Emails at work come in at all times of the day and greatly vary in importance. Your inbox will be full of miscellaneous subjects from organizing work socials to urgent financial crises. Arriving at your desk, logging into your email account, and being greeted with 50+ unread emails in your inbox can sometimes be daunting, but soon you will learn to take them in your stride and manage them methodically. Once you’ve finally gotten the hang of replying to your emails, you will also have to learn how to get the content right! This can be tricky; there are many tips for a good email.
Here’s The Intern Group’s guide to email etiquette in the workplace:
Speed
One characteristic that isn’t often written about, but is very much appreciated by anyone who has ever worked in an office is how fast you reply to emails. Emails are important; they are the main channel of communication between you and those who aren’t directly in your vicinity. When people email you, respond to them quickly! This will help them get their work done faster and will keep the number of unread emails in your inbox at a manageable level. As you gain more experience in the working world you will realize that the people who are the most efficient will respond to you quickly. Follow suit.
Register
It is crucial to get the register right when it comes to business email etiquette. Don’t use the informal language and abbreviations that you might use texts in your work emails. This is a common mistake with interns once they’ve settled in and are becoming friends with their colleagues. Always be professional! Furthermore, make sure you proofread all of your emails before sending them. A badly written email is a sign of poor attention to detail and can seem like you don’t care. Typos and simple grammar errors are easy to make, so be careful!
Clarity
Your emails will often convey important information, so it is important to be clear. The recipient shouldn’t have to waste time trying to decipher your ten-line paragraph of unpunctuated block text. Information will be lost. To avoid this, a good idea is to number your points, especially if you are giving a list of commands or questions. This will help the recipient to tackle your email one point at a time, which will ensure that every task or query is covered. You should also write short, clear subject lines that briefly summarize the content or purpose of the email. This will also make it easier for people to search old emails.
Responding
Make sure you respond to every email you receive. When writing a general email that may not require a response feel free to write “No Reply Necessary” at the top of an email. More importantly, if you are busy and can’t read, digest, and respond to an email right away, reply telling the sender that you have a lot on your plate and give a time when you will be able to reply. This helps your colleagues plan their day as they won’t be waiting around for your reply.
CCing
It is important to include all relevant parties in your emails. Firstly, it makes in-office communication much easier if everyone involved in what you’re dealing with can see the relevant email chains and also saves you from having to explain everything later. CCing your manager can be a good idea if you are dealing with important matters. Not only does this show that you’re always on top of your work, but it also makes it easier for you to get help when you need it. Make sure you discuss this with your boss first though; you wouldn’t want to annoy them with hundreds of pointless emails.
These tips should come in handy when you start your internship, and you’ll become a pro in proper email etiquette in no time!