Generation Z is changing the tone (or the vibe, as it were) of professional communications, with their preference for casual language creating new norms.
Anecdotal and quantitative evidence alike show the shift. For instance, videos have been going viral on social media showcasing the informal ways Gen Z workers have been signing off their emails, as Fast Company reported this week.
One such video with nearly 9 million views appears to show professional signoffs such as “bless up,” “mean regards” and “another day another slay,” while another with 873,000 views includes such signoffs as “stay litty” and “pop off.”
Gen Z workers tend to have a more stressful relationship with their inboxes than previous generations, with a Babbel survey revealing that they are twice as likely as the population overall to have more than 1,000 unread emails and are disproportionately likely to have sent emails they regret.
Plus, a survey of 8,000 small business employees conducted by Slack (which has its own stake in the matter) noted that 57% of Gen Zers struggle with the expectation to keep things formal over email, a greater share than any other generation.
Furthermore, a study of more than 2,000 respondents from Barclays LifeSkills found that, in the United Kingdom, 71% of workers think young workers are impacting the formality of workplace language, and Gen Z workers are nearly twice as likely as those over 55 to use instant messaging platforms in the workplace.
While young consumers have a reputation for being more digitally connected, research found that millennials and Gen Zers favor face-to-face communication, as a 2021 study from Universidad de Almería showed.
“Gen Y and Gen Z are said to be so immersed in the social media world that they cannot communicate well in face-to-face interactions,” the researchers observed. “However, the results showed that they liked to talk with people face-to-face…”
When they do communicate digitally, they like to integrate visual elements into the interaction.
“When they communicate online, they liked to use visuals to share their ideas…,” the study said. “In the same way, they would also like information to be shared with them visually rather in the form of text, characteristics of visual learners rather than verbal learners.”
An iHire study of more than 1,000 18- to 27-year-olds and more than 250 employers found that 34% of Gen Z applicants believe negative stereotypes about their age group will negatively affect their job searches and career trajectories. Meanwhile, 58% of employers said Gen Z applicants must learn to improve their communication with hiring managers.
Generation Z is reshaping workplace communication by embracing a more casual and visually driven style, which contrasts with the formal norms of previous generations. The shift reflects not only their preference for authenticity and directness but also their comfort with digital platforms that allow for creative expression.
However, as they continue to navigate the professional world, the challenge remains in balancing this new approach with the expectations of more traditional workplace environments.
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