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Yes, information technology professionals, like everyone else, feel more connected to other people thanks for smartphones, instant messaging and other immediate communication tools. Still, less urgent communications – such as e-mail and face-to-face conversations – are the preferred form of communications for most members of the IT workforce, according to Robert Half Technology, an IT staffing firm, which polled 1,400 chief information officers.

When asked, “What is the preferred way for IT staff to communicate with each other in the office,” 43% of the CIOs who responded to the survey said e-mail, followed by 36% who said face-to-face, 10% who said phone, 4% who said instant messaging and only 2% who said text messaging. Five percent said they didn’t know.

“E-mail is effective for quick exchanges and keeping written records of decisions,” said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology, in a statement that was release with the results. “However, when conveying potentially sensitive information, nothing can replace the value of face-to-face communication.”

She added that picking the right medium to communicate a message is more important now given the current economic uncertainty.

“Companies that make difficult decisions in response to a more challenging business climate must communicate proactively and diplomatically with staff,” she said. “It’s not just the content of the message, but the manner in which it’s delivered that has an effect on employees and how they, in turn, communicate with each other.”

Comments (5)

	1. 21-11-2008 11:16
	I would have to agree, email provides a level of security to any communication made. There is no question as to what was said and to what it referenced. I find it my preferred means of communication, especially primary communications. Guest

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	2. 21-11-2008 11:24
	I've written about this on my blog, "CTO/CIO Perspectives", and take the strong stance that e-mail (relatively formal and structured) is of very high value indeed in driving an organization towards quality decisions and (most of all) accountability. See http://www.peterkretzman.com/2008/06/17/starve-your-voice-mail-feed-your-e-mail/    Face-to-face? Of course. But I've seen way too many executives rely solely on that -- and then there's no history and little accountability. Guest

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	3. 21-11-2008 12:18
	In a time when a lot of layoffs happen and drastic budget cuts are imminent a face to face meeting shows a lot of respect for the IT staff as opposed to sending a cold email regarding tough budget cuts. Guest

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	4. 21-11-2008 12:33
	Great article! It\'s interesting to see that CIOs prefer in-person meetings and the simplest of tools, email, for communications. CIOs should consider these tendencies when making corporate-wide decisions about collaboration tools. While the tools are important, they do not alone provide a sense of satisfaction to a majority of people. Questions about productivity by way of job satisfaction and high motivation need also be considered. This requires that people have many different pathways over which to communicate including in-person meetings from time to time. Importantly, as the last person noted, in difficult economic times it is essential that bad news is delivered with care and consideration for the person on the receiving end. Companies laying off workers need to take responsibility for societal well-being as well as their own by showing respect to employees about to be let go. At the very least managers should look a person in the eye when they are about to receive devastating news. Registered

Karen Sobel Lojeski

	5. 22-11-2008 14:27
	I agree. Email is a good way to get in touch with busy executives on many topics. Most use Blackberries now, and can respond to email quicker than voice mail. In-Person meetings are critical for more sensitive communication, and the key is for people to think about how and what they are communicating and then pick the best method. One size does not fit all. Registered

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