Slack will let you message coworkers who don’t use Slack

Slack’s latest feature is one you might not expect: email. 

A new feature, announced during the company’s Frontiers conference, allows Slack users to message coworkers via email in an update designed to “bridge” the gap between Slack and email.

The feature, which will be rolling out over the next couple months, is meant to give people who don’t use Slack a way to keep up with conversations their coworkers are having inside the messaging app. 

“When they’re mentioned by username in channels or sent a direct message, Slack will route those messages into their email inbox so they don’t miss out on important information while they’re getting themselves set up,” Slack writes in a blog post.

Initially, the Slack to email messages will only be one-way, meaning the recipient can view the conversation from their inbox but won’t be able to respond directly. But Slack says it will eventually allow people to messages via email as well.

All that may sound clunky (and potentially annoying) but Slack says it could come in handy at larger organizations where not everyone needs to use Slack regularly. 

Additionally, Slack announced other features that will appeal to power users who spend much of their workday in the messaging app. 

The company is improving its support for Google and Outlook calendars, so you can sync your calendar with your status and create invites directly in Slack messages. 

Slack also introduced something called “Workflow Builder,” which lets you create “routines” in an interface similar to the Siri Shortcuts feature in iOS 12. With Slack’s version, you could set up a routine where a new member joining a channel automatically surfaces HR documents and other new-hire information, for example.