Expert Opinions on Email’s Enduring Effectiveness
Despite being over 64 years old, email remains the most recommended communication tool in the workplace according to experts.
“While it may sound outdated, email is still one of the best channels for corporate communication,” says Iñaki de la Barrera, an organizational psychologist and HR consultant.
Why Email Excels in Corporate Communication
In an era dominated by instant written messaging for both personal and professional communication, email allows for the management of corporate communications to employees and messages between teams.
Human Resources specialists highlight a crucial feature of email: traceability. This means that email leaves a record of when it was sent, who the recipients are, and who received it, preventing confusion, omissions, and promoting transparency. “It would be the official channel of communication,” de la Barrera points out.
Limitations of Written Email Communication
However, as a form of written communication, email is not without limitations and requires agreements between the company and employees to avoid potential labor and health risks.
“What conversations would be better suited for in-person meetings, phone calls, or emails, especially considering the impact of message content and its effect on employees?” questions Jorge Gutiérrez Siles, a senior psychoanalyst and workplace wellness consultant at KAYSA.
According to the expert, written communication only conveys about 7% of a message’s depth due to the absence of voice, tone, and body language.
“Written communication distances us from people, from our human nature. It’s justified when distance is a barrier, but if that’s not the case, I believe it shouldn’t be used or overused,” Gutiérrez Siles considers.
Email Usage in Companies
Companies need to establish what will be communicated via email and train employees for effective tool usage, preventing productivity losses from excessive email reviews and responses.
PagePersonnel reports that workers spend around 35% of their time sending and receiving emails.
Corporate Emails to Employees
Corporate email messages aim to share internal news, coordinate tasks, and keep teams aligned and informed, as per MailChimp’s email sending platform.
To effectively utilize email, the first step is defining the message and its tone and format before sending it.
Emails have various characteristics depending on their intention: informational, task-assignment, collaboration, and recognition and motivation, according to MailChimp’s classification.
Informational emails announce organization-wide updates like leadership changes, progress reports, and internal achievements.
Task-assignment emails communicate responsibilities, deadlines, detailed instructions, meeting invitations, and project follow-ups.
Collaboration emails are used for brainstorming sessions, coordination between departments, and distributing internal surveys.
Recognition can also fit in an email to celebrate team accomplishments, birthday or work anniversary greetings, and motivate employees.
Effective Email Management
An unorganized inbox can become a time-waster for employees. Emails can prevent unnecessary meetings, but excessive reliance on emails or spending hours reviewing and responding can lead to productivity loss.
PagePersonnel recommends setting specific times for email management, making decisions upon opening an email, and establishing fixed response times to avoid distractions.
Utilize email organization tools like folders to keep the inbox for new emails and separate folders for important communications.
Allocate time to learn how to effectively use the email service’s search function for locating archived or recent emails by date, subject, or recipient.
Disable new email notification features to prevent unnecessary distractions during non-email review times, similar to instant messaging services like WhatsApp.
Email Adoption in Mexico
Despite email’s long existence, only 14.4% of Mexicans have email access, according to INEGI’s 2024 economic census figures.
This presents an opportunity for companies to adopt email as the official communication channel instead of relying on other resources like WhatsApp and instant messaging services.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: Why is email still recommended in the workplace? A: Despite its age, email offers traceability and is effective for corporate communication.
- Q: What are the limitations of written email communication? A: Written communication lacks voice, tone, and body language, potentially leading to misunderstandings.
- Q: How can companies manage email usage effectively? A: Establish clear communication guidelines, train employees, and utilize email organization tools.
- Q: What types of corporate emails exist? A: Informational, task-assignment, collaboration, and recognition and motivation emails.
- Q: What is the email adoption rate in Mexico? A: Only 14.4% of Mexicans have email access, presenting an opportunity for companies to adopt it as the official communication channel.
