4 ways to be more productive with email

Email is simply one of the most critical business tools today – it facilitates communication within and beyond the organisation and it's now hard to imagine a world without it.

As much as it is an ingrained part of our business lives, it can also prove to be a huge drain on productivity if used incorrectly. What are some best practices to ensure email works for your recruitment agency, not against it?

1. Don't reply straight away

Many people have a tendency to hit the reply button as soon as they see an email pop up in their inbox – whether out of courtesy or simply to get it out of the way.

Unless it is an urgent matter that needs a prompt answer, you can leave the replies till later while you focus on your more important tasks.

2. Keep mornings email-free 

Another common – and unproductive – email habit is to check it first thing in the morning as soon as you step into the office.

The morning is generally when our minds are the freshest, and should therefore be set aside for either planning out the course of the day or getting started on the most complex tasks. Just give your inbox a quick scan to see if there are any pressing issues, and leave the rest for later when you have a bit more time.

3. Use filters

Sifting through pages of unread emails and then trying to sort them later on can be a huge drain on your time, and filters are ideal productivity solutions.

It doesn't take long to set up filters according to different clients or departments, for example, so they head to the right places as soon as they enter your inbox.

4. Avoid multitasking

As reading and responding to emails can seem like a relatively straightforward task, it can be tempting to juggle other duties as well.

However, not only will this confuse you even more, it can cause you to make errors in your replies – which will lead to even more work in fixing them later on!