How to Handle Employees Who Ignore Your Emails

In an era where communication is key to business success, knowing how to handle employees who ignore your emails can be both frustrating and disruptive. You send out important messages, updates, or instructions, but some employees simply don’t respond—or worse, they don’t even open the email. This challenge can erode productivity and create unnecessary friction within your team. But how do you tackle this issue effectively?

To help you address the problem of employees not reading or responding to your emails, we turned to experienced people managers and business leaders who have faced and overcome this very challenge. We asked them to share their most effective strategies for improving email engagement in the workplace. The insights we gathered include a range of practical solutions, from scheduling brief face-to-face meetings to reinforce key messages, to leveraging email-tracking tools that ensure your communications are being seen.

Here are the top 12 tips these professionals recommend to help you understand how to handle employees who ignore your emails, improving overall team communication and productivity.

• Schedule a Brief Meeting
• Investigate Reasons for Unread Emails
• Reconsider Email Formatting
• Clarify Communication Expectations
• Use Clear Subject Lines
• Add Humor to Subject Lines
• Have a Face-to-Face Conversation
• Create a Safe Space for Communication
• Pick Up the Phone
• Gamify Internal Communications
• Adjust to Preferred Communication Methods
• Use Email-Tracking Tools

Schedule a Brief Meeting

When an employee doesn’t read your emails, one effective approach is to schedule a brief face-to-face meeting or video call.

Why This Works:

• Personal Interaction – Direct communication ensures the message is received and allows for immediate feedback or clarification.
• Emphasizes Importance – A meeting underscores the significance of the content, indicating that it’s crucial enough to warrant a discussion.
  Addresses Potential Issues – It provides an opportunity to understand any underlying issues, such as email overload or unclear communication preferences.

How to Approach It:

• Schedule a Time – Set up a short, dedicated meeting time, either in person or via a video call, to discuss the contents of the email.
• Be Direct and Concise – Clearly explain the key points of the email and why it is important for the employee to be aware of this information.
  Encourage Feedback – Ask if there are any reasons why emails are being missed and if there are preferred methods of communication that might be more effective.

For example, you might notice that an important project update email hasn’t been acknowledged by a team member. Instead of sending follow-up emails, you schedule a 10-minute video call to go over the update. During the call, you explain the critical points and ask if there’s a better way to communicate important information in the future. This approach not only ensures the message is understood but also helps tailor communication methods to the employee’s preferences, potentially improving overall responsiveness.

Scheduling a brief face-to-face meeting or video call can effectively address the issue of unread emails by ensuring the message is received, emphasizing its importance, and identifying any barriers to effective communication. This strategy fosters better understanding and engagement, leading to improved communication within the team.

Arslan Abdul-Rehman, Digital Marketer and SEO Expert, Siznam.co

Investigate Reasons for Unread Emails

Although it may come across as rude for an employee to not read your emails, there could be a number of factors causing this. There could be technical issues, not enough time in the day, other priorities, or even personal conditions such as ADHD that sometimes result in people being overwhelmed by the volume of emails in their inbox. 

The key thing to do in this situation is to gently investigate why they aren’t reading the emails. Approach with gentle intrigue rather than abrupt negativity—it wouldn’t be advisable to start off on the wrong foot by. It may be that email isn’t the best platform to get the person’s attention, and you may be better off contacting them via Slack or WhatsApp. Talk to the person and work out the “why” and then the “how” things can work differently for them.

Wendy Makinson, HR Manager, Joloda Hydraroll

Reconsider Email Formatting

During the initial years of heading my recruiting firm, I faced a situation when one of my primary recruiters seemed uninformed about most things despite receiving my detailed emails. Upon my repeated inquiring, I finally got them to confess that the page-and-a-half mishmash of information I sent was hard for them to follow while they were already occupied with recruiting assignments. That made sense since the “summary email” I used to send my employees at the end of each workday was mostly copy-pasted from my day’s notes, hurriedly edited, and sent without proofreading. It included random pieces of information that could easily be missed or mistaken.

This experience has taught me to structure my emails in a more readable format by keeping the important announcements in bold, using headings to capture my team’s attention wherever necessary, and systematically addressing one topic at a time to avoid confusion. I also try using smaller sentences to keep my emails concise. 

I wouldn’t recommend taking it personally if an employee isn’t reading your emails; the best first step is to make sure you’re keeping your emails easy to read before blaming them.

Joe Coletta, Founder & CEO, 180 Engineering

Clarify Communication Expectations

I always like to start by determining why they’re not reading emails. Have a conversation with the employee through another communication channel, whether that’s face-to-face in an in-person office or via phone or video chat for a remote employee. Double-check that there aren’t any delivery issues, overactive spam filters, or other technical problems at play before you assume the employee is willfully ignoring your communications. 

Once you’ve established that, talk to the employee about why they don’t read their emails. Are they getting too many emails, and some are lost in the shuffle? It could also be a broader workload issue—if an employee has too many tasks on their plate, they might avoid checking their email out of a concern they’ll have even more work assigned to them, or because they don’t feel they have time to check their inbox regularly because they’re too focused on other tasks. 

It also helps to clarify expectations regarding workplace communication. Consider how many different communication channels are used in the workplace, and for what purpose. If the majority of communication goes out through a platform like Slack or Asana, for instance, the solution may be to stick to that channel to limit the chances of messages being missed.

Rob Boyle, Marketing Operations Director, Airswift

Use Clear Subject Lines

Our employees receive a flood of emails every day, making it easy for them to miss important ones. I use clear and catchy subject lines to grab their attention. I’m trying to keep emails short and to the point, using bullet points to make the content easy to scan. If emails aren’t getting read, I’ll send a quick message on Slack. 

Sometimes, a direct message can get through the noise better than an email. You can also use Slack to remind your team to check their emails for important updates. This way, you’re covering all bases. Each person from the team knows that it’s their responsibility to stay on top of communications. I set expectations clearly from the start and regularly remind them in meetings about the importance of communication.

Jared Stern, Owner and Marketing Manager, LawsuitLoans.io

Add Humor to Subject Lines

One thing you can do when an employee doesn’t read your emails is to make them more engaging and attention-grabbing. 

For example, I would put “Must Read” or “Please Come to My Desk” in the subject line. In the body of the email, I would add a light-hearted note like, “Just joking, don’t need to come to my desk, but please read this email—it’s important.” This approach adds a touch of humor while clearly emphasizing the importance of the email, increasing the likelihood that it will be read and acted upon by an employee.

Ajay Chavda, CTO, Mojo Dojo

Have a Face-to-Face Conversation

If an employee is not seeing your emails, they may be unclear on your company policies. The best way to handle this situation is to have an in-person interaction. A brief, face-to-face conversation will allow you to clarify the policy. It is also the best way to find out if there may be any other issues on your employee’s end.

Extend your support in whatever way you can during this conversation and listen proactively. If there is a technical issue, connect your employee with the IT department.

However, if it is a common occurrence for employees to not check their emails, you may be sending them too many. Make sure that your emails are relevant to the person you are sending them to. This way, employees will check the emails they receive because they know the message will be relevant to them.

David Magnani, Managing Partner, M&A Executive Search

Create a Safe Space for Communication

I think it depends on how critical the situation is. If you’re dealing with something time-sensitive, or this has been an ongoing issue, you need a swift resolution. In that case, it makes sense to just schedule a brief meeting and discuss it in person or via video call. It allows for immediate feedback and clarification, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

What’s important is creating a safe space where they feel comfortable sharing any challenges they might be facing, whether it’s workload issues or simply a preference for different communication methods. Additionally, you can discuss the specific tasks or situations mentioned in your emails, ensuring that the employee understands the importance of the information and what actions need to be taken moving forward.

Riley Beam, Managing Attorney, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.

Pick Up the Phone

When an employee doesn’t answer your emails, just pick up the phone. Staring at an empty inbox can drive you crazy, but a quick call can clear things up fast. 

Keep it casual. Start with a friendly greeting and then ask about the project—something like, “Hey, how’s that report coming along? Any updates?” This keeps it light and open. 

Don’t jump to conclusions. They might be about to share good news or be deep in work. A direct call often gets answers faster than waiting for an email. Plus, hearing their voice lets you catch nuances that text misses. They might be swamped or dealing with technical issues. 

Calling shows you care enough to reach out personally. It can strengthen your working relationship and make any future communication smoother. If there’s a problem, talking it out usually finds a solution quickly. 

Personally, these calls have saved me a lot of stress. When you don’t get a response, it’s easy to imagine the worst. But usually, a quick chat clears the air. It’s a good reminder that we’re all human, dealing with our own challenges. 

Patience and understanding go a long way in building a positive work environment. 

So, when your inbox is too quiet, let your voice do the talking.

Mateusz Klus, Co-Founder, Artmarkt

Gamify Internal Communications

One little bit outside-the-box solution for dealing with employees who don’t read your emails is to gamify internal communications. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but hear me out. By almost turning the chore of reading and responding to emails into a fun and rewarding game, you can definitely increase engagement and ensure important information is received and retained. 

For example, you can give points for opening emails, reading them within a certain time frame, and responding or completing tasks outlined in the emails. Taking it even a step further, you can set up a reward system where employees can earn small rewards like gift cards, extra break time, or recognition in team meetings based on their accumulated points. Finally, creating a leaderboard that fosters friendly competition among employees is another level you can take the points system to. 

Another option is to make emails interactive. You can create interactive elements within your emails, such as quick polls, embedded mini-games, or clickable progress bars to make reading emails more engaging. Imagine sending out a weekly newsletter. At the end of each email, you can include a fun quiz based on the content. Employees who answer correctly within a specified time frame receive points. Those points are tracked on a public leaderboard. At the end of the month, top scorers receive a small prize, like a catered lunch or an extra day off. 

In a world where we are bombarded with hundreds of emails daily, these little tricks have proven to motivate employees to read and respond to emails. It also reinforces the information and ensures that employees remember important details. It definitely improves the overall communication culture of an organization by simply making emails more dynamic and enjoyable.

Sabine Schopke, Serial Entrepreneur, Bestselling Author, Podcaster, Business Growth & Midlife Guidance Coach, Sabine Schopke

Adjust to Preferred Communication Methods

I’ve learned that everyone has their preferred way of communicating. When I notice someone’s not responding to emails, I try to figure out what works best for them. Maybe they prefer phone calls, or perhaps they’re more responsive to messages on our internal chat system. I’ll ask them directly about their preferred method. Once I know that, I can adjust my approach.

It’s really about finding what gets the job done efficiently. Whether we’re discussing a new engraving technique or coordinating a large order of industrial tags, the goal is clear communication. We’ve noticed improvements in our workflow and fewer misunderstandings by adjusting to each team member’s preferred communication style. While it requires a little more work up-front, the rewards include more efficient operations and a stronger team.

David Primrose, President, Metal Marker

Use Email-Tracking Tools

Using email-tracking tools can be an effective approach when an employee isn’t reading your emails. These tools, like Mailtrack or HubSpot, allow you to see if and when your email has been opened. By tracking open rates and engagement, you can identify whether your messages are being read. If you find that your emails are being opened but not acted upon, it may signal a need for clearer communication or a different follow-up strategy. 

But please ensure that the use of tracking tools complies with your organization’s privacy policies and is used transparently to maintain trust and avoid any potential discomfort.

Nitin Khanna, President, N3 Business Advisors Inc.

Author: Brett Farmiloe is the founder and CEO of Featured, a platform where business leaders can answer questions related to their expertise and get published in articles featuring their insights.