An unresponsive employee is a problem that managers and leaders need to sort out as soon as possible. So if you have such an employee, it is critical that you communicate with them to make sure that there is clarity.
In this blog post, we will look at how you write an email to an unresponsive employee, with the use of best practices, helpful tips and a sample you can copy. So, let us get started.
Tips to Remember
Stay professional throughout the communication process this includes the reminder (this) email, any follow-ups, etc. It is critical not to lose your cool.
Be clear, prompt and specific when addressing an unresponsive employee since they likely stop being productive from the time they stop responding to communication.
Respect their time and ask them how things can be made better and set clear expectations on communication standards of the company /team.
Follow company policies whenever you are addressing a situation that you might not be very familiar with. Most companies will have a guide for dealing with certain tricky situations.
Best Practices
Write a clear subject line that highlights the subject and urgency and pair that with a polite introductory greeting to set a positive tone for the communication going forward.
State the issue upfront and do not beat around the bush when trying to convey the expectations of the company and the potential loss/damage it does to the team and their morale.
Add context as to why prompt communication is important and more specifically express concern around the unresponsive nature of the recipient.
Request a response and offer assistance if it is applicable or feasible since the problem might not necessarily be a bad employee attitude but a resource focused one that might be easily solvable.
Conclude on a positive note so that the employee is motivated to move forward and get better at being responsive and also maintain a positive relationship with the workplace.
Sample Email Template to Send to an Unresponsive Employee
Subject: Checking-in from [Department Name]
Hello {Recipient’s Name},
Hope you are doing well. We at [Your Department] have been trying to reach you for the past [Time Period], but have been unsuccessful.
As you might be aware, we are [Share Update on the Latest Happenings at Work] and we will need you to [State How the Person Fits Into the Scenario].
So please reach out to me as soon as possible via email or on my phone at [Your Mobile Number].
Please also note that after this email, all future communication will be exclusively managed by the HR department and they will share the course of action going forward.
I look forward to hearing back from you soon and cannot wait to have you back working with the team.
Thanks for understanding.
Regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
Conclusion
Sending an email to an unresponsive employee is a critical function of a manager. With the tips and hacks shared in this post along with the sample template, you can now write effective emails for this situation.
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