!