How You Respond to Emails Matters More Than You ThinkResults from a new study will challenge what you think you know about email.
ByRose Leadem•
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From responding to anemailimmediately to letting it get to the bottom of yourinbox-- everyone has their own way of handling email.
Related:The Best Days and Times to Send Your Email (Infographic)
A recentsurveyby email solution companyTimyodiscovered the common habits and beliefs of people when it comes to email. Asking more than 500 full-time employees a series of questions about email, the survey uncovered surprising information about how much time people spend on email, how quickly they respond, how often they use their phone for email and more.
For most people, when they receive an email, they like to respond within the hour, with 49 percent of those surveyed saying that's the norm for them. Others have a different approach -- 26 percent said they only respond when it's convenient for them.
Related:Why Won't You Respond to My Emails?
And if you want to catch someone at the right time, it's probably best to send those emails in the morning. One-quarter of participants said they check their email between 5 and 9 a.m., and another 20 percent between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
To learn more about email mannerisms from around the country, check out these seven insights from the survey.
Most people spend an hour or less on email every day.
While email might feel like it takes up most of your day, it turns out that's not the case for most workers. According to the survey, 35 percent of participants said they spend an hour or less on their email every day. Another 30 percent said they spend around one to two hours. Only 1.6 percent admitted to spending six or more hours on email every day.Most emails people send are not urgent.
Most people are not sending urgent emails that need a quick response. Nearly half of participants said that less than 10 percent of the emails they send require an immediate response.
That's reflected when they're on the receiving end as well. Nearly one-third of survey participants said that 10 percent or less of the emails they receive require responses. Another 23 percent said that less than 20 percent of the emails they receive need replies.