Gen Z Communication Gaps at Work: How to Bridge Them

We're in a unique era where four generations share the workplace, from Baby Boomers and Gen X to Millennials and, most recently, Generation Z. This generational mix brings a rich diversity of perspectives but also introduces new challenges, especially when it comes to communication.

Gen Z began entering the workforce around 2019, often stepping directly from college into corporate cultures shaped by older generations. They bring with them digital fluency, fresh thinking, and a strong preference for authenticity. And with Gen Z on track to become the largest generation in the global workforce, their influence on workplace culture particularly how we communicate is only growing.

But with that influence comes friction. What feels efficient and natural to Gen Z can come across as too casual or even unprofessional to others. On the flip side, older generations may seem rigid or slow to adapt. These disconnects don’t stem from a lack of capability they’re the result of a lack of shared context shaped by different tools, habits, and expectations.

That’s why 36% of managers and leaders report that Gen Z employees struggle with communication. Not because they lack intelligence or ambition, but because they haven’t yet been exposed to the workplace communication norms older generations often take for granted.

This is where managers and L&D professionals play a pivotal role. The goal isn’t to fix or “reform” Gen Z it’s to help them build the skills and confidence to communicate clearly and effectively in a professional environment. With the right training, coaching, and feedback, these gaps can be closed and the results can be transformative for both individual careers and team collaboration.

In this blog, we’ll explore how Gen Z communicates, where the common disconnects occur, and how organizations can proactively train and support them in becoming confident, effective communicators. The outcome? A workplace where everyone regardless of generation connects, collaborates, and grows together.

Decoding Gen Z’s Approach to Communication

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is the youngest generation in today's workforce. What sets them apart isn't just age, but the digital-first world in which they were raised.

Unlike previous generations, Gen Z are true digital natives, having grown up immersed in smartphones, social media, and the internet. Their world has always been fast, hyper-connected, and visual and it's shaped the way they communicate.

This constant exposure to digital platforms has created a generation that's hypercognitive naturally skilled at consuming and cross-referencing information across multiple sources. They're equally comfortable navigating between the virtual and physical world, often blending both experiences in their daily lives. But while they're exceptionally adept at navigating online environments, many Gen Z professionals enter the workplace with limited exposure to traditional, formal communication.

What Shaped the Way Gen Z Communicates

Instead of formal emails and structured dialogue, Gen Z's go-to communication tools have been texts, DMs, emojis, and short-form content. This preference didn't come out of nowhere it's a direct result of the platforms they've grown up with.

Social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have become more than entertainment hubs they're primary sources of news and everyday interaction. In fact, 63% of American teens report having used TikTok, and 39% of U.S. adults under 30 say they regularly get their news there. These platforms thrive on short, energetic, and informal styles of communication often modeled by influencers who use conversational language to feel approachable and relatable.

Naturally, these digital habits carry into the workplace. For many Gen Z professionals, formal communication like structured emails or business writing wasn't something they practiced growing up. In most cases, it only entered the picture in college or at their first job. So, when they're expected to communicate with polish and structure at work, it doesn't come intuitively.

Gen Z excels at intuitive, fast-paced, cross-platform communication. But the kind of clarity, tone, and audience awareness expected in workplace settings often requires explicit guidance and practice.

That's why these communication gaps should be seen not as a flaw, but as a training opportunity. Their habits are shaped by the environment not attitude. With targeted coaching, real examples, and supportive modeling, managers and L&D teams can help Gen Z build the communication skills that today's workplace demands without stripping away the authenticity they value.

“Gen Z needs to work to understand what professional skills are needed to succeed in today’s workforce. However, the responsibility goes beyond Gen Z. Managers and business leaders need to learn to work with Gen Z.”

Stacie Haller

Chief Career Advisor/Nationally recognized Career Expert at ResumeBuilder

Understanding and Addressing Gen Z’s Workplace Communication Gaps

To bridge communication gaps, leaders must first understand where Gen Z’s habits come from digital-first environments, informal tone, and limited exposure to traditional workplace norms. The next step is helping them flex that style to meet professional expectations that's where lasting growth happens.

1. Too Casual in Professional Conversations:

Many Gen Z employees use an overly casual tone in formal workplace settings. Messages that feel friendly or authentic to them may come across as unprofessional or vague to others. While the intent is rarely disrespectful, the delivery often causes confusion, especially in emails, team chats, or client communication.

This communication style is shaped by Gen Z’s environment. Having grown up on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and group chats, they are used to fast, expressive, peer-to-peer messaging.

Additionally, most of Gen Z entered the workforce during or just after the pandemic often starting remotely. They missed out on observing in-person interactions that typically help new professionals learn how tone changes based on hierarchy and context. Without direct feedback or exposure, they’re navigating professional tone through trial and error.

The solution isn't to strip away their natural style but to help Gen Z adjust tone based on audience and context.

Here’s how managers and L&D teams can guide them:

• Provide clear examples of professional vs. casual tone across channels like email, chat, and meetings
• Role-play workplace scenarios to demonstrate how tone shifts when speaking to peers, managers, or clients
• Encourage reflective communication by prompting them to ask, “How might this message be perceived by others?”
• Normalize feedback loops so that tone adjustments become a learning moment not a reprimand

2. One-Word Replies Feel Dismissive or Unengaged

Gen Z professionals often respond to messages with one-word replies like “Noted,” “Done,” or “Okay.” While intended as efficient confirmations, these brief responses can come across as disinterested or unclear leaving managers unsure if the task is fully understood or if further action is needed.

This communication style stems from Gen Z’s digital upbringing. On social media and messaging platforms, short replies are the norm signaling acknowledgement without the need for elaboration. For them, it’s about speed and efficiency. But in the workplace, where tone and clarity matter, brevity without context can easily be misinterpreted.

Rather than discouraging short replies, guide Gen Z on when more context is necessary.

Here’s how to approach it:

• Model complete responses in your own messages to reinforce expectations
• Use gentle prompts like “Can you confirm what was done?” to invite more clarity without sounding critical
• In communication training, use micro-scenarios that contrast vague replies with clearer alternatives
• Reinforce the idea that in a team setting, context adds value, especially when visibility matters across functions

3. Hesitation to Pick Up the Phone or Join Live Discussions 

Gen Z team members often avoid live conversations be it phone calls, spontaneous huddles, or video meetings. Even when present, cameras stay off and participation is minimal, making discussions feel transactional and one-sided.

This isn't about disinterest it's about discomfort.

Gen Z grew up in a world of texts, DMs, and carefully crafted responses. Live conversation removes that safety net. According to recent research, 90% of Gen Z report feeling anxious about phone calls, often due to fear of saying the wrong thing in real time.

Combine that with limited practice during remote learning and early-career lockdowns, and you have a generation unfamiliar with the rhythm and unpredictability of voice-based communication.

“It turns out talking on a phone call is a skill and, for decades, we didn't recognize that, because we all did it.”

Mary Jane Copps

Communication consultant/coach

Live conversation is a skill and like any skill, it can be taught.

Here's how to help Gen Z build confidence:

• Start with low-pressure role-play or mock calls to build familiarity
• Normalize nervousness with manager transparency "I was nervous at first too" goes a long way
• Provide simple scripts for starting and ending calls to reduce hesitation
• Emphasize the "why": When is a phone call more effective than a message?
• These changes help Gen Z view real-time conversation not as a threat but as a tool for clarity, connection, and collaboration

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4. Important Emails Are Often Missed or Ignored

Gen Z employees often miss or delay responding to important emails. Inboxes pile up, key updates are overlooked, and response times lag causing friction in team coordination and communication flow.

This issue isn’t about apathy it’s a gap in workplace exposure.

A recent study found 36% of Gen Z professionals have over 1,000 unread emails, compared to just 18% of the overall workforce. Raised in environments dominated by real-time tools like Slack and WhatsApp, Gen Z naturally deprioritizes platforms that don’t constantly notify them.

Moreover, email has unspoken rules tone, frequency, structure, and response windows that many early-career employees haven’t been taught. Without guidance, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or disengaged from the inbox.

“It’s crucial for workplace leaders to set, communicate and model expectations around response times for messages and email especially for younger workers who are new to the workplace.”

Esteban Touma

Sr. Content Producer & Spanish Teacher at Babbel

Help Gen Z develop email hygiene and communication judgment through:

• Email Routines: Encourage daily inbox reviews and priority tagging.
• Templates: Provide ready-to-use formats for common messages (e.g., updates, replies, requests).
• Expectation Setting: Define email response SLAs across the team.
• Manager Modeling: Show how you manage email timing, structure, and tone.

When Gen Z understands the why behind email and the role it plays in accountability and visibility they start to treat it with the attention it deserves.

5. Work Platforms Are Treated Too Casually

Gen Z employees often use work tools like Slack, Teams, or Google Chat as if they were messaging friends. Their messages may include playful language, excessive emojis, or meme-style humor even in professional exchanges.

Common replies like:

• “Noted.”
• “See ya later.”
• “You’re the best boss ever (lol, jk)”

While intended as lighthearted or efficient, these responses can come across as dismissive or lacking professionalism.

These platforms feel familiar they resemble the informal messaging spaces Gen Z grew up with.

Without clear boundaries, Gen Z instinctively applies the same tone they use in group chats, unaware that:

• These platforms are often visible to leadership
• Messages can be referenced during performance reviews
• Tone impacts credibility and professional reputation

In short, the line between “casual” and “careless” isn’t clear to them.

Instead of discouraging personality, help Gen Z reframe these platforms as professional tools. Here’s how:

• Tone Guidelines: Share examples of “friendly but professional” communication.
• Team Modeling: Managers should model clear, respectful tone even in chat.
• Scenario Practice: Use sample messages in training ask, “How would you rewrite this if your manager or client were reading it?”
• Platform-Audience Awareness: Teach when it’s okay to be informal and when composure is key especially in leadership or cross-functional threads.

6. Gen Z Nodded But Didn’t Actually Understand 

It’s a scenario many managers know too well: a Gen Z team member nods during a meeting, takes notes, gives no sign of confusion and then delivers something completely different from what was asked. When asked why they didn’t speak up, the answer is often a quiet: “I wasn’t sure how to ask.”

This behavior stems from learned hesitation, not disinterest. In classrooms, many Gen Zers avoided asking “simple” questions to escape judgment. That tendency to “nod and move on” continued into the workplace, where:

• Psychological safety might be lacking
• They fear appearing unprepared or incapable
• They’re unsure how to phrase clarifying questions professionally

The result? Missed details, misunderstood tasks, and late feedback loops.

Creating a safe space for questions and modeling curiosity is key. Here’s how leaders can help:

• Ask Better Questions: Swap “Any questions?” with “What’s unclear or needs more detail?”
• Praise Curiosity: Publicly acknowledge clarifying questions to make them a norm
• Use Peer Formats: Try reverse Q&As or “What I heard” recaps in team syncs
• Lower the Risk: In one-on-ones, use prompts like: “What would help you get started on this confidently?”

The goal is to normalize asking, not penalize silence.

Case Study: How South Western Railway Addressed Gen Z Communication Challenges with Improv Training

When South Western Railway (SWR) noticed that their Gen Z apprentices were struggling with live communication, they decided to take an unconventional but effective approach. Keeley Quinn, Apprenticeship Compliance Manager at SWR, observed that many younger employees were hesitant to speak up, defaulting to messages or texts over real-time interaction. Their discomfort with live conversations, combined with limited workplace exposure during the pandemic, created noticeable gaps in soft skills like verbal clarity, assertiveness, and confident decision-making.

To tackle this, SWR partnered with The Free Association (FA), a London-based improvisational theatre company, to conduct custom workshops. These weren’t your typical icebreakers they were structured sessions focused on building real workplace communication skills through improv games, scenario-based roleplays, and active feedback. One such exercise, the “Yes, and…” technique, taught participants how to build on others’ ideas a core skill for collaboration and real-time thinking.

The result? Gen Z apprentices were taken out of their comfort zones and placed into safe, interactive spaces where they could practice speaking, listening, and even challenging authority in professional contexts. Quinn emphasized that the workshops helped participants gain confidence in situations they had never experienced in school or college but would inevitably face at work.

“How to speak to people at work, how to communicate, listen, make decisions, or even challenge people who are more senior just having the confidence and skills to do the right thing in the workplace,” said Quinn.

By investing in communication training tailored to Gen Z’s learning style, SWR demonstrated how forward-thinking organizations can turn communication friction into a powerful development opportunity.

Conclusion

The communication challenges we see in Gen Z today aren’t signs of carelessness they’re reflections of the digital environments they grew up in. From informal chats to asynchronous messaging, their habits are shaped by speed, comfort, and convenience. While these patterns may not always align with traditional workplace expectations, they’re not set in stone. With the right training and mentorship, these gaps can be closed.

That’s why it’s critical for organizations to invest in purposeful communication development not just feedback, but structured upskilling. And this starts by choosing a training partner that understands both the business goals and the generational nuances at play.

Edstellar offers a wide range of corporate training programs designed not just to inform, but to transform how teams communicate, collaborate, and grow. Paired with Edstellar's Skill Matrix, organizations can gain clarity on where the real gaps lie and tailor learning paths that meet every employee where they are.

Because when communication improves, performance follows and every generation in the workplace gets a little closer to speaking the same language.

Empower your Gen Z talent. Invest in clarity. Champion growth.