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Business Etiquette – The New Rules in a Digital Age
Christine Kelley– Sr. Accountant Executive, Robert Half Management Resources
Taylor Poston – Account Executive, Robert Half Management Resources
April 24, 2012
Founded in 1948, Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm. In March 2012, Robert Half ranked first in the staffing industry on FORTUNE magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies" list. The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is a member of the S&P 500 index.
Robert Half’s financial staffing divisions include Robert
Half Management Resources, Accountemps and Robert Half Finance & Accounting, for temporary and full-time professionals, respectively.
For more information: ◦ www.rhmr.com ◦ www.roberthalf.com ◦ www.twitter.com/roberthalffa
Christine Kelley
Senior Account Executive
Robert Half Management Resources
Taylor Poston
Account Executive
Robert Half Management Resources
© 2012 Robert Half. Robert Half is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Executives were asked, “To what extent, if any, can technology etiquette breaches adversely affect a person’s career prospects?” Their responses:
Source: Robert Half survey of 659 human resources managers in the United States and Canada
Somewhat
61%
Not at all
23%
Don't know
1%
Greatly
15%
Mobile devices
Texting
Phone, video and web conferencing
E-mail and instant messaging
Social networking
Networking in just five minutes a day
Managers were asked, “Which of the following most closely describes your reaction when professionals read and respond to e-mail during business meetings?” Their responses:
Source: Robert Half Survey of 250 senior managers in the United States and Canada
1%
6%
20%
35%
38%
Don't know
It's acceptable to read/respond to messages, especially
when what's being said doesn't pertain to them
It's OK to check messages as long as attendees excuse
themselves and step outside the meeting to respond
It's OK to read and respond to messages during the
meeting but only if the message is urgent
It's never OK. E-mail devices should be turned off or
not brought to the meeting at all
CIOs were asked, “In your opinion, has the increased use of mobile electronic gadgets increased or decreased the number of breaches in workplace etiquette in the past three years?” Their responses:
Source: Robert Half survey of 1,718 chief information officers in the United States and Canada
Increased
somewhat
29%
Remained
the same
42%
Decreased
somewhat
4%
Decreased
significantly
2%
Don't know/no
answer
2%
Increased
significantly
21%
Don’t have loud music during a meeting
Watch out for TMI – Have private conversations in private places
Lose the “cyborg” look
Go light on acronyms and abbreviations
Text selectively
Don’t be mysterious
Executives were asked, “When you participate in meetings via teleconference, how frequently do you do other things, like answer e-mail or surf the Internet, during the meeting?” Their responses:
Source: Robert Half survey of 763 advertising and marketing executives in the United States and Canada
Somewhat
frequently
33%
Not frequently
36%
Never
19%
Very frequently
12%
Take a trial run
Watch the clock
Get the team ready
Be a good host
Be inclusive
Enjoy the silence
Don’t put people on hold
Use mute
“I once sent a job offer to the wrong person.”
“Someone sent out confidential salary information to the whole firm.”
“Someone made a nasty comment about a supervisor and it was sent to the supervisor by mistake. It led to dismissal.”
“A person called another employee an idiot in an e-mail to everyone in the company.”
Source: Robert Half survey of 250 advertising and marketing executives in the United States
Use only one account for work
Be mindful of which account you use in a job search
Respond in a timely manner
Be clear in your subject line
Keep it short and light
Don’t cry wolf
Use “Reply All” selectively
Think before you send
I just sent a confidential e-mail to the wrong person – what do I do now?
How responsive should I be to e-mail when I'm on vacation?
Be unassuming
Restrain yourself
Keep it short and sweet
Exercise caution
Don’t leave someone hanging
Johnson, Lori
Turner, Christine
Turner, Christine
Search yourself regularly
If you have a common name, use a variation
Post information that adds to your credibility ◦ Blog posts in your industry
◦ Participation in LinkedIn groups
◦ Start your own social media feeds
Complete your profile
Take notice
Prioritize quality over quantity
Request recommendations individually
Make the connection clear
Go ahead – use the form letter!
Protect your contacts
Recommend thoughtfully Mark Jones Project Manager XYZ Company
Is it OK to “friend” your boss on Facebook?
Executives were asked, “How comfortable would you feel being ‘friended’ by the following individuals on Facebook?” Their responses:
Source: Robert Half survey of 249 senior executives at the largest companies in the United States and Canada
Your boss Your coworker People you
manage
Very comfortable 15% 10% 10%
Somewhat comfortable
23% 37% 27%
Not very comfortable
17% 15% 18%
Not comfortable at all
38% 32% 39%
Don’t know 7% 6% 6%
Get a vanity URL
Include a personal photo, but not too personal
Respect the wall
Keep it focused
Ask before you tag
Don’t be a pest
Don’t poke
Keep it private
Can Facebook postings hurt my job search?
Should I use Facebook at work?
What’s the right way to decline a request to connect with someone?
What’s a “Twibe?”
What does “RT” stand for?
What’s a “Fail Whale?”
© 2011 Twitter.com
Introduce yourself
Listen
Add value
Tweet regularly
Pay it forward
Joe Business
Say thanks
Keep it light
Be open … but not too open
Connect your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts using the hash tag #in when appropriate
If someone follows me on Twitter, should I automatically follow him or her
back?
Do small favors
Offer introductions
Add someone new each week
Join up
DON’T
Host a phone, video
or web conference
without first learning
the technology
DO
Take a trial run before
your scheduled
meeting so you can
troubleshoot issues
without wasting
others’ time
DON’T
“Reply to All” on your
work e-mails if your
message isn’t
relevant to everyone
DO
Double-check your
response before
sending to multiple
recipients
DON’T
Distract others with
instant message
pop-ups during
business meetings
DO
Log out of your chat
feature before
presenting at a
meeting using your
computer or laptop
DON’T
Post anything you
wouldn’t want a
potential employer to
see, especially
embarrassing photos
DO
Maintain full business
acumen when friending
coworkers,
professional contacts
and customers
DON’T
Be one-sided
when using
social media sites
DO
Listen to what others
have to say and share
useful articles or
relevant comments
DON’T
Send generic
messages to all of
your LinkedIn
contacts asking for
recommendations
DO
Request LinkedIn
recommendations
individually with a
personal message
DON’T
Poke business
contacts
DO
Stay top of mind with
your contacts by keeping
your profile current and
taking advantage of
online and offline
networking opportunities
DON’T
Post negative
comments or criticize
others when using
DO
Use the direct message (DM) feature to initiate
contact regarding sensitive issues, then try to discuss
offline, if possible
© 2012 Robert Half. Robert Half is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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