Should That Emoji Be in Your Email? 🤔
Duke staff and faculty weigh the risks and rewards of emojis, ALL CAPS and exclamation points ahead of World Emoji Day on July 17
“What I didn’t know was how useful they would be in expressing your intent more clearly while communicating remotely,” said Stinnett, whose department transitioned to fully remote since the pandemic.
Not everyone is all smiles when it comes to emojis in business communications, however. Allison Dimsdale, a Cardiology Nurse Practitioner, says emojis are “one of the best ways I know to be misunderstood.” So as World Emoji Day approaches on July 17, Working@Duke must ask: Are emojis, ALL CAPS or abundant exclamation marks wins or communication face-plants???
According to Angela Passarelli, Associate Professor of the Practice of Business Administration at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, there’s a clear answer.
“It’s the classic, ‘It depends,’” Passarelli said.
When to use emojis 🤷♀️
Passarelli says when contemplating whether to insert emojis into your email, you should consider two factors: 1. What impact are you trying to have? and 2. What’s the communication climate within your team or organization?
As society has shifted more online and particularly in the wake of the pandemic, chat functions in common applications such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams allow for greater casual conversation – which has drifted into emails.
While emojis can help make someone more relatable, they can also raise questions about how serious that person is.
“There’s good evidence to show that the greater use of emojis increases perceptions of leaders’ likability. That relationship piece of, ‘I see you as human, I can bond with you,’ is helpful,” Passarelli said. “Where the use of emojis can be negative is in decreased perceptions of the leader's competence.
“So, there's a trade-off of between being viewed as likable or effective and confident in your role.”
Emojis, etc. = 👎
Mary R. Smith, Operations Director for Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories, calls herself “a very old-school professional.” She believes emojis are unprofessional.
“I would never write in response to a query from someone and use an emoji unless it was someone I really knew on a personal level and who I felt would not be insulted by the use of an emoji,” Smith said.
Dimsdale, the Cardiology Nurse Practitioner, simply believes in the power of words over symbols.
“Perhaps I love words well-used,” Dimsdale said.
Stinnett, the OIT emoji enthusiast, tries not to overthink whether someone on the receiving end might misinterpret his intent.
“I hope they’re not misunderstood, but I’m sure some have been,” he said.
Felicia Fulton, a Patient Service Associate in Duke Urgent Care Harps Mill, had her own lesson in communication styles. She used to type in all-caps because it was easier for her to read. Then, she was told it was “like yelling at someone.” She no longer uses all-caps.
And all those are reasonable justifications for steering clear of emojis or variations in business correspondence, Passarelli said.
“If I’m communicating something where I would need people to believe in my credentials or my authority or this is something really serious, those are cases where you would not want to use an emoji,” Passarelli said.
Emojis, etc. = 🫶
Alex Haire, a Senior Communications Specialist for Duke Raleigh Hospital, loves when a co-worker inserts emojis into correspondence.
“I personally find that any co-worker who uses emojis is immediately more approachable – whether they know it or not,” Haire said. “I think that using them is a sign of someone who recognizes that we can still have fun while being professional and that they’re finding a unique way to express themselves creatively when words fail.”
Haire likes to toss the disguised, mustachioed emoji 🥸 into his own emails for no reason, though often when he and a co-worker are stumped on a project.
“Sometimes the energy of a situation calls for it,” Haire said. “It’s such a strange emoji that I can’t imagine what most people really use it for – I think that’s why I like it so much.”
Nicole Gary, a Staff Specialist in Student Affairs, adds 🥴 and 🙃 to express confusion or frustration while trying to stay positive.
And Lydia Lloyd, an Associate Grants and Contracts Administrator, believes a good emoji helps express emotions while working fully remote.
“Emojis can help convey my meaning and personality for people who have never met me in real life and might not understand how I would be saying something verbally,” Lloyd said. “They can’t read my body language through an email and there are times when I think emojis can help.”
And that’s precisely where casual conversation such as emojis can help most in a business setting.
“If the point is to make that interpersonal connection, then an emoji is absolutely appropriate in that case,” Passarelli said.
So next time you’re itching to sneak an emoji into your next email, pause, first.
“It depends on who they’re writing to and what they’re writing about,” Passarelli said, “and how well do I know them?”
And then either ✏️ 🤪 or ❌.
Tell us on Instagram: What’s your go-to workplace emoji, or do you avoid them all together?
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