No matter what kind of business you are working in, it is likely that you will use email communication as a way to send information to your employees whenever necessary. There are a number of ways in which email can be used, and this includes to send or request information, to send notification of payments, or to inform employees of something they may have done wrong. With this being the case, it is very easy to use email in the wrong way, but there is a lot of potential for it to be used in a very effective way indeed. By taking note of these tips, you can ensure that your email strategy can be used in a positive way that will benefit the workforce and the company as a whole.
Control the number of emails sent, and the time spent checking them
Thanks to the fact that many employees have their work emails sent to their mobile devices, there is a temptation for them to be checked at home – in the hours where work should be firmly at the back of the mind. Not only this, but if too many emails are sent during the day, it can detract attention from tasks that need to be done, meaning that mistakes could be made, or stress levels could be raised due to the expectation of multitasking. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a set of guidelines relating to what should be sent in an email, and ensure that no emails are sent outside of working time. It is vital that employees are allowed time away from the office, so unless something is urgent, try to save it until office time.
Don’t forward conversations
If you need to pass somebody a message from another person, it is better to quickly summarise what needs to be said, rather than forwarding a conversation. It feels much better to have an email sent directly to you, which has been written personally for you, than to be sent something that was originally meant for somebody else entirely. The personal touch can go a long way, and emails are no exception to this rule.
Outline the expectation for a response
Some emails will require a response, others won’t, but it’s important that employees know the difference. If they feel as though they need to respond to every single email, this can take up a lot of time – so if an email is purely for informational purposes, adding a “no response necessary” label is a good idea. Similarly, if a response is urgent, then an “urgent response” label should be used – but use these sparingly, or they won’t be as effective.
Only email when necessary
In the modern world, everyone enjoys and expects instant communication, and this has become very much the case in the workplace. So, before you send an email, you should consider whether the information is necessary – and even whether you could simply get up and walk to the other side of the office to relay the information in question.