(Professional) Email Etiquette – It Exists
With all the tools we have these days to access each other, sometimes we may get confused with what’s appropriate with different methods of communication *cough*cough* social media. We also may muddle up the “lines” of familiarity between friends, family and coworkers.
Do what you want in familiar settings, but when it comes down to business, here are my thoughts:
Emails are NOT text messages or social media. Please stop using acronyms such as BTW, LMK, IMO, TTYL, ICYMI etc. This can create confusion and result in miscommunication if acronyms are not universally understood. The only ones I really find acceptable are ones that have been around for a while, such as FYI, ASAP, RSVP etc. ICYMI…seriously, WTF?
Formatting is important. The lowercase “i.” Aye yai yai. That’s all i have to say about that. We also don’t need a variety of fonts, sizes and colors. This is not a buffet. Please pick one and keep it consistent.
How do you use “Reply All” effectively? Don’t select “Reply All” on mass emails (where bcc should have been used in the first place). I don’t need to receive 20 emails from people I don’t even know on an email thread about how dogs are way better than cats (which is true, by the way). Make sure you DO hit “Reply All” in group emails where a discussion has been opened. Failure to do so can result in your input being unaccounted for.
Use correct grammar, punctuation, and words. No one is perfect, and I admit that I occasionally miss something really obvious here and there, noticing the second I hit “send.” Uggh. But if you regularly use incorrect words or mismatched grammar & punctuation, that’s a problem. It makes you look completely careless. Take the extra 30 seconds to re-read your emails. The content of your email should be the focus rather than the hilarity of your unintended message. It also saves time figuring out the translation. “Intention span is important when focusing.”
Don’t keep asking questions when the answer might already be in your inbox. I can’t tell you how many times I have sent the same attachment to people in the same email thread. This goes along with any type of information that might end up being repetitive. Check first. Do a search for keywords in your inbox or subfolders.
Multiple emails for one subject can be tedious. I can understand wanting to start fresh if an email thread becomes too long and no longer possesses current or relevant information, but then why respond in 3 different emails about the same thing? Less is more.
The entire email is in the subject line with no body. Nobody wants to see that.
Don’t get me wrong, some of these types of emails can be acceptable down the road, but I feel that there is cushion of time and comfort that needs to be earned first.
Priya Jindal is the Engagement Manager at NSS RPO, a consulting firm that provides on-site and virtual recruiting professionals. Contact NSS RPO to learn about how we can help your organization meet and exceed it’s hiring goals.