MENUMENU
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • HR DEEP DIVES
        • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for HR Professionals
          Employment Law
          Labor Law Posting Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
          Recruiting
          businesswoman selecting future employees on digital interfaces
          Recruiting Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
          Performance Management
          vector image of young female making star rating
          Performance Review Resources
          Employment Law
          Understanding Equal Employment Opportunity and the EEOC
          Recruiting
          Onboarding Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
  • CORONAVIRUS & HR

  • LOGIN
  • SIGN UP FREE

HR Morning

MENUMENU
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • HR DEEP DIVES
        • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for HR Professionals
          Employment Law
          Labor Law Posting Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
          Recruiting
          businesswoman selecting future employees on digital interfaces
          Recruiting Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
          Performance Management
          vector image of young female making star rating
          Performance Review Resources
          Employment Law
          Understanding Equal Employment Opportunity and the EEOC
          Recruiting
          Onboarding Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
  • CORONAVIRUS & HR
  • Employment Law
  • Benefits
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • Performance Management
  • HR Technology
  • More
    • Leadership & Strategy
    • Compensation
    • Staff Administration
    • Policy & Procedures
    • Wellness
    • Staff Departure
    • Employee Services
    • Work Location
    • HR Career & Self-Care
    • Health Care
    • Retirement Plans

Don't press send! 7 email faux pas you want to avoid

email
Rachel Mucha
by Rachel Mucha
September 5, 2018
2 minute read
  • SHARE ON

Email is unavoidable in the workplace, and the amount of messages filling up employees’ inboxes can be annoying and intimidating. 
These days, practically anyone is able to contact you via email (and you can do the same).
Because of this, it’s becoming a challenge to get people to answer your emails in a timely manner. And even if you consider yourself email savvy, you could be making some common errors that prevent you from getting that quick response.

What not to do

Fast Company contributor Stephanie Vozza shared email mistakes most people make, and what to do instead:

  1. Using caps in the subject line. You might be trying to stress the importance of something, but all caps will just stress out the recipient. Research shows that emails with all caps subject lines receive responses 30% less than lowercase subject lines. Normal capitalization is best.
  2. Having vague subject lines. If the recipient is confused what the email is regarding, they’re less likely to open it and reply. Using something simple and generic like “Hi” will make the message seem unimportant.
  3. Not using cc and bcc. You might be used to putting every recipient in the “to” line, but using cc and bcc can be more effective. Generally, people included in the “to” line are expected to respond to the message. Adding people to “cc” lets them know they’re in the loop, but don’t necessarily need to respond. And “bcc” sends the message that this person’s involvement should be kept secret.
  4. Writing too much or too little. While big blocks of text are intimidating, sometimes it’s necessary if the subject matter is serious or complicated. That being said, if you have a simple request, don’t overdo it — short and sweet is better in this case.
  5. Not saying thank you. Emails that end with “thanks” or “thanks in advance” are 36% more likely to get a response.  Plus, the person will want to help out if you show gratitude.
  6. Sending an email on Monday. Of course, you can’t always avoid emails on a Monday. But, if the message can wait until Tuesday, you’ll be more likely to get a positive response when people aren’t so tired or grumpy.
  7. Expecting a quick response. Just because you’re message could be answered in five minutes, doesn’t mean it will. Remember: email is not the same as text messaging. Your co-worker could have more urgent things going on and will reply to your message when they have time.
Rachel Mucha
Rachel Mucha
Rachel writes about Human Resource management and has been a member of the HRMorning staff since 2017. She is a graduate of Ithaca College.

Get the latest from HRMorning in your inbox PLUS immediately access 10 FREE HR guides.

I WANT MY FREE GUIDES

Keep Up To Date with the Latest HR News

With HRMorning arriving in your inbox, you will never miss critical stories on labor laws, benefits, retention and onboarding strategies.

Sign up for a free HRMorning membership and get our newsletter!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
HR Morning Logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linked In
  • ABOUT HRMORNING
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • WRITE FOR US
  • CONTACT
  • Employment Law
  • Benefits
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • HR Technology
  • Performance Management
  • Leadership & Strategy
  • Compensation & Payroll
  • Policy & Culture
  • Staff Administration
  • Wellness & Safety
  • Staff Departure
  • Employee Services
  • Work Location
  • HR Career & Self-Care

HRMorning, part of the SuccessFuel Network, provides the latest HR and employment law news for HR professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day’s headlines, HRMorning delivers actionable insights, helping HR execs understand what HR trends mean to their business.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service
Copyright © 2021 SuccessFuel

WELCOME BACK!

Enter your username and password below to log in

Forget Your Username or Password?

Reset Password

Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Log In

During your free trial, you can cancel at any time with a single click on your “Account” page.  It’s that easy.

Why do we need your credit card for a free trial?

We ask for your credit card to allow your subscription to continue should you decide to keep your membership beyond the free trial period.  This prevents any interruption of content access.

Your card will not be charged at any point during your 21 day free trial
and you may cancel at any time during your free trial.

preloader