Why do Gen Z workers and their bosses have trouble communicating?

Differences in how each generation learned to communicate at work. Many Gen Z workers started their first jobs or internships remotely during the pandemic, so they missed unwritten office etiquette. That can make habits like casual emails, texts instead of calls, and slang read as rude or unprofessional to older managers.

How common is the generational language gap at work?

In a Censuswide survey commissioned by Sunny Workplace, 80% of Gen Z workers said differences in language and communication style had been a challenge at work in the past month, versus 30% of Boomers. And 51% of Gen Z said it's a challenge "always" or "often," compared with 9% of Boomers.

Why do Gen Z workers skip greetings and punctuation in emails?

Michigan State sociolinguist Betsy Sneller told Fortune that younger workers "don't really have the genre of email in the way that older speakers do." Older workers often treat email as formal and permanent, while younger workers who grew up on social media and messaging apps may treat it like a long text.

How can managers communicate better with Gen Z employees?

Be a chameleon. Adapt to your younger direct reports' needs and frustrations instead of judging what you don't understand at first. Gen Z employees can help by asking when expectations aren't clear, such as whether a boss prefers a call or a text.

Is the communication gap only a Gen Z problem?

No. The gap goes both ways. Blake noted that the pandemic affected workers of all ages, and even she misjudged the right level of formality with her own students after moving a class online. The takeaway: every generation has to adapt, not just the youngest.

How to Spot a Ghost Job: Six Red Flags to Watch For

Girlboss The Monday Manual in collaboration with Northwest.

Victoria here, Girlboss’ executive editor. 👋

Oh, you thought a Hinge match coming back from the dead at 3 a.m. with a “wyd? 👀🔥” text was scary? Well, get this: ghost jobs are everywhere these days. With Halloween next week, we thought it was freakishly fitting to talk about all of the fake job listings (and fake candidates!) haunting the hiring world. Plus, how to spot the red flags, so you don’t waste your precious time.

Other stuff the Girlboss team is talking about on Slack:

Jennifer Lawrence is the latest celebrity to join the beauty brand rat race.
A message to anyone who disturbed our peace this year. 🖕
Domain, website, email, business phone: Northwest helps your business look legit from day one, for free. A game-changer!*

💼 Job of the day: Calling all cookie-loving lawyers! Girl Scouts of the USA is hiring a VP, Associate General Counsel (Supply Chain/E-Commerce) ($137K to $215K) to keep the cookie empire running smoothly by negotiating key commercial agreements and managing outside counsel. What, like it’s hard? 🍪

What Is a Ghost Job? 6 Red Flags to Watch For

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