Use this template to onboard your team to Gather with shared expectations and etiquette for working together in a virtual office. It includes basic onboarding information and recommended best practices, and is designed for you to modify over time.
How to use this template:
- Review each section with the leaders of your team.
- Edit the text to align with your specific expectations. (For example, some orgs prefer video-on communication, while others prefer video-off. Make it specific to the culture of your team.)
- Replace the screenshots with images of your office. (We’ve included examples, but images of your specific office will be the most helpful for your team.)
- Share this guide during your team’s pilot or initial onboarding to Gather, and store it somewhere easily accessible.
- Pro-tip: You can even embed it into an object in your Gather office.
- Make it a living document.
- As your team continues to grow on Gather, it’s natural for your office and culture to change. Keep this onboarding guide current to reduce internal questions and help future new hires get up to speed!
Welcome to [Your Team Name] HQ!
We use a virtual office on Gather to bring the best of in-person collaboration to our distributed team. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about how we use Gather as a team and where things are in our office.
Why & How We Use Gather
Gather gives distributed teams a virtual office—a place where they can collaborate like they're in person. In addition to video calls and chat, you can stop by someone's digital desk or wave people over to join your conversation.
It's a way to bring back natural communication to the overly scheduled life of remote work.
We each have a desk in the office where we sit when we’re not in meetings. This makes it easy to see when someone is free to talk, already in a conversation, or busy in “Do Not Disturb” mode.
Here’s an example: If you have a quick question, need to brainstorm something, or just want to say hi, you can pop by someone’s desk for a 5-minute conversation instead of trying to coordinate a 30-minute meeting.
Getting Started
- Download the Desktop App
- Check your email for an invite or click here: [insert Member Invite link]
- Claim and decorate your personal desk
- Connect your calendar and install the extension (guide for Google | guide for Outlook)
- Move/Schedule all internal meetings in Gather (follow this guide)
Using Our Office
To move & look around:
- Double-click to walk or use the arrow keys/WASD keys
- Click and drag to pan the map
- Open the Participants Panel for a list view of who’s online & where they’re at
Learn more about looking & moving around.
To control your audio & video:
- Use the buttons at the bottom to turn your mic & camera on/off
- Use the toggles to change devices or adjust settings like virtual backgrounds
Important: If someone walks up to you while your mic & camera are off, you must turn them on in order for the other person to see/hear you. (No one can force your devices on!)
When you want to talk to someone:
- Find their avatar on the map or name in the Participants Panel
- Make sure their status is Available 🟢
- Wave at them to get their attention
- If they’re free to talk, they’ll walk over!
- If not, they’ll send a chat DM to let you know when they’re free
Learn more about starting conversations.
When someone wants to talk to you:
- If you receive a Wave, that means someone wants to talk
- If you’re free, click the Walk Over button to walk over to them automatically
- If it’s not a good time, send them a quick chat DM to give some context
- Consider setting your status to Do Not Disturb so people know you’re unavailable
When you need to schedule a meeting:
Make sure you’ve installed the Google / Outlook extension first
- Open your Google/Outlook calendar
- Create the meeting
- Click the button to “Make it a Gather meeting”
- Select the meeting spot
Learn more about scheduling meetings.
When you need to join a meeting:
Make sure you’ve connected your Google / Outlook calendar
- Before the meeting begins, you’ll receive a desktop notification / notification in Gather
- Click “Take me there” to walk over
- You can also manually walk your avatar in/out of the meeting at any time
When you need to talk privately:
- Make sure you’re talking in a Private Area (this includes meeting rooms & your desk)
- Click the Lock button in the top bar
- No one else will be able to enter the area without permission
When meetings end:
- Return to your desk
- Click the “Walk to Desk” button or use the CMD+D shortcut
- This helps others in the office see that you’re done with a call and free for quick chats
When you need to step away from your desk or focus on something:
- Set your status to Do Not Disturb 🔴
- You won’t hear/see anyone around you
- Your teammates will be able to see that you’re unavailable right now
- We use this for lunch breaks, bathroom breaks, focused work time, etc.
The [Your Team Name] Office
Your desk:
- This is your personal workspace
- Sit here in between meetings so others can see when you’re available
- You can also talk to people and schedule meetings at your desk
- If you step away, set your status to Do Not Disturb
- Decorate it! It’s a nice way to show off your personality.
Learn more about your personal desk
Meeting rooms:
- Private areas where groups can meet
- Everyone in a meeting room will be able to see/hear you if your mic & camera is on
- You can schedule meetings in them in advance or just walk into one if you need a private place to talk
Learn more about meeting rooms
Coworking couches:
- A casual area for working with others
- Go here if you’re feeling social and open to coworking
- People will be able to see you and can join if they’re looking to cowork also
Recommendations
To ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone in our virtual office, follow these guidelines:
- Hold all internal meetings in Gather. Then we’re not switching between video tools.
- Sit at your desk in between meetings. This will let your coworkers see when you’re free for a quick talk.
- Use Do Not Disturb when you step away or need to focus. For example, if you take a lunch break or need to focus on quarterly planning. This signals to others that you’re unavailable at the moment but will be back later.
- Use the Wave feature to start a conversation. It signals that you want to talk, but gives your coworker time to pause what they’re doing before you actually walk up to them and start talking.
- Be respectful of meetings taking place: If you see a conversation happening in a private area, send a chat message or wave at someone before just walking in. (Consider a physical office: You wouldn’t barge into a boardroom when the door is closed!)
- Lock meetings for extra privacy: This will prevent anyone else from accidentally joining the conversation unless invited in.
- Sit at the Coworking Couches when you’re feeling social: This will signal to others that you’re open to coworking, making it easy for them to come join you.
Need More Help?
Ask one of our [Team Name] HQ Admins:
- [List team admins here]
- [List team admins here]
- [List team admins here]
Interested in customizing the office? Ask an admin to become a Mapmaker.
Submit a bug report to Gather: Open the Main Menu (Gather logo in the bottom menu) and click Report issue/bug.
Learn more about Gather by watching short video tutorials or reading help docs.