In the people business, some emojis are better left unsent
A quick 👍 to confirm an interview slot, a relieved 😅 after a long hiring sprint, or the occasional 🎯 when you finally land that hard-to-fill role: sometimes, emojis say it all. But in business communication, and especially in HR and recruitment, there’s a thin line between relatable and ridiculous. While emojis are great for adding tone and personality, they can also turn a professional message into a circus of confusion. So, how exactly do you speak emoji in the people business?
A quick 👍 to confirm an interview slot, a relieved 😅 after a long hiring sprint, or the occasional 🎯 when you finally land that hard-to-fill role: sometimes, emojis say it all. But in business communication, and especially in HR and recruitment, there’s a thin line between relatable and ridiculous. While emojis are great for adding tone and personality, they can also turn a professional message into a circus of confusion. So, how exactly do you speak emoji in the people business?
1. Know your audience
A smiley face can feel warm and human to one candidate, and painfully unprofessional to another. So before you hit send, ask yourself: Would this person use (these) emojis with me? If the answer is “probably not”, maybe skip the salsa dancer.
2. Keep the emoji count low
We’re not saying “no emojis ever”. Just don’t throw in five when you're updating a hiring manager on a candidate shortlist. One well-placed emoji can do the trick. Any more, and it’s giving “My toddler just got hold of my phone”.
3. Avoid the weird ones (you know the ones)
Sure, the upside-down face 🙃 might feel like the perfect way to say “oops, wrong CV”, but not everyone reads it that way. Some emojis are culturally coded, generationally loaded, or just plain weird in a work context. Stick to the classics unless you're 100% sure your message lands.
4. Context is everything
Dropping a thumbs-up in your work WhatsApp group? Totally fine. Wrapping up a contract offer email with a crying-laughing face? Maybe not. Emojis live and die by context. The more formal the setting – or the more senior the audience – the less emoji-friendly it often is. When in doubt, just play it safe.
5. Speaking of group chats...
Work WhatsApp groups are the new break room: part updates, part memes, part chaos. But sometimes it gets tricky: what if someone joins or leaves the company? Here are a few unspoken rules to live and chat by.
Welcoming someone? Keep it short and friendly. Don’t go overboard with the 🎉🎉🎉 unless they just landed the CEO role. A simple “Welcome aboard, Sophie! 👋” works just fine.
Removing someone? Always feels a bit savage, right? Here's how to keep it classy: first, send them a quick personal message to say you’ll be removing them from the group. Then drop a friendly note in the chat like “Thanks for everything, Sophie! Good luck on your next adventure 💪” before quietly removing them. No drama, no awkwardness, and no one left wondering why their messages suddenly stop delivering.
Bottom line? Emojis can make your messages warmer, faster, and more human. Just make sure they’re not also making things weird, confusing, or accidentally inappropriate. A little goes a long way – and some emojis are, indeed, better left unsent.
This piece was adapted from a blog by our friends at House of Continu. Thanks for the emoji wisdom!