📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Science Just Gave Us Another Reason Not to Use Emoji at Work A new study finds that including smiley faces in messages could unfavorably tip the scales if you're trying to make a good first impression.

By Nina Zipkin

entrepreneur daily
Shutterstock.com

So much of our communication at work is text-based, but sometimes nuance can get lost. It's tempting to drop in an emoji to make sure that a response doesn't seem too harsh, but there's a reason to hold off on that smiley face.

A new study from Ben Gurion University and Amsterdam University found that using smiley emojis in your email correspondence could give off a bad impression. The researchers polled 549 people from 29 countries and had them read work emails from a stranger. They were then asked to rate the competence level and overall warmth of the sender of the email. A photo of the person who sent the email was also included.

Related: How Big Brands Did World Emoji Day

When an image of a smiling person was included, the participants perceived the sender of the email to be more competent and friendly. But when the correspondence included smiley emoji, the person was viewed as less competent, especially when the message related to formal work matters

The researchers found that when the study participants responded to the emails they were given on formal work matters, if the message they were sent included a smiley emoji, their answers had less content and were less detailed.

Related: Check Out the New Emoji Headed to Apple Devices

Additionally, the participants were more likely to assume that the emails that had the emoji were written by women, although that perception on the whole didn't influence how they perceived the sender's competence or friendliness.

So if you are trying to make a good first impression, maybe leave the emoji out of your correspondence, at least while you're building rapport.

"People tend to assume that a smiley is a virtual smile, but the findings of this study show that in the case of the workplace, at least as far as initial "encounters' are concerned, this is incorrect," the researchers wrote. "For now, at least, a smiley can only replace a smile when you already know the other person. In initial interactions, it is better to avoid using smileys, regardless of age or gender."

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Data & Recovery

Manage and Share Files Easier with a Great Deal on This Cloud Storage Subscription

Save 68% on a FolderFort subscription — the best price online.

Green Entrepreneur®

How to Make Your Ecommerce Business Truly Sustainable (and Why It's Important)

Effective data collection solutions help overcome the challenges of shifting to more sustainable ecommerce practices.

Business Solutions

Bring Programming In-House with Visual Studio and Coding Courses for $56

This bundle features Microsoft Visual Studio Pro 2022 and a wealth of online coding courses.

Marketing

How to Combine Your Online Marketing Tacts With In-Person Marketing

Here's how to combine offline and online marketing approaches for a better outcome for your business.

Business News

Waymo Is the Second Automated Driving Company in 2 Days to Face an Investigation

This week, Waymo announced it makes 50,000 paid robotaxi rides weekly.

Money & Finance

This Toxic Money Habit Is Becoming More Common — If You've Picked It Up, Your Finances Are at Serious Risk, Expert Warns

Kaitlin Walsh-Epstein, chief marketing officer at digital banking platform Laurel Road, reveals the frequent mistake.