Emojis Are ‘Good For Workplace Communication’, Most Millennials Believe

emojis

by Anna Brech |
Published on

Emojis - the eponymous lexicon of a modern age - are moving their way off our iPhones and into the workplace.

More than two thirds of millennials believe there is a place for emoticons in the office, according to a new study from Microsoft and YouGov.

And while you might balk at the idea of sending a smiley face to your boss, 40% of those quizzed in the survey think that emojis help to personalise messages at work.

But there does seem to be a caveat to this preference. Nearly all of the millennials questioned - 88% - said they use emojis primarily to communicate with colleagues who are also friends.

In other words, their work wives, rather than managers or clients.

emoji-work
Millennials love emojis at work - but only in relation to positive messages ©Getty

The same millennials also welcomed emojis when receiving positive feedback from their peers and superiors.

In this context, emoticons made them feel "happy and proud".

On the flip-side, they said emojis did little to soften the blow of a critical messages at work, and did not help to make difficult situations less awkward.

So, think carefully before you fire off that fist-bump graphic on a round-robin email.

Millennials might like it, or they might not. It all depends on the nuance.

Read More: New Emojis Will Feature A Woman In A Headscarf And A Woman Breastfeeding

Read More: What Your Annoying Office Habit Says About You

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