Ask HR: How Can I Get Better at Writing E-Mails?

​SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is answering HR questions as part of a series for USA Today.

Do you have an HR or work-related question you'd like him to answer? Submit it here. 

I recently switched from a job where I rarely had to write e-mails to one where I am asked to correspond via e-mail regularly. It can be intimidating, and I get especially anxious when I have to e-mail senior managers or large groups of people. What do you recommend I do to get more comfortable and confident at writing e-mails? —Kyle

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.: I admire your candor about your situation. Many people share your struggles with corresponding via e-mail. Altering your mental approach and refining your technique will go a long way toward boosting your confidence and proficiency in sending e-mails.

Let's first tackle your skill set. There are numerous e-mail writing workshops and guides available to help elevate your writing skills. Many organizations offer such support, so check with HR about options. Once you have the fundamentals down, you can do a better job crafting and critiquing your own work.

E-mail yourself a draft before sending it so you can review it. It helps to step away from your screen for a few minutes and review your writing with fresh eyes. You may even want to ask a co-worker or a supervisor to review your e-mail before sending it, especially if it is addressed to a large or high-profile audience.

E-mail is not just one-way communication. Encourage feedback from the recipients of your e-mails. Ask if the information shared suits their needs. Try ending your e-mail with a line opening the door for follow-up, such as "Let me know if you have any questions or concerns."

I encourage you to view e-mail as a means of connecting with other people. Once you start to see it as an ongoing dialogue, sending an e-mail does not feel so final. If need be, you will have plenty of opportunities to clarify your messaging in follow-up e-mails. See the first e-mail to someone new as the beginning of a conversation, not a final statement. The act of writing will get more comfortable as you get to know your audience and they get to know you.

We are humans who make mistakes; even senior managers and executives make errors and mistakes over e-mail. The good thing is that no mistake is the final word on who you are. So take a deep breath, review your message and hit send. Do your best each time and your writing will improve.

I work at a restaurant and suspect one of our workers of routinely coming into work under the influence of drugs. Can our supervisor ask that employee to submit to a drug test? —Linwood

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.: This is a difficult circumstance to navigate. An understanding of your workplace policies is critical in assessing your available options. Be cautious and diligent in how you proceed.

Your employer's drug-free workplace program will outline comprehensive drug-testing policies, including reasonable suspicion testing based on the actions of a specific employee. The objective facts should prompt a reasonable person to conclude the individual to be under the influence.

But I would caution you against jumping to a conclusion because your co-worker could be suffering from any manner of acute physical or mental ailments. If you feel an employee is exhibiting signs of distress, notify a supervisor or manager immediately. You'll want to report the behavioral and physical indicators, not a personal conclusion. If you aren't trained for such assessments, your observations would not be a valid judgment of an employee's state of being.

Your management team should be qualified to recognize the signs of substance misuse in the workplace. Their firsthand assessment of physical and behavioral cues would be required before intervening.

When two or more members of qualified management verify indications significant enough to warrant reasonable suspicion, they must document their findings. From there, the findings would then need to be shared with the employee being referred for testing.

I appreciate your willingness to look out for the safety of your workplace and the well-being of your co-worker. Remember to pass the right information on to the right people and allow them to take the proper steps.