How do you know when it is best to communicate with an email or whether you should pick up the phone and call? In any relationship communication is fundamental. This should be the same in your professional life as well as personal.
The benefits of using emails are hard to resist: they’re quick to send communication directly, thus making it easy and effective; they do not distract or interrupt someone by putting them on the spot. However, an email can go unanswered for days and sit in an inbox without being read or actioned; they can also sometimes be seen as impersonal and sometimes lazy.
Have a read of the situations below where a phone call is always the winner over an email:
- When running late for an interview please always pick up the phone and let your recruiter know. That way we can update the relevant parties of your whereabouts – no phone call may make a bad impression with whoever you are meeting before you get in the meeting room
- If you need to cancel an interview or appointment, a 5-minute conversation will go a long way over what can be seen as the easy way out of sending an email
- When you see an advert on any website for a job you feel you are suitable for, always call for an update. A phone call will ensure you go above the list of 50 emails that have also applied
- After an interview always call your consultant in order to give your feedback, whether this is positive or negative. Your feedback is essential and the danger with email is that the tone and context are easy to misread
- Any queries that you may have in regards to contracts, job specifications, pay, holiday, etc, always pick up the phone and have a conversation with the person who can help
There’s an added bonus to using the phone too. A phone call creates personal bonds in ways email cannot. You can’t hear a person’s tone of voice in an email. If an email thread gets tense or contentious, a phone call can defuse frustration and avoid misunderstandings. Some people just do not communicate as well in writing as they do verbally. By picking up the phone, you’ll get a clear and simple explanation.
As for the lack of written correspondence, when decisions are made on the phone, you can always sum up the conversation in a follow-up email.
For more information on how to communicate more effectively with your consultant or in an interview, feel free to get in touch!
