Working from home certainly blurs the lines between your personal and professional life. Because of this, it’s easy to be oblivious to certain things in your home office that probably shouldn’t be there. That’s where having a second set of eyes comes in handy, and who better to ask than a career coach?
Career coaches often meet with clients virtually, which means they’ve seen it all when it comes to Zoom backgrounds. They are also extremely qualified to speak on how to present yourself professionally. We interviewed three of them to learn which items exude unprofessionalism in a home office setting, and they delivered.
Distracting Art
Not everyone is going to absolutely love the same decor as you, and having unique taste isn’t a mark of unprofessionalism.
However, any piece of art or decor that makes too big a statement is a faux pas and can actually get in the way of business goals, according to Rohit Agarwal, who runs a remote hiring company.
“I’ve found decor like politically charged posters, bright signs, and flashy wall art extremely distracting,” he says. “They draw attention and can distract others from work and meeting agendas.”
Tech Clutter
Showing up with your full attention to a virtual meeting always puts your best foot forward. Meeting with someone who has too many distractions out, especially tech distractions, is one of career counselor Nathan Soto’s biggest pet peeves.
“One of the biggest things that hinders productivity in a home office is a cluttered workspace,” he says. “I need a wide, clear desk to concentrate and work, so the first thing I do to prepare my workspace is clear my desk. Another focus killer is multiple screens, including extra monitors, and cell phones on your desk.”
A Television
On a similar, but more specific note, one career coach we interviewed called out televisions.
“I have recently noticed more televisions in home offices,” says leadership consultant Dr. Sheree Sekou. “Let’s face it: watching your favorite show is likely much more entertaining than attending another meeting, so I would recommend keeping your television far away from your work area.”
Even if you’re disciplined enough not to stream during work hours, it still doesn’t send the best message to your employer.
Your Bed (Made or Not)
Not everyone has the luxury of having a separate home office. But if your bedroom is also your home office, your boss and clients don’t need to know that.
“In my opinion, displaying unmade beds or visible laundry piles in your home office backgrounds instantly shifts the perception of your space from ‘professional’ to ‘personal,'” Agarwal says.
Even a tidy bed can be a distraction. Luckily, there are easy ways to disguise the fact that you’re working in a room that doubles as your bedroom. Simply block off the view of your bed with a row of bookshelves if you’ve got the space, or use a room divider that you can easily move around.
Storage Bins and Piles of Stuff
It’s inevitable. The room in your home that lacks the most closet space typically becomes your home office. However, this doesn’t give you a pass for making it look like a storage closet itself with bins and piles of clutter.
“The most unprofessional thing I’ve seen displayed in a home office is extreme clutter,” Sekou says. “It was hard to focus on the person with piles of things stacked all around them.”
Clothing Draped on Your Chair
If you’re not planning on standing up during a Zoom meeting, it probably means you will have to at some point. Just call it Murphy’s Law.
This will not only reveal whether or not you got fully dressed for the day, but also if you’re using the back of your office chair as a holding place for a few pieces of laundry you forgot to put away.
But according to Soto, even a singular piece of clothing draped behind your office chair gives off a poor impression.