The Future of Email and Best Practices for IM @ Work

© 2017 Robert Half Technology. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
STAYING IN TOUCH AT WORK
CIOs and Workers
Comment on Workplace
Communication Today
and Where It’s Headed
…

© 2017 Robert Half Technology. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.2
Source: Robert Half Technology survey of more than 2,500 CIOs and 1,000 workers in the United States.
*Responses may not total 100 due to rounding.
Which one of the following is the most effective method
for communicating daily with your team at work, such as
for initiating projects, brainstorming or project follow-up?
CIOs
Email 41%
In-person meetings 22%
Instant messaging 13%
Phone calls 9%
Internal social network 8%
Video conferencing 7%
Employees*
Email 27%
Phone calls 9%
Don’t know 1%

In three years, do you believe email will be the most
common way for employees to communicate internally?
CIOs
Workers
Yes 73%
No 26%
Don’t know 1%
Yes 53%
No 28%
Don’t know 19%

Respondents who said email will not be the most common
in three years were asked, “What do you believe
organizations will most likely move toward for daily
communications?”
CIOs
Workers
Phone calls 19%
Refused 1%
Phone calls 4%
Something else 3%

INSIGHTS
FROM
EMPLOYEES…
INSIGHTS
FROM
EMPLOYEES…

Source: Robert Half Technology survey of more than 1,000 workers in the United States.
Which do you personally use most for day-to-
day communication with colleagues?
Email … 45%
Instant message … 28%
In-person … 16%
Phone … 11%

In a word, how would you describe instant
messaging for work?
Convenient … 62%
Necessary … 29%
Invasive … 5%
Inefficient … 3%
Something else … 1%

Does your organization have clear rules about
how you use its internal messaging platform?*
Yes … 54%Yes … 54%
No … 41%No … 41%
I don’t know … 6%I don’t know … 6%

When contacting a colleague, do you expect an answer
more immediately with instant messaging than with email?
Yes … 90%
No … 10%
Of email or instant message, which do you feel the most
pressure to respond to immediately?
Instant Message… 76%
Emails… 24%

Have you received an instant message even if
you have a “do not disturb” or “busy” status?
Yes … 65%
No … 35%

Which best describes you reactions when you
receive a message when your status is set to
“do not disturb” or “busy”?
Relieved – when the
request is important …
29%
Relieved – when the
request is important …
29%
Annoyed – I prefer not to
be bothered … 30%
Annoyed – I prefer not to
be bothered … 30%
Neutral – I didn’t have
any strong feelings …
41%
Neutral – I didn’t have
any strong feelings …
41%

By age group: Workers who feel annoyed when they receive a
message when their status is set to “do not disturb” or “busy”?
Age 18-34
23%
Age 18-34
23%Age 35-54
36%
Age 35-54
36%
Age 55+
38%
Age 55+
38%

Will you send a message if the person has a “do
not disturb” or “busy” status?*
Yes. They can always
ignore… 18%
Yes. They can always
ignore… 18%
Sometimes. If it’s
urgent… 56%
Sometimes. If it’s
urgent… 56%
No. It can wait until
they’re free... 25%
No. It can wait until
they’re free... 25%

By age group: Will you send a message if the person has a “do
not disturb” or “busy” status?
Age 18-34
Yes. They can always ignore. 26%
Sometimes. If it is urgent. 57%
No. I can wait until they’re free. 17%
Age 35-54
Age 55+

Which one of the following is your primary
motivation to report yourself as “online” using
your job’s messaging platform?
It allows people to know I’m available. 56%
It allows me to quickly access others. 22%
It allows me to talk to colleagues in real-time. 17%
I did not know I had the option to be “offline.” 4%
It allows me to talk to colleagues. 1%

Instant Messaging Etiquette
Know your company’s policy.
Does your company have protocols for using an instant messaging
tool? If so, understanding the policies will help you better connect
with your coworkers and avoid any miscommunications.
Follow suit.
If your organization doesn’t have a direct policy, observe how your
colleagues and mangers use IM. Does everyone update their status
throughout the day, or only if they’re working outside of the office?
Pick up on how they use the communication channel and follow
their example.
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Instant Messaging Etiquette
Proceed with caution.
Many people don’t appreciate incessant IM’s when their “busy” or “do not disturb”
status is on. Your best bet? Only message them if it’s urgent, and wait until they’re
free to send a message.
Keep it snappy.
Instant messaging is usually best for a quick conversations and requests, while
strategy and planning is better for meetings. IM can also be great for a quick catch-
up with a coworker, but don’t let the messaging platform become distracting.
Facetime first.
Many workers still prefer in-person meetings to communicate with colleagues. If you
work in the same office, keep in mind that your coworker might appreciate some
facetime, instead of a ping.
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