👍or 👎? Do emojis belong in internal communication?
AUTHOR
Becky Couper-Leonard, Insight & Content Manager
Dumbing down or adding emotion? Muddling messages or aiding clarity? As more and more young workers use emojis at work, should internal communicators be learning to speak their language?
Dumbing down or adding emotion? Muddling messages or aiding clarity? As more and more young workers use emojis at work, should internal communicators be learning to speak their language?
Do you use emojis at 🏢? Or do they get you 😕? Or maybe even 😠?
It’s a divisive issue. Some praise emojis as a global language, making it easier to connect with colleagues around the world. Some point out that at a time of increased text-based communication, particularly in remote and hybrid teams, they can compensate for the lack of tone and facial expressions we rely on in face-to-face interactions.
Whereas researchers at the University of Amsterdam found that when people use emojis at work, it makes them appear less intelligent, less competent, and only slightly, if at all, more friendly. Yikes.
But with nearly half of young adults between 18–29 years old saying that emojis are work-appropriate (SurveyMonkey), how can internal communicators balance communication preferences with professional customs?
Did you know?
“Emoji” itself combines the Japanese words “e” (meaning “picture”) and “moji” (meaning “character”).
In 2015, 😂 became Oxford Dictionaries’ ‘Word’ of the Year.
Emojis are sent over 6 billion times a day.
- Look who’s talking
- Check the Gen Z dictionary
- Use them wisely
Hopefully it goes without saying (but we’re doing it anyway) that we’re not suggesting creating business updates purely from emojis. But they’re a great way to get quick reactions and responses, such as in an online town hall or poll, or to complement messages in informal updates, like social posts. And of course, never use them for bad news or sensitive topics.
When it comes to emojis, not all users are made equal. Research from SurveyMonkey shows that people think it’s more unprofessional for upper management to use them than other colleagues. And they’re not appropriate or even allowed in certain formal industries, for example the legal sector.
Emojis can be interpreted differently depending on the context and culture they’re in. This is particularly true when it comes to Gen Z. For example, the ‘thumbs up’ emoji 
conveys “I agree” or “good work” to older users. Whereas younger ones see it as sarcastic or passive-aggressive. So before adding an emoji, research its meaning to different groups.
Want to stay ahead of the latest content trends? Email hello@sequelgroup.co.uk to find out how we can take your comms to the next level.
Anastasia Sichkarenko
