The Unexpected Reason You Seem Incompetent in Email

As emojis have exploded in popularity, more and more professionals are peppering their work emails with cute smiley faces, thumbs up icons, and other colorful little symbols. In fact, a recent study found that over 60% of employees report using emojis in digital communication at work.

But before you add that smiley face to your next business email, consider the growing body of research that suggests emojis are a major professional faux pas. Numerous studies have found that including emojis in work-related messages may harm your reputation and career prospects by making you seem less competent, intelligent and trustworthy.

"Emojis are great for conveying tone and emotion in casual, personal interactions," says Dr. Ella Glikson, a professor of business and management at Ben-Gurion University and co-author of a recent report on emoji use. "But in a professional context, they have the unfortunate effect of undermining the sender‘s credibility and authority."

Research Shows Emojis Make You Seem Less Competent at Work

Dr. Glikson‘s study, conducted in collaboration with researchers from University of Haifa and Amsterdam University, provides some of the most compelling evidence to date that emojis simply don‘t belong in work emails.

The research involved a series of experiments with 549 participants from 29 countries. In every experiment, professional emails that included smiley emojis consistently made the sender seem less competent compared to similar messages without emojis.

Let‘s take a closer look at some of the study‘s key findings and what they mean for your email habits:

Experiment 1: Emojis Lead to Lightweight Responses

In one experiment, participants were asked to respond to emails regarding formal work matters. The researchers found that replies to messages containing smiley faces tended to be much shorter, less detailed, and less helpful compared to responses to emoji-free emails.

On average, replies to emails with emojis were nearly 30% shorter than those without smileys. They were also twice as likely to lack any substantive information for addressing the original request.

The takeaway is clear: when you use emojis in a professional email, you send the signal that the topic is trivial and doesn‘t merit a thoughtful, rigorous response. Your recipient may dash off a quick, careless reply that fails to fully address the issue at hand.

Before adding a cute emoji to your message, use it as a trigger to critically evaluate the substance of your email:

• Is your request or question as specific and actionable as it could be?
• Have you provided all the necessary context and information?
• Could you clarify your message to elicit a more detailed, useful response?
• Is there an opportunity to demonstrate your own expertise on the subject?

For example, let‘s say you‘re emailing a colleague to ask for their input on the agenda for an upcoming meeting. Here‘s a lightweight request with an unnecessary emoji:

Hey Tom, what do you think we should cover in the weekly sales meeting this Friday? I was thinking pipeline review and Q4 initiatives. Let me know if you have any other ideas! 😀

Now here‘s a re-worked version without the smiley that invites a more substantive response:

Hi Tom,

I‘m finalizing the agenda for our weekly sales meeting this Friday. Based on our team‘s priorities and my analysis of our pipeline, I suggest we focus on:

1. Pipeline review – Let‘s do a deep dive into key opportunities and identify obstacles/next steps to drive them forward. I‘ll come prepared with a summary report.

2. Q4 initiatives – We need to align on the major projects and campaigns that will help us finish the year strong. I‘ve drafted a list of proposed initiatives with timelines and owners. Let‘s discuss and finalize the plan.

Please let me know if there are any other critical topics you feel we need to cover. I want to ensure this meeting sets the team up for a productive week and strong quarter.

Looking forward to your input,
[Your name]

See the difference? The second email conveys importance and invites the recipient to engage thoughtfully. It demonstrates the sender‘s organized thinking and focus on driving real work forward. The emoji, in contrast, sends the message that the agenda is no big deal.

Experiment 2: Emojis Tarnish First Impressions

Another experiment looked at how emojis impact the first impression you make over email. Participants read a work-related message from someone they didn‘t know that either included or didn‘t include a smiley emoji. They then rated the sender on measures of competence and warmth.

The results were striking – senders who used an emoji were judged as significantly less competent than those who didn‘t. The smiley had no positive effect on perceived friendliness or likability.

"We‘ve seen in studies that a smiling photograph promotes perceptions of both warmth and competence," notes Dr. Glikson. "But a smiley emoticon doesn‘t work the same way. It has no effect on warmth and actually lowers perceptions of competence."

In high-stakes situations like job hunting, pitching a new client, or establishing your expertise with senior leaders, a poor first impression over email can spell disaster. Yet many professionals inadvertently sabotage themselves with ill-advised emoji use.

Consider this real example of an email Dr. Glikson received from a graduate student looking for a job:

Dear Professor Glikson,

I am a graduate student in social psychology and I am looking for a job. I saw your announcement and I am very interested in this position! 😊 Would it be possible to send you my C.V.?

Thank you very much!
[Name]

"This person was applying for a serious research role, yet their email seemed more fitting for a summer camp counselor," Dr. Glikson recalls. "The smiley face really undermined their credibility and professionalism. It definitely weakened their candidacy in my eyes."

When you‘re writing to someone for the first time, play it safe and avoid emojis altogether – especially if the interaction is fundamentally professional in nature. You only get one chance to make a strong digital first impression. Don‘t let a frivolous emoji tarnish your image from the start.

Experiment 3: Photo Smiles Beat Emojis

So if you can‘t rely on emojis to show warmth in your emails, what‘s the alternative? Another experiment in the study found that a smiling photograph is a much better option.

Participants viewed emails with either a smiling sender photo, a neutral unsmiling photo, or a smiley emoji. The smiling photo significantly boosted perceptions of both competence and friendliness compared to the neutral photo or emoji.

"A photograph is a much richer and more authentic way to convey emotion than a simplistic icon," says Dr. Glikson. "It allows people to see your full facial expression and connect with you as a real human being."

Including a professional headshot in your email signature is an easy way to capitalize on this effect. Just make sure to choose a photo where you look warm, confident, and competent. Avoid distracting backgrounds, overly casual attire, or goofy expressions.

For example, consider the difference between these two email signature options for a sales professional:

Option 1:

Cathy Johnson
Sales Director, ACME Inc.
[email protected] | 555-123-4567
😃 Let‘s connect on [LinkedIn]!

Option 2:

[Smiling professional headshot] Cathy Johnson | Sales Director
ACME Inc.
[email protected] | 555-123-4567
Let‘s connect on [LinkedIn]

The second option conveys far more warmth and credibility. The smile feels genuine and helps the recipient put a real face to the name. The emoji, in contrast, looks childish and trite.

Experiment 4: Emojis May Prompt Gender Stereotyping

A final interesting finding from the study is that emoji use can inadvertently invite gender stereotyping. In situations where the sender‘s gender was ambiguous, recipients were far more likely to assume an email came from a woman if it included a smiley emoji.

"We know from previous research that women tend to use emojis more frequently than men," says Dr. Glikson. "So it seems people associate smiley faces with feminine communication styles."

While the sender‘s perceived gender didn‘t change overall impressions of competence or warmth in this experiment, this effect could still have troubling implications in the workplace. Many fields remain plagued with biases about women‘s abilities and place in leadership. Using emojis may unwittingly play into stereotypes of women as less serious, authoritative, or analytical than men.

To minimize the risk of such typecasting, professional women may wish to be extra vigilant about avoiding emojis in work emails – especially in male-dominated industries or organizations. Let your ideas and expertise speak for themselves, without cutesy embellishments that could encourage others to take you less seriously.

Alternatives to Emojis in Professional Emails

Hopefully the evidence has convinced you that emojis are a major no-no in work emails. But that doesn‘t mean your messages have to be stiff, robotic and impersonal. Here are some tips for crafting digital communications that are warm and engaging, without resorting to smiley faces:

• Use a friendly, smiling headshot in your signature. As we‘ve seen, photos allow for much richer emotional expression than cartoonish emojis. Choose a professional headshot where you look warm and confident. Wear work-appropriate attire and avoid distracting backgrounds.

• Write like a human. Don‘t be afraid to show some personality in your emails. Use a conversational, relatable tone and let your unique voice come through. Sentences like "I hope you had a great weekend" or "Thanks so much for your help with this" can foster connection without crossing the line.

• Be clear and specific. One of the best ways to show respect and build trust over email is to be as clear and detailed as possible. Take the time to fully explain your thoughts, expectations and needs. Anticipate follow-up questions and include that info proactively. Your thoroughness will be appreciated.

• Provide value and insight. Look for opportunities to share helpful resources, ideas, feedback or advice in your emails. Don‘t just make requests – aim to give as much (or more) than you ask for. When you provide real value to others, you demonstrate your expertise and competence.

• Proofread! Silly typos and grammatical goofs can make you look careless and unprofessional. Always give your emails a once-over before hitting send to catch any errors. This small step can make a big difference in how recipients perceive your intelligence and authority.

• Highlight your successes and expertise. Don‘t be afraid to mention relevant accomplishments, skills or knowledge in your emails. Weave in references to successful projects you‘ve led, problems you‘ve solved, or areas where you have deep expertise. Back up your ideas with data, examples and logic.

• Write powerful subject lines. A compelling subject line hooks your reader from the start and raises their expectations for your message. Research shows that subject lines with 6-10 words tend to get the highest open rates. Aim for something clear, specific and enticing like "3 Ideas for Streamlining Project X" or "Quick Question on Your Marketing Strategy."

• Format for clarity and scannability. Big blocks of dense text are hard to digest, especially on a small screen. Break up longer emails into short paragraphs and use formatting like bullet points, bold text, and headings to improve readability. Limit yourself to 2-3 key points max. Make the next step crystal clear with a specific call-to-action.

The common thread in all these tips is a focus on substance and clarity over superficial flash. Great work emails get to the point, provide real value, and make the reader‘s job easier. They position you as a competent, trustworthy colleague who‘s a pleasure to communicate with. No emojis required.

Conclusion: In Business, Your Smarts Are Your Smileys

The evidence is undeniable: emojis undermine your credibility and authority in professional emails. They make you seem less competent, intelligent and capable – even when your words say otherwise. And the stakes are simply too high to risk making a poor digital impression with colleagues, clients, or bosses.

So it‘s time to kick your emoji habit at work, once and for all. Resist the temptation to add that winky face or thumbs up to your business messages. Focus instead on improving the substance and style of your emails. Pack them with valuable information, insights and action items. Take the time to perfect your phrasing and proofread for polish.

Most importantly, remember that in the professional world, your smarts are your smileys. Trust that your knowledge, talents, and unique personality will shine through – no cutesy cartoons required.

Because at the end of the day, a well-crafted email is always better than a well-placed emoji. 🙂