By Andrea Feinberg
World Emoji Day is an annual event celebrated on July 17th. It was created by “Emojipedia” to promote and celebrate the use of emojis. The date was chosen because it is the default date displayed on the calendar emoji on most platforms. How consistent!
Emojis have become an integral part of digital communication, allowing people to express emotions, convey ideas, and add a touch of creativity to their messages. Is this a plus or, I wonder, a negative commentary on people’s ability to use language to express their feelings? We like to think of it as simply a short cut to faster engagement with readers.
On World Emoji Day social media platforms often feature special emoji-related content. People may share their favorite emojis, create emoji-themed artwork, organize emoji- themed parties, and engage in discussions about the significance of emojis in our daily
lives.
The celebration of World Emoji Day hopes to highlight the role emojis play in fostering understanding, enhanced communication, and serving as a bridge across cultural language barriers. It also attempts to showcase that emojis have become a universal language, transcending geographical and linguistic boundaries.
Overall, World Emoji Day serves as a fun and lighthearted way to appreciate the presence of emojis in digital interactions and to recognize their impact on modern communication.
How can this relate to Human Resources (HR) for your small business? Try these:
- Internal Communication: Emojis can be utilized within your internal communication channels: emails, chat platforms, or project management tools. You might encourage employees to use emojis (appropriately, we stress) to convey emotions or reactions, fostering a positive and engaging work environment in which employee feedback is encouraged.
- Employee Engagement: Emojis can play a role in enhancing employee engagement. For example, HR can organize contests or challenges on World Emoji Day where employees create and share emoji-themed content or attempt to communicate entirely in emojis. This can promote team bonding, creativity, humor, and a sense of community within the organization.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Because emojis are available in various skin tones, genders, and occupations, they can reinforce awareness of and desire for inclusive representation. HR can educate employees about the diverse range of emojis available and encourage their usage to promote diversity and inclusion in internal and external communications.
- Employer Branding: HR can leverage World Emoji Day as an opportunity to showcase your company culture and values. Have your team create emoji-themed social media posts, blog articles, or videos highlighting how the representative emojis are embraced
within your organization. This can reinforce your company's unique identity and attract potential candidates who resonate with the fun and innovative aspects of the workplace. - Training and Development: HR can incorporate emojis into training materials or workshops on effective communication skills. As an example, emphasizing the appropriate use of emojis in professional contexts can help employees understand the
nuances and potential impact of their digital communication, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts. - Employee Surveys and Feedback: HR can explore the use of emojis in employee surveys or feedback mechanisms. Emojis can provide a quick and visual way for employees to express their sentiments, making feedback collection more engaging and accessible.
With these few examples, you can see the key idea is to recognize the evolving nature of communication, find new ways to encourage frank communication with the influence of emojis in the workplace. HR professionals can explore creative ways to leverage emojis within their HR strategies to enhance employee engagement, improve communication, and foster a positive work culture in small businesses.
For more ideas on the healthy use of emojis in your workplace, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.