A recent survey reveals that a notable share of Russian workers weave emojis into everyday business conversations. Analysts from Avito Work shared these findings with socialbites.ca, illustrating how visual cues appear in corporate chats and how norms shift across different industries.
When evaluating core communication channels, phone calls, instant messaging, and email remain the backbone of professional interaction. Specifically, 65% rely on phone conversations, 64% use instant messengers, and 49% write emails. Across all respondents, half admit to sprinkling emojis into business messages, signaling a growing comfort with visual elements in professional writing.
Among emoji adopters, usage patterns vary. About 21% reserve emojis for certain situations or colleagues who understand the intended tone, 20% occasionally deploy them to convey emotion, and 9% include emojis regularly as a standard part of their toolkit.
The study highlights sectors where emoji use is higher. Fitness and beauty services top the list with a 23% adoption rate, followed by marketing and public relations at 21%, IT and internet services along with telecoms at 16%, and online retail at 14%. Yet nearly half of respondents, around 49%, prefer to keep emojis out of official business emails and formal communications.
Younger workers drive the trend. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 69% have used emojis in professional correspondence, with 18% doing so on a regular basis. In comparison, those aged 65 and older show the lowest engagement, with 28% using emojis and only 1% applying them frequently.
The data also reveals a spectrum of attitudes toward emoji use. About 29% say they use emojis only in informal chats with colleagues, 27% rely on standard neutral symbols such as a smile or a thumbs-up, and 22% prefer not to include them at all. One participant spoke of using emojis very often, while 20% noted that their emoji usage is reserved for expressing positive feelings.
Approximately 16% avoid emojis when communicating with certain groups, such as managers or subordinates. At the same time, only 5% report balancing personal and business messages in equal measure, showing a clear distinction between informal tone and formal channels.
Attitudes toward emoji use in workplace conversations are varied. About 30% view emojis positively, 17% feel neutral, 19% say their reaction depends on context and the relationship with the sender, and 15% pay little attention to emoji use in professional chats. A small 2% express a negative stance toward emoji usage in business contexts, underscoring a wide spectrum of comfort levels.
The survey also points to a historical list of sectors considered prestigious to work in by Russians. These groups often align with corporate communication norms and cultural expectations around emoji use. In summary, emoji usage in professional settings shows broad variation by age, industry, and personal preference, signaling a broader shift in digital workplace etiquette across the country and hinting at how teams adapt messaging to audience and purpose.