The Written Word: The Importance of Email Etiquette

Too often I see one line emails in my inbox from a candidate that says something like this:

I’m free from 3-5 today.

–  Candidate A

Am I the only one who thinks that people should address one another more formally in email? My take on emails that seem more like text messages is that you are overly comfortable with the recipient. I would send that kind of email to a peer, not to someone who I am interviewing with. Does an email need to read like a formal letter? Absolutely not. It should, however, tell the recipient that you care enough about the opportunity to include a heading, a body, and a signature. Not long ago, I worked with an external agency recruiter on a search. The recruiter I was working with would send me one-line emails saying things like, “I need feedback on my candidate.” This man was in sales — how could he be so cavalier with decision makers? I think to be professional you need to at the very least acknowledge the recipient of an email.

It is simply too easy to type out an email these days, and very little thought seems to be going into the style of communication. It should apparently be noted that people do pay attention to the style of your email and your tone. At the very least you should include the recipient’s name at the top of the email. Look at the difference between the email below and the example above:

Lindsey,

I will available from 3-5 today. Let me know what works.

Thanks,
Candidate A

Which email would you rather get? The latter took perhaps 30 additional strokes of the keyboard, about three to five additional seconds to type. Yet, the impression it leaves is much more professional. Before you hit send, stop and read your email aloud. If it sounds rude or if you would feel embarrassed speaking to the person in the tone of the email then reword it!

You should also make sure any question you pose in the content of your email is one you would feel comfortable asking in person. There is a tendency for candidates to suffer from an inflated sense of ego when they are behind their computer screen. Questions like “What did the hiring manager say about me?” are really never appropriate to ask in person or via email. If the candidate is no longer being considered they have a right to know, but as for why their candidacy was terminated, that is not something the recruiter always knows, nor wants to share. Remember when something is in writing it may come across differently than when spoken.

This may seem intuitive to you as a reader, or even mildly insulting to your intelligence, but the truth is we all need to make sure we are adhering to some sort of email etiquette in the professional world.