Topic Fundamentals of Communication in the 21st Century Workplace

No. of hours 4

Mode of delivery Asynchronous

1. Identify the similarities and differences of personal and professional
communication
Learning objectives 2. Evaluate authentic communication materials using the criteria of an effective
communication; and
3. Explain the importance of effective communication in the workplace

Suggested
ASYNCHRONOUS SYNCHRONOUS Suggested
ACTIVITIES ONLINE
Tasks/ Activities Tasks/ Activities ONLINE TOOL/S
TOOL/S
Activity 1
(Perform the task
Google Mail or
provided in this
Yahoo Mail
module.)

Activity 2 (Perform the task

provided in this
module.)

Activity 3 (Perform the task

provided in this
module.)

Please check/ visit your LMS or Google Classroom for the announcement on the
Submission of Outputs submission of your outputs. You may also reach your teacher through contact
number ___________________.

Note:

1) The online tools and resources for synchronous and asynchronous tasks to be used shall depend on
the agreement between the teacher and students. The online platforms above are only suggested.
Teachers are given the liberty to choose tools which best suit the learning environment and
resource-capacities of the learners without setting aside the competencies expected for the course.
Activity 1

Your schedule this semester is way lighter than before because of the flexible learning scheme
being implemented in your school. You decided to look for a part-time job and saw this ad posted in
Facebook:

You decided to give it a try. Now, you need to send an email to express your intent to apply for the job.
But you are given a double challenge.

1) In the first e-mail template, you will send an e-mail to your friend who posted that ad, which
means that your friend is the one in need of a freelance writer.
2) In the second template, you will send an e-mail to a stranger who’s looking for a freelance
writer and whose ad appeared in your newsfeed.

What will you write? Will you introduce yourself? How will you introduce yourself to convince the
employer to consider you? Is there anything that you want to ask them?
E-mail 1: For your Friend

E-mail 2: For an Unknown Employer

Activity 2

Congratulations! You just sent your application to your first possible part-time writing job. Let
us now take a closer look to what you have written. Briefly describe the contents of your e-mails using
the three elements that shape a content of any message: purpose, audience, and tone.
 Elements e-mail # 1 e-mail # 2
Purpose

(What is your reason for

composing the e-mail?)

Audience

(To whom did you send you the

e-mail?)

Tone

(How do you describe your

writing style? What attitude was
conveyed in your e-mail? Is it
formal, restrained, relaxed, etc.?)

Activity 3

Now, go back to your e-mail for an unknown employer (e-mail #2). Evaluate your writing based
on the criteria of an effective communication. Write your rating on the grid below.

3- Absolutely, yes! 2-Somewhat 1-Sadly, no.

Criteria Rating

Did I give facts rather than vague impressions?

Did I give my information in a concise and

efficient manner?

Was I clear in stating what I expect from the

recipient or what I can do for the recipient?

Was I persuasive enough to convince the reader

that I am qualify for the job?
EMAIL ETIQUETTE TIPS

Job hunting sure isn’t what it used to be. Just a few years ago, “pounding the pavement” was a
literal thing, and people actually went out on the streets, going from business to business to drop off
their resumes. Today, most job applications do not take place in person. Everything is done online, and
many people even apply for jobs via email. Just because you might not be applying for a job in person,
though, doesn’t mean that you still don’t need to use proper etiquette to show that you are a
professional. Here are nine job seeker etiquette tips for applying for jobs via email.

1 Know Who to Send It To

When applying for a job via email, it is not enough to start with “to whom it may concern.” Whenever
possible, try to find out the name and title of the contact person instead of sending an email to a
general box. Make sure that you also send yourself a copy of each email that you send out. That way,
you have a record of all of the jobs that you are applying for, and you aren’t going to end up doubling
emails and annoying potential employers, which can easily backfire on you.

2 Always Use a Subject Line

Every job application email you send out needs to have a proper subject line. If you don’t put anything
in the subject line, chances are that your email is going to end up in a spam mailbox. Your subject line
should list the job that you are applying for, so the person who receives it knows exactly what job you
want. You can also include your own name in the subject line to reinforce the fact that you are applying
for the job, and not just sending an email on someone else’s behalf.

3 Use Business Email

Did you know that more than 60 percent of people do not use their personal email for anything that is
business-related? According to Avatier, the majority of people tend to keep their business and personal
email separate. So, when looking for a job, make sure that you are sending emails to business accounts,
and that you have a separate email address for your employment search, as it looks more professional
than just using your personal email.

4 Or, Set Up Another Email

In addition to a business email account, it is a good idea to have a job search email account. Only use
this email when you are applying for jobs. You can use it to keep track of the jobs that you have applied
for and be able to quickly and easily check messages from potential employers and other contacts. If
you only use your business account for job searches, there is no need to have this additional email. In
fact, it could end up becoming confusing if you are using two emails for your job search.

5 Use Proper Formatting

A job application email shouldn’t look like a typical email message. It should look like any cover letter
you would send via snail mail. So, make sure that your job application emails are properly formatted. It
should include a subject line, as mentioned above, and you need to edit, edit, and edit some more to
make sure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. The last thing you want is to look
uneducated or unprofessional because you don’t take the time to correct errors in your emails.

6 Treat It Like a Business Letter

Your email messages concerning job applications should look like a regular business letter. Do not use
acronyms, emoticons or slang. These things are okay for emails to friends, but not when you are trying
to present yourself as a professional. It should start off with a salutation and end with a signature. The
only thing you don’t need to add is employer contact information in the upper left-hand corner.
Otherwise, it should be identical to a letter that you would send through the regular mail.

7 Your Signature Is Important

Even though you can’t actually sign your email with a pen, you still need to add your signature. In an
email, your signature should include your first and last name, your email address, and your cell phone
numbers. It should also include your LinkedIn profile. This is your opportunity to show the person doing
the hiring what skills you bring to the table without sending a cover letter that is overly long. This isn’t
strictly necessary, but it something that is becoming more and more common.

8 Be Careful with Content

How you word your job application email is very important. It is a good idea to have a cover letter
already prepared and edited, so you can just copy and paste it into the body of the email message. If
you don’t have one ready to go, simply write it in before sending the email. If you are asked to send
your resume as an attachment, send it as a PDF file or a Word document.

9 Don’t Leave Out the Attachments

If you say in the email that you are sending an attachment, don’t forget to attach it. Sending a second
email with the attachment is not going to look professional. These days, it’s pretty difficult to forget the
attachment, especially if you are using Gmail, since it will notify you if you don’t add it after specifying
that there is one. The attachments are going to include the details about you, your resume, etc., so you
need to make sure that they are properly attached and that the person doing the hiring will see them.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

Communication is one of the major concerns in the workplace. Creating and maintaining a positive work
environment is what means effective workplace communication. Let’s find out how it can be done.

We have all been there, where we are given a task or leave a meeting and have no idea what to do next.
It’s quite common. According to the statistics, 57% of employees report not being given clear directions
and 69% of managers are not comfortable communicating with the employees in general. From the
statistics, it is clear that there is a need to improve communication in the workplace. But first things
first – what is workplace communication?
Communication in the workplace is one of the signs of a high-performance culture. Exchanging
information and ideas within an organization is called workplace communication. However, effective
communication occurs when a message is sent and received accurately. In every aspect of life (both
professional and personal), effective communication is important to success and happiness. Effective
communication in the workplace is central to all business goals.
Why is communication so important in the workplace?

 It avoids confusion
 It provides purpose
 It builds a positive company culture
 It creates accountability

Improving communication starts at the top to meet your business intent. Often, effective
communication at the workplace is what distinguishes a good leader from a great one. Communication
at workplace defines organizational goals and helps coworkers collaborate. This is a step towards a
fundamental business practice for a committed and productive workforce. In a study, companies
ranked communication skills twice as important as managerial skills. Here are the skills that employers
mostly seek in new hires, ranked in terms of priority.

 Oral communication
 Listening
 Written communication
 Public speaking
 Adaptability

It’s vital to measure communication so you can see what works, what doesn’t, and tweak it accordingly.
Workplace communication is important to your growth and success. It allows everyone to share their
inputs and feel that their ideas are being valued.
References:

Effective Communication in the Workplace: How and Why?. (2019). Retrieved 18 December 2020, from
[Link]
workplace-how-and-why/

9 Job Seeker Email Etiquette Tips to Help You Land the Job. (2018). Retrieved 18 December 2020, from
[Link]