Evolving e-Etiquette in the Workplace - Roanoke College

Helpful Web Sites• www.emailreplies.com• www.netmanners.com• http://careerplanning.about.com/od/communication/a/email_etiquette.htmwith an assigned mentor who sharesinformation and models acceptablebehavior, or through a formal trainingprogram. These programs often useonline and/or corporate trainers whoinstruct new hires on company policyand expose them to an environmentwhere they learn other unwritten rulesgoverning office behavior.At the college level, career servicesprofessionals often work closely withstudents in providing information onsurviving the transition to corporateculture, whether for an internship orfull-time employment. Since this isoften the first time students learn aboutpossible policies and procedures inthe workplace, its importance shouldbe emphasized. Consequently, it maybe most beneficial for students to hearabout workplace rules governing theuse of technology from someone whohas firsthand experience, such as ayoung alumnus or a human resourceprofessional.General Rules of ThumbFor New EmployeesCareer services practitioners cannotknow every employer’s policies, butthere are some guidelines studentsand new graduates should be aware ofwhen going into the workplace. Theseguidelines include:• Know your company’s policy regardingthe use of electronic devicesin the workplace; if these policieswere not shared, look on the company’sweb site—if not available,request the information.• Understand that your company hasthe right to monitor your use of e-mail and may terminate you if youdo not adhere to its policies.• Beware of a false sense of securitybefore sending an e-mail; askyourself if you would mind if yourmessage was sent to the world.Remember you have no controlwhere your message goes afteryou click send.• Certain sites can be off-limits;understand what these are. If youaccidently log onto one of themimmediately report it to yourinformation security officer or ITdepartment.• Downloading of some programscan be prohibited (RealPlayer,freeware, shareware, games, and soon); find out what these are.• It is often against company policyto use office technology for commercialor personal use; set up aseparate e-mail address for thesepurposes.• If policies prohibit the personaluse of the Internet during workhours, limit your use to breaks orlunch hours.• If company guidelines permit a“reasonable use” for personal reasons,let your friends and familyknow of this restriction and askthem to respect this privilege.ConclusionAlthough more organizations are developingpolicies, many rules regardingthe use of electronic communicationdevices in the workplace remain unwritten.More efforts need to be madeto formalize these policies so that collegestudents and new hires understandthat the concept of business etiquetteor professionalism has expanded inthe last few years and will continue toexpand exponentially as new technologyis developed. Colleges should providetraining on these expectations in theworkplace, not only teaching networkingand dining etiquette, but also how touse e-mail effectively to communicatewith bosses or co-workers.Using some of the preferred methodsof communication of Millennials,such as text messaging, is an excellentway of training or introducingstudents, new grads, or new hires toevolving concepts of professionalismand e-etiquette in the workplace. Astechnology is advancing at a rapidrate, career services needs to continueto develop new ways to channel thetechnical skills of this generation,and help them become contributingmembers of society.Endnotes1“More students use social networkingsites,” Bulletin News, University of St. Thomas.www.stthomas.edu/bulletin/news/200849/Wednesday/WebWednesday12_3_08.cfm2“Employers warned of staff ‘tuning out ofworkplace,’” Starting Up News. www.startups.co.uk/6678842911308648337/employerswarned-of-staff-tuning-out-of-workplace.htmlReferencesFox, Sue. Business Etiquette for Dummies,2nd Edition: Your guide to acting appropriatelyacross the globe. Wiley Publishing,Inc: Hoboken, NJ. 2008.Kallos, Judith. E-mail Etiquette Made Easy!Senatobia, MS. 2007.Langford, Beverly. The Etiquette Edge: Theunspoken rules for business success.American Management Association: Broadway,New York, NY. 2005.Post, Peggy. Emily Post’s Etiquette, 17th Edition:The definite guide to manners completelyrevised and updated. HarperCollinsPublishers Inc: New York, NY. 2004.Song, Mike et al. The Hamster Revolution:How to manage your e-mail before it managesyou. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc:San Francisco, CA. 2007.Steele, Jeffrey. E-mail, The Manual: EverythingYou Should Know About E-mailEtiquette, Policies and Legal LiabilitiesBefore You Hit Send. Marion Street Press,Inc: Oak Park, IL. 2006.40/JOURNAL MARCH 2009