They began as the exclusive domain of teenagers chatting on social media. But emojis have quietly colonised the corporate world, appearing in Slack messages, performance feedback, internal emails and even board presentations. And new research suggests that, far from undermining professional communication, judicious emoji use may actually make workplaces more human — and more effective.

A study from the University of Amsterdam, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, found that employees who included emojis in professional digital communications were perceived as warmer and more approachable by colleagues, without being seen as less competent. A separate study by Michigan State University found that emoji use in team communications correlated with higher psychological safety scores — the sense that it is safe to speak up, take risks and be oneself.

Why it matters for HR

In an era of distributed and hybrid work, where much human interaction is filtered through a screen, the loss of non-verbal cues creates real communication risk. Tone is notoriously hard to read in text. A message intended as light and conversational can be received as curt or dismissive. Emojis serve as shorthand for the facial expressions and vocal inflections that digital text strips out.

“The 😊 at the end of a message from your manager does real work,” said one organisational psychologist. “It signals safety. It says ‘this is a positive relationship and feedback is given in good faith.’ That has genuine psychological value.”

Generational dynamics

The research also highlights a generational gradient. Millennials and Gen Z employees — who grew up with emoji-rich communication — use them more freely and interpret them more positively than Baby Boomers and many Gen X workers, for whom emoji use may still feel informal or inappropriate.

HR leaders in Singapore noted that this dynamic can create friction in cross-generational teams, particularly where younger workers feel their communication style is being judged or where older managers feel uncertain about how to respond to emoji-laden messages from junior staff.

Getting it right

Not all emoji use is beneficial. The studies noted that overuse, inappropriate use in serious or sensitive communications, and cultural mismatches (emojis carry different connotations across cultures) can undermine rather than support relationships. HR teams are encouraged to address emoji use as part of broader digital communication guidelines — acknowledging its place in modern workplace culture while setting appropriate context-sensitivity expectations.