Six major reasons why email is getting obsolete in the workplace

Email is a communication medium that has been used for decades. It was not only a corporate communication channel but also a personal communication tool. However, with the advent of other social technologies and instant messaging platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Slack, emails are no longer frequently used for personal communication.  

But emails are still a norm in the corporate communication and marketing industry. Businesses use emails as a secure and official medium to document communication. And it is also a personal marketing tool to reach out to customers.  However, email communication is dying slowly, and here are a few reasons.  

1. The availability of more diverse technologies 

Communication technologies have seen massive development in the last decade. Though emails are still an official workplace communication channel, companies are now relying on faster and more secure options. Business-based instant messaging apps such as Clariti, Slack and Skype are reliable tools that are secure and easy to use. These platforms provide high security to confidential data and chats. Moreover, modern instant messaging platforms are highly versatile. Users can fulfil multiple functions with a single app like video or audio calls, Calendars and Reminder features.   

2. Emails can be long, unstructured and out of tone 

Drafting a well-written and structured email is an artful skill. Moreover, long emails often fail to grab attention and get to the point.  Thus, leading to ineffective communication. Emails are best understood when they are clear and concise. There is also a high chance of significant information being lost amidst the wordy clutter and a maze of email threads. 

Emails can be gravely misunderstood if not worded right too. The tone of a message can be quite different when written. Sometimes, an email can sound quite rude as opposed to when the same content is spoken. In contrast, an email can also lack urgency if the sender does use the right tonality. 

3. Emails kill productivity and are time-consuming 

A survey by Wakefield Research revealed that nearly 38 per cent of office workers feel that ‘email fatigue is one of the reasons that push them to quit their jobs. Another study showed that 62 per cent of employees find emails to be their primary distraction while focusing on a task.  

Switching between emails and work can cost employees their time and focus. An email usage study discovered that it takes 23 minutes for employees to return to a task after being interrupted by an email. Responding to emails does take a considerable amount of time and effort.  Spending too much time responding to a flooded inbox is a daunting task. It distracts employees from doing the actual work. Consequently, there is bound to be a decline in employee productivity since employees are stressed about email responses and unable to focus on productive tasks.  

4. Emails lack business app integrations and built-in workflow features 

Third-party integrations are essential in the modern workplace. Email apps can be quite primitive when providing useful app integrations. It does not allow seamless integration of social feeds or other collaboration apps.  

The lack of workflow features like task assignment and progress tracking affects productivity. Many email applications are difficult to navigate and can be quite cluttered to handle. Most emails do not integrate time and work management features.  

5. Email is ineffective for information storage and management 

Managing an inbox full of emails can be a daunting task. Organizing emails based on priority and the nature of work is tedious and, most of all, time-consuming.  

Quite often, emails are also used as a storage space for important documents. Unfortunately, emails are not built to store data which is why it is a disorganized repository for information. This makes it difficult for users to find important email threads, documents, or files. Employees not only lose time searching for information, but they could also lose significant files and documents amidst the pile of mail if it is not manually organized. A company needs to deploy secure cloud storage and information management system.  

6. Emails are not suited for real-time communication and collaboration 

Email response times can vary depending on when the recipient decides to respond. Email communication can be spontaneous and real-time only if the sender and receiver choose to respond with immediacy. Emails are not built for instant communication. For this reason, emails are not an advisable medium for emergency communications.  

Instant messaging apps facilitate faster communication as messages can be exchanged in a conversational flow, unlike email threads. This spontaneity makes instant messaging a much better alternative for remote team collaborations.  

 Better alternatives to emails for workplace communication 

Instant messaging apps 

• Instant messaging platforms are a staple communication medium in the workplace. Instant messaging platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams are popularly used instant messaging apps. Unlike emails, instant messaging enables real-time communication and collaboration. It is an ideal option for urgent communication in remote working teams. Moreover, most IM tools also have in-built features like audio and video calling and document-sharing capabilities. With the right instant messaging etiquette, communication through IM apps can be better than emails.  

Cloud storage and document management software 

Information management is important when handling a high volume of documents. In a remote working team, sharing documents by mail can create confusion. Documents and files are bound to get lost amidst lengthy mail threads. Finding these documents can also be a time-consuming task. Using proper document management and information storage software is a smart way to organize documents. Some of the most popular tools like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Docs have helped companies store and organize information securely on the cloud. This helps users to find and retrieve files at any time, anywhere.   

Business productivity tools 

Modern business productivity tools have helped big and small businesses to collaborate effectively. Productivity tools offer a diverse range of features and functionalities. For example, Clariti is one of the best free email management tools that help users to combine emails and chats and organize them in Workspaces based on context. Another popular productivity tool is Asana. It helps teams handle numerous projects simultaneously. The software provides multiple features like task automation and project tracking. These features help businesses to simplify complex work processes and keep teams updated.  

Using the right technologies can improve the way teams communicate and collaborate. Technology plays a crucial role in keeping teams connected in a modern workplace, where teams can be remote and hybrid. Businesses can choose the technology based on the team’s needs.  

Conclusion 

 With workplace concepts changing over time, businesses need better options for internal team communication. There is a growing need for technologies that facilitate real-time communication in a remote setting. Gradually, instant messaging apps became a necessity. Businesses began to leverage cloud technologies to facilitate seamless information sharing. Business productivity tools became the backbone of business efficiency.  Emails are still a valuable communication medium for businesses. But changing times have implied that it is insufficient in dispersed teams and remote working.    

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