What is Asynchronous Communication?: Definition, Examples and Benefits

Louise Petty

March 28, 2025

5 min read

Everyone communicates differently and the style of communication we opt for depends heavily on how we work, where we’re located and the schedule we follow. These days, many teams work remotely and their communications have become asynchronous: conversations no longer happen in real-time, managers must record meetings to share with those who can’t attend and employees are required to wait for their colleagues to be available. In this article, we’ll explain what asynchronous communication is, explore the pros and cons and give you some tips on how to use asynchronous communication effectively at work.

What is Asynchronous Communication?

Asynchronous communication is any type of communication that doesn’t occur in real-time and where there is a time delay between responses. For example, sending an email to someone and not expecting them to reply immediately, but in their own time.

Asynchronous communication is increasingly common in most modern workplaces, especially post-pandemic when more and more of us are working remotely, hybrid working, working from home, have flexible working hours or are working in a completely different country or timezone to our teammates.

For these reasons, we often don’t expect a response to our communications immediately and it’s become normal to recognise that it may be several minutes, hours or even days before our colleagues get back to us. This is asynchronous communication.

The Difference Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication

The main difference between synchronous and asynchronous communication is that synchronous communications happen in real-time, without a time delay, and the person you’re communicating with responds to you immediately.

The table below shows the other key differences between synchronous and asynchronous communication:

Synchronous Communication	Asynchronous Communication
Responses are received in real-time.	Responses are received after a delay.
Everyone has to be present at the same time.	People can respond at a time that best suits them.
Everyone must follow the same diary and schedule.	People can catch up with messages on their own schedule.
Requires advanced planning to get everyone together at the same time.	No planning is needed as people can work flexibly and on their own.
Responses are quick and immediate.	Responses are slow.
Someone needs to take notes to keep a record of what was said or agreed.	Note-taking isn’t required as there’s already a digital chain of written communication.
Examples are in-person and virtual meetings, phone calls, video calls and instant messaging.	Examples are emails, shared video recordings, voice notes and messages via online project management tools.

Asynchronous Communication Examples

The asynchronous communication examples below demonstrate how you might use asynchronous communication in the workplace:

Your teammate is based in the USA, so works on a different schedule and in a different timezone to you. You can’t easily call them for a chat, so you have to communicate via a messaging app and wait for them to be online to respond.
Your team leader is often out of the office on site visits so, when you have important client information to relay to them, you send them a voice note and then wait for them to be free to reply.
Your colleague works at the desk next to you but has headphones on and is concentrating on an important task. Rather than disturbing them, you send them an email with your question and wait for them to finish what they’re doing and reply in their own time.
Your team all work remotely on different schedules and need to collaborate on project ideas. Instead of trying to schedule a meeting when everyone is available, you use an online project management tool that people can add comments to at any time.
During the day, you’re often too busy with other tasks to reply to emails as they come in, so you leave them all until the final hour of the day and then respond to everything all in one go.

Employees in an office working on individual projects

Advantages of Asynchronous Communication

There are many benefits of asynchronous communication in the workplace, especially for remote workers who work in a different location to other members of their team. Advantages include:

It allows you time to consider your response and reword a reply several times before you send it.
Your communications are clearer, better thought-out and of higher value to the recipient, preventing unnecessary back-and-forth messages.
Because everything is recorded digitally, you have a chronological message history or email chain that’s easy to search through and find past information.
You have more control over your schedule and can choose when to catch-up and respond to messages.
It can help with flexible working and a healthy work/life balance, as you can structure your day in-line with how you work best.
No-one is at a disadvantage because of their schedule, time zone or availability.
It helps to reduce meeting fatigue, as teams can communicate on their own schedules and the need for multiple or lengthy meetings is reduced.
It can be much more inclusive of different communication styles, especially for those who are neurodivergent, have a mental health condition or a learning difficulty who may find it more difficult to contribute or be heard in fast-paced, face-to-face settings.

Disadvantages of Asynchronous Communication

Whilst asynchronous communication can be highly beneficial to many workers, it also has various challenges and disadvantages. For example:

There’s no immediate feedback to your questions, comments and ideas.
The meaning, tone and context of written messages can often be lost or misinterpreted.
It can be challenging if you have lots of ideas or questions that you want to bounce off someone and have to wait for them to be available.
Receiving a delayed response to a sensitive topic can be hurtful, stressful or inappropriate in some situations.
Delayed communications have no non-verbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions, that help build rapport and understanding.
It can be harder to build strong relationships without face-to-face contact.
People can end up with an overwhelming amount of notifications and messages to respond to.
The lack of a fixed work schedule can make the home/work balance difficult for some people.
Important messages can easily be missed if notifications are snoozed or dismissed, then forgotten about.
Remote workers often feel a lot of pressure to be available at all times to respond to direct messages and emails, so that they don’t miss something or appear lazy to their line manager. This can lead to stress and anxiety.

How to Use Asynchronous Communication Effectively at Work

It’s likely that you already use asynchronous communication at work, even if you didn’t know that’s what it’s called. For most of us, asynchronous communication is something we do daily. Below are some top tips for using this method of communication more effectively:

Don’t replace synchronous communication completely. Instead, aim for a mix of in-person conversations, live video meetings and phone calls alongside emails, direct messages and online project boards. This ensures workers feel a sense of community and can build rapport and relationships with colleagues.
If some workers are in the office and others work remotely, ensure you regularly hold hybrid meetings where everyone is involved, whether they’re joining the room in-person or virtually. This ensures no-one is disadvantaged or unable to contribute because of their location.
Always over-communicate and ensure your digital messages contain as much information and detail as possible. As well as text, use voice notes, video clips and screenshots to be clear about what you mean and what you need. Doing this will help to prevent misunderstandings, which can delay projects further.
Factor in the time it might take someone to respond to your email or message to avoid frustration. For example, if you need someone’s input before Friday, ensure you send the message early in the week to give them time to reply, rather than the night before.
Emails and direct messages can trigger feelings of anxiety as workers feel they have to be available to respond 24/7. To help reduce these feelings, set aside a specific time each day to respond to messages and let people know this is how you work. Turning off notifications also reduces the urge to drop what you’re doing and reply immediately.

Asynchronous communication is when a message is sent to someone without requiring an immediate response, allowing people to reply at their convenience. It’s widely used in remote and flexible working environments through communications such as emails, recorded videos and project management tools. While it improves flexibility and productivity, asynchronous communication can also lead to delays, misinterpretation and challenges in building relationships if it’s not used effectively.