Strong Written Communication Skills in the Workplace

Effective written communication in the business world is imperative to ensuring that team members understand what is expected of them and / or what is needed from them.  Written communication via email or chat is used to share information, ask questions and convey important company news, updates and policies. In the first quarter of 2024, 54 percent of U.S. workers reported working in a hybrid manner and Forbes reports that 16% of companies are already fully remote, operating without a physical office.  What this means is that digital communications – whether via email, chat or video conferencing – are essential for sharing information and completing work.  Let’s break down the various types of written communication used in the workplace and best way to approach the different forms.

Email 

Email is an incredibly effective way to communicate with peers and colleagues across and between organizations.  Email is also very easy and as a result can be over-used and even mis-used to deliver information that may be better conveyed by oral communication such as phone calls, video calls or face to face meetings.  Examples when email is not ideal include delivering bad news, complex information to a large audience, big announcements, or information that is difficult to succinctly and clearly communicate.  When it does make sense to send information via email it is important to maintain a professional tone with the written word, always.  This includes emailing with peers, managers or leadership within the company.  While individuals will understandably have different writing styles, effective emails in the workplace should follow these guidelines:

• Communicate facts, not feelings.  Don’t let this sub-title mislead you, I am absolutely a proponent of normalizing emotions in the workplace but hold on to them for a face to face or video chat discussion.  Expressing feelings via email where body language, facial expressions and tone of voice are missing can easily lead to miscommunication.  If in doubt on whether or not to include a sentence(s), ask yourself, is this a fact or an emotionally charged opinion or feeling? If the latter, remove it from the email.  For example, I have recently received these statements via email “I don’t have time for this” and “I don’t care who we pick.”   In both instances, I knew the people and the intent behind the statements, so they didn’t bother me but for someone else, those statements could easily be construed as rude.
• Address the person(s) by name in your correspondence: “Hi Jen,” or “Eric and Reagan,”.  If there are more than three people on an email you many begin with starters such as “Hi Everyone,” or “Hi Team,”.  The reason we are maintaining this formality is that it conveys respect and professionalism.  If you are emailing someone outside of your organization this is even more important and might include “Dear Claire” or even “Mr. Connolly:” though the latter should be reserved for the most formal of email correspondence.
• End with a salutation.  Again, we are talking about professional communications and therefore maintaining an element of formality reinforces your professionalism and polish.  I end virtually every single email with “Best, Meg” or Thanks, Meg” and I do this on top of having a digital signature at the bottom of every email.  
• Correct grammar and punctuation.  Spelling and grammar check are thankfully a part of most word processing and email platforms today so there is virtually no excuse to send an email with spelling mistakes or incorrect punctuation.  Just because you are sending an internal email, that is not a reason to become lax with your sentence structures.  Always take a moment to re-read an email before hitting the send button so that you can make any corrections needed.   If good writing skills are an area of development for you, there are numerous online tools such as Lavender.ai and Grammarly that can help you bolster your writing.
• Be succinct.  Good communication skills encourage you to deliver your message in as few sentences as possible.  Often you will lose the intended audience’s attention if you have much more than two paragraphs in a message.  
• Show gratitude.  If helpful news, information or direction has been shared with you via email, begin your correspondence with a thank you: “Thanks so much for that information” or “I really appreciate you taking the time to share what you learned at the meeting last week.”  Appreciation goes a long way!
• Avoid using slang that may not be universally understood especially if emailing with individuals who speak different languages natively.  Be respectful of potential language barriers that may exist in email exchanges and exercise patience if asked to clarify any information shared via email.  

Written Communication while Interviewing for a Job

Before you even become an employee at an organization, part of the evaluation (whether formally or informally) will analyze written correspondence between you and the interview team before and after job interviews.  Regardless of whether potential employees are pursuing roles in finance, sales, marketing or accounting, effective writing skills are required for nearly every role at a company, and it is imperative that you demonstrate strong communication skills during the interview process.  Make a conscious effort to:

• Submit cover letters, business letters and resumes that are grammatically correct, formatted consistently and thorough spellchecked.  This demonstrates attention to detail.
• Be formal and professional in any email exchanges with employees assisting with scheduling.  Eg. “Dear Mr. Watson, The 8:00am timeslot on Friday works for me.  Thank you for your help getting this interview arranged so quickly.  Kind regards, Meg Brickle”
• Send prompt follow-ups after interviews thanking staff members who took time to interview you. These follow-ups can be via email or even via handwritten card so long as the card wil arrive within 1-2 days of the interview taking place. You will want to adhere to the best practices outlined below.  

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