Digital etiquette slowly emerging among office workers

Digital etiquette slowly emerging among office workers

UK office workers are confused as to how and when they should use digital communication tools according to a recent study.
Almost half of UK office workers would consider it rude if they hadn’t received a reply to an e-mail within a morning and 5% would consider it rude if they hadn’t received a response within five minutes of sending it (see below).

Despite this apparent importance of immediacy, many people still felt instant messaging (IM) and text messages (SMS) were simply not appropriate for certain aspects of office work.

When is digital communication inappropriate?

Digital Etiquette, a study carried out by electronic communication provider ntl:Telewest Business and research company TNS, found that less than one in ten respondents felt SMS and IM were appropriate for HR issues, financial discussions and liaising with senior management.

There also appears to be a lack of tolerance when using SMS and IM: Two out of every five people expect a response to an SMS within an hour before considering it rude, and almost a quarter of people expect a response within five minutes to an IM. But many people have not yet formed a judgment on how long it’s considered rude to wait for a reply, implying that digital etiquette is still being formulated and confusion is rife.

Use guidelines to avoid etiquette issues

Stephen Beynon, MD, ntl:Telewest Business, called for firms to lay down some dos and don’ts for modern communication channels: “The British are renowned for their manners, so it’s important that as and when these tools become more widely known, businesses give guidelines to their staff on how to use them efficiently. People should be embracing these new technologies, not worrying about how and when to use them.”

What's your digital communication type?

TNS surveyed over 1,400 office workers aged 16-64 across the UK on behalf of ntl:Telewest Business for the Digital Etiquette study. Three main digital communication types emerged from the study, which it categorized as follows:
1. OATs - Old Age Technologists - not necessarily old in age, but OATs have dated attitudes towards new communication technologies.
2. ESBOs (Easily Sociable Behavior Online) – completely at ease with IM and SMS in the office, ESBOs have whole-heartedly embraced modern office communication tools.
3. SToIC (Slow to Implement Change) - SToICs follow established etiquette rules so don’t stray from their accepted comfort zones like fax.

IM and SMS are most subject to misinterpretation, but other communications are less ambiguous

Digital communication facts

• IM and SMS are most subject to misinterpretation, but other communications are less ambiguous – 56% of people had never had misinterpreted a fax, and 46% had never misinterpreted a letter (see above).

• IM continues to be used primarily for gossip and socializing, a third of respondents said this was what they used IM for most.

• E-mail is the most highly regarded tool in the office: 78% of respondents claimed they couldn’t live without it in the workplace. It’s used for the widest range of tasks, from gossip and socializing to personnel, HR and financial discussions.

• Nearly a third of respondents said they still use fax and letter every single day, whilst less than one in five use SMS daily and only one in ten use IM every day.

• 61% of respondents admitted to considering a person’s seniority before sending an e-mail, changing the language of their message accordingly.

The digital communication gender divide

The study also found there’s a gender split in communication etiquette: On average, only 35% of women are happy to gossip over e-mail compared to 38% of men, while only 45% of women compared to 56% of men use work e-mail for socializing.

Overall, women are more timid with new digital communication and remain more comfortable with traditional routes like fax and letter; 34% of female office workers cannot live without letter writing while 30% cannot live without faxing. Women are also less addicted to phones, leaning towards relying on paper trails at work. While 27% of male office workers cannot live without their phones, only 20% of women are phone addicts.

The indication, the study concludes, is that etiquette offers women a tried-and-tested code of conduct they prefer to stick by, while men are mavericks using new methods of communication that haven’t yet been clearly defined by etiquette.

source: Internal Comms Hub

What To Do (And Not Do) When Emailing Recruiters

What To Do (And Not Do) When Emailing Recruiters

By Jared Flesher

With many job postings now requiring candidates to apply via email,first impressions are made not with a handshake but with words on acomputer screen. How formal should your first email to a recruiter be?

Just as it's usually a good idea to dress your best for aninterview, emails also should be professional and polished, sayhiring managers. If you decide capital letters aren't worth yourtime, you might be in for a long job search.

Kristen O'Hara, a senior recruiter for Dallas-based AffiliatedComputer Services Inc., an information-technology outsourcingcompany, says she has seen it all, including emails with funky fontsand distracting backgrounds."

Honestly, there are some emails that have completely ruined acandidate's chances for me," she says.To avoid sabotaging your job search, here are some tips to followwhen sending cover letters by email:

1. Forget what Instant Messenger has taught you.Job recruiters report that young professionals are the applicantsmost likely to send too-casual emails.Liz Shupe, interim director of the career-development center at theUniversity of Richmond, offers one explanation: "They're treating itlike an IM."When using Instant Messenger with friends and acquaintances, it'sacceptable to use abbreviations and incomplete sentences and toforgo capital letters and punctuation. In business correspondence,however, stick to the rules your English teacher taught you."We tell our students that an email is the same exact thing as acover letter, without the addresses on top," says Ms. Shupe.

2. Don't be cute.Your adorable email background of puppies snuggling with kittens hasgot to go."I remember a particular email written in that 'comic' font," saysMs. O'Hara. "That's just not professional to be sending to a workcontact." She recommends plain-vanilla fonts, such as Times NewRoman and Arial, and black text on a white background.

Ms. O'Hara also warns against sending emails from quirky emailaddresses. Slackerboy@ or Sexgoddess@ might not get the chuckle youhope for. If you leave your cellphone number as a contact number,make sure your voicemail message is appropriate, and that means itshouldn't include music, she says.

3. Customize your cover letter to the job.Wynne Billings, a corporate recruiter, says many of the emails shereads show a lack of effort on the part of the applicant."It's like they just cut and paste the same cover letter toeverything they're doing," says Ms. Billings, who works for ApexSystems Inc., a technology-staffing firm based in Glen Allen,Va. "It's so not catered toward our job."It's a big plus if applicants can show they know a lot about theposition they're applying for, Ms. Billings says. She recommends jobhunters use part of the job description they feel matches theirskills or experience to explain why they'd be good for theposition. "Nine out of 10 people don't do that," she says.

4. Don't ramble."Get to the point," says Hank Stringer, a former high-tech companyrecruiter in Austin, Texas. He doesn't like it when candidates usegimmicks to try to attract attention, citing as an example a missivefrom one applicant that blathered on about high gas prices. Messagesshould be straightforward and concise, he says.Mr. Stringer, who founded Hire.com, a recruitment-managementsoftware and services firm, says recruiters often have only secondsto devote to each cover letter they receive, and many are lookingfor just three things: the titles of the positions you've held, thecompanies you've worked for and your educational background.

Anything else, such as a long story about yourself, can get in theway, he says.

5. If attaching a cover letter, write a brief note in your email.There's no rule about whether a formal cover letter should beattached to an email or whether the email itself can serve as acover letter.If you attach your cover letter, the text of your email can say: "Ireally want to work for your company, please see attached resume andcover letter," says Ms. Billings. "Even maybe just tell me brieflywhy you want to work for my company, just give me a sentence, thenI'm going to open that cover letter and resume."

Mr. Stringer also warns against being too creative in the subjectline of an email. He recommends: "Experienced candidate seekingposition as [name of position]" or "Experienced candidate seekingposition with [name of company].""Use one word to describe yourself, but do not go overboard," hesays.-- Mr. Flesher is an intern at CareerJournal.com.

Source : www.careerjournal.com

Email Reflections: 10 Simple Courtesies

Email Reflections: 10 Simple Courtesies

Are you lax on how you respond to emails? Here are some very important tips you will want to know -- ten ways to be respectful and courteous to your receiver -- before you respond to another email. You just never know where the email is going to end up! The email could end up on your next prospect's or bosses desk.

Okay, you are super busy or you are down to your last email before heading home. Maybe it’s first thing in the morning, you have a full in box to read and handle, all before your meeting starts in 10 minutes. It’s easy to be in a rush and dismiss the little things, however...
...have you ever thought how your email looked from a receiver’s viewpoint? Of course you have, every day, haven't you? It is so easy in our fast-paced lives to let the little things go.
When you receive a poorly formatted email and you don't know where each paragraph starts or finishes -- the thoughts are scattered and jumbled -- here’s the reader’s self chatter in action: "What the heck, it'll take me hours to decipher this. I don't have time for this. Can't X be respectful? I'll just pretend I didn't get it and maybe their follow-up email will be clearer." Click and delete. Of course, you have never done this -- chuckle.

By chance, your next email receiver is nicer and doesn't delete and pretend. They just move onto the next email and leave yours for the "someday in the future" stack. And maybe it will or will not ever be answered. Their response may even miss your point entirely or only provide feedback to half of the items that need addressing.

If you have difficulty getting quick responses or any response at all, the receiver could be sending you a silent message. They could feel that you are wasting their time or do want to educate you on common email courtesies.

Recently, after receiving ten emails in one day from separate independent professionals, with their personal pronouns "i's" in lower case besides other items. I asked them to enlighten me about their lax protocols. I received a wave of negative responses. In order to keep this a family-available article, here are a few responses cleaned up: "i don't have time, too many emails." A few others added, "i do it to everyone." I particularly loved the "to" in the last two emails -- I do it "to" everyone.

A human resource director client shared with me that every day she deletes ten or twelve applications, about 12% of the total number she receives daily, that omit common email courtesies. A majority come from individuals with higher degrees. I chuckled at the irony. She didn't and just heavily sighed. She found it even more serious on the number of emails she received from recruiters that also lacked these simple courtesies.

"Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" is a book I read a few years ago if I recall correctly. Normally I wouldn't care much about the small stuff either. However, coherent communication, whether verbal or written, still represents who we are and shows respect. Using history as an indicator, communication started and stopped wars.

Recently, I attended a speaking engagement with Michelle Singletary, author, "7 Money Mantras," and columnist, The Color of Money, for the Washington Post. In the presentation, she mentioned several times, "You had better sweat the small stuff." Of course, her reference was to money. Yet, it was an important point. It takes pennies to develop into dollars, dollars to add up to ten, and so on up the monetary ladder. Doesn't it hold true that if we leave out the small common courtesies and respect in emails, will it not block the dollars -- directly or indirectly?
When thinking over the given benefits for taking care of the "small stuff" in emails, here are three powerful mantras:
* A professional email attracts a professional response.
* When you respect other people’s time, they usually will respect yours.
* When communication is thought through and clear, the chances increase significantly that the response will be returned in the same manner. Stinkin’ thinking attracts the same.


10 Simple Courtesies, gathered from reading 2,000 emails, and feedback from the human resource director:
1. Focus on one topic per email. Keep the email simple so the receiver can focus in fast and easy. This improves the chance of a faster response, maybe any response. If you write to someone regularly, ask what he or she prefers.
2. An appropriate subject line will help reduce accidental deletion. It will also help locate that specific email faster if needed. When forwarding or responding, change the subject line to reflect your response. You can also add your first name in the subject line as an added identifier. I like to start mine with: "Personal note from Catherine" or follow after the subject with: "From Catherine." If you are dealing with deadlines add: "Please respond by."
3. Keep each paragraph to one thought even if the paragraph turns out to be one fragmented sentence. You will want to limit email paragraphs to six sentences. A natural way of reading from a computer screen is with a scan-read process. Screen reading dries out the eyes and reduces blinking causing eyestrain.
4. Add subheader titles into the email when more than three paragraphs are in the email or more than three paragraphs follow the subheader. You can add subheaders as you type or while rereading. This keeps the eyes moving fast and easy. It also allows the mind to shift from topic to topic without developing cobwebs.
5. Re-read your email no matter how long or short. We always think faster than our fingers can type. Thus, what is typed isn't always what was swarming around in our mind.
6. Does the subject flow or was it choppy? Flow in an email isn't the same as flow from one chapter in a book to another. Flow allows the reader to easily transition and comprehend the material. If choppy, the reader might daydream or take a break and formulate a different answer that might not fit the material, creating additional emails on your part to clarify. Frequent places to check for flow in your material are where you start or stop a message or submessage.
7. Is there any type of priority or order needed to follow so that the receiver follows along with the material? Are there steps or information that build on the previous message? Before you can pour a glass of milk you might want buy the milk -- chuckle. When we are extremely familiar with how to do something, it’s easy to write past something, a common mishap by IT experts. Do you know the receiver and their level of knowledge or experience on the topic? My favorite saying is, "When in doubt, write it out."
8. For goodness sake, turn on the spell check feature on. If you want to write pronouns in small letters, at least let spell check catch them for you.
9. Who are you? You would think that this one was common sense, at least I did. Yet, every week I receive 10-15 emails asking me a general question without telling me who they are or giving me some background. They are huge, open- ended questions that would take me years to answer. This falls into the lack of respect category.
10. What do you need or want? Forwarding an email that doesn't ask for what you need makes the receiver try to guess. Not cool. Speak up, don't be shy. If you take rejection personally, hire a life coach to work on this with you. Statements don't automatically ask anything. Questions do. My dad had a saying, "Squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you can't ask, squeak somewhere else. I can't guess what type of oil you need." A little harsh yet it makes its point. Go ahead and ask, and no this isn't a reflection on you.

We all believe we have good communication skills. There could be some real surprises when you start practicing these 10 Simple Courtesies. Take your time, slow down in order to speed up. Tackle it slowly so that the lessons stick. You will be glad you did. The next email you send might be to your next boss, client, or forwarded to the President. You never know. It happened to me and it could happen to you.


Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Additional Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

as published in ImpactFactory

Top 6 Rules for Using a Cell Phone at Work

Top 6 Rules for Using a Cell Phone at Work

From Dawn Rosenberg McKay – about.com

Cell phones are useful but they can be so disruptive. Your friends and family can reach you anytime, anywhere, which can sometimes be annoying. When you're on your own time, the choice to turn off your cell phone is entirely yours. When it comes to using your cell phone at work, however, you have to be mindful of your co-workers and your boss, not to mention your own ability to get your job done. Here are some rules you should follow when it comes to using your cell phone in your workplace.
1) Turn Your Cell Phone Ringer Off
If you don't want to turn off your cell phone completely, at least set it to vibrate. The sounds of different ring tones going off all the time can be very annoying to others. In addition, you don't want your boss to know how often your phone rings.
2) Use Your Cell Phone Only for Important Calls
What should you classify as an important call? The school nurse calling to say your child is ill, your children calling to say they've arrived home from school safely, and family emergencies that you must deal with immediately should be considered important calls. Your friend calling to chat, your child calling to say the dog had an accident in the house, or your mom calling to tell you your cousin Tilly is engaged should not be considered important.
3) Let Your Cell Phone Calls Go to Voice Mail
If you are in doubt about whether an incoming call is important, let voice mail pick it up. It will take much less time to check your messages than it will to answer the call and then tell the caller you can't talk.
4) Find a Private Place to Use Your Cell Phone
While it's okay to use your cell phone for private calls during breaks, don't stay at your desk. Find somewhere else to talk, where your conversation can't be overheard, even if what you're discussing isn't personal. You may be on a break but your co-workers have a job to do.
5) Do Not Bring Your Cell Phone Into the Restroom ... Ever
Why? Well, if you must ask — you never know who's in there; the person on the other end of the line will hear bathroom sounds, e.g., toilets flushing; it is an invasion of your co-workers' privacy.
6) Don't Bring Your Cell Phone to Meetings
Even if you have your cell phone set to vibrate, if you receive a call you will be tempted to see who it's from. This is not only rude, it is a clear signal to your boss that your mind isn't 100 percent on your job. All calls can wait until your meeting is over or until there is a break. Remember, there was a time before we had cell phones.