Performance reviews Etiquette

Avoid eating in small-group discussions

Don’t eat during small-group discussions unless it’s a known working session.

Eating reduces clarity and can feel inattentive.

Interview candidate, Participant

Don’t do parallel work in small meetings

In small meetings, avoid multitasking unless explicitly agreed.

It reads as disrespect and lowers trust.

Interview candidate, Participant, Sales rep

Avoid virtual backgrounds in high-stakes calls

Avoid glitchy virtual backgrounds for high-stakes conversations unless they look stable.

Visual artifacts can be distracting and may reduce perceived professionalism.

Interview candidate, Participant, Sales rep

Turn camera on for interviews

Keep your camera on for interviews unless you’ve agreed otherwise.

Helps build trust and improves communication cues.

Host / facilitator, Interview candidate, Interviewer

No eating on camera in formal meetings

Avoid eating on camera in formal meetings unless it’s explicitly a working meal.

Maintains professionalism and reduces noise/distraction.

Interview candidate, Participant, Sales rep

Be cautious with emojis in formal settings

In formal meetings, use reactions sparingly and avoid ambiguous emojis.

Different people interpret emojis differently.

Interview candidate, Participant

Use an agenda for anything over 15 minutes

Provide a simple agenda (3–5 bullets) for meetings longer than 15 minutes.

Sets expectations and keeps discussion focused.

Send materials in advance

Share key documents beforehand instead of screen-reading in the meeting.

Improves decision quality and saves time.

Host / facilitator, Interviewer

Close with clear next steps

End with a short recap: decisions, owners, deadlines.

Prevents misunderstandings and follow-up churn.

Host / facilitator, Presenter / speaker