Etiquette for the office It's better not to send these emojis to your office colleagues
Whether it's smiling faces, thumbs up or a heart - emojis have long been an integral part of digital communication. But what about in a professional environment? A survey shows that opinions differ on this question.
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- According to a survey by "WordList Finder", older people in particular consider the use of emojis in the workplace to be unprofessional.
- While emojis are largely accepted when communicating with colleagues of the same age, more tact is required when communicating with superiors or customers.
- Positive symbols are usually unproblematic, while offensive emojis are better avoided.
Emojis have become an integral part of our everyday communication. Hardly any WhatsApp messages are complete without smilies or hearts. But what does it look like in everyday office life? Which symbols are appropriate there and where is more restraint perhaps advisable?
The online platform "WordList Finder" surveyed 1,028 professionals on this topic at the end of last year. It found that 44 percent of respondents felt emojis in the workplace were unprofessional. Older respondents in particular were critical of the small symbols. In the over 59 age group, as many as 56 percent rejected their use.
Clear is better than ambiguous
The decisive factor when using emojis at work, however, is first and foremost who you are communicating with. Emojis are generally not a problem among peers and are completely accepted by most interviewees. The situation is somewhat different when communicating with clients or superiors: Only 20 percent consider the use of emojis to be acceptable in this context.
So a little sensitivity is always required. As a little help, here are some symbols that are better avoided and some that can generally be used without any problems.
Be careful with these emojis
- The beer glass emoji (🍺)
- The eggplant (🍆), which is often interpreted as an allusion to the male genitalia
- The kissing mouth (💋)
- The middle finger (🖕)
- The peach (🍑), a symbol that also stands for the buttocks
Popular emojis
- The smiling face with friendly eyes (😊)
- The thumbs up (👍)
- The sunglasses emoji (😎)
- The OK hand sign (👌)
- The face laughing with tears (😂)
And what about reactions?
Reactions with emojis, for example in team chats, should also be carefully considered. The heart symbol (❤️) in particular is not appropriate in every situation. While it can be perceived as warm and positive in a message acknowledging a special achievement or congratulating someone, it can quickly seem out of place in formal or conflict-laden conversations.
A thumbs up or a neutral, friendly smile are often the better choice in such cases. It remains crucial to take the communication culture of the respective company into account and to exercise restraint or contact your line manager if you are unsure. This way, misunderstandings or embarrassing situations can be avoided from the outset.
