• Swindon & Wiltshire Tech
• Tuesday December 17 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Younger co-workers not picking up your phone calls? Try a Whatsapp, survey suggests

Older workers are finding it more and more difficult to contact younger colleagues by phone or even email- a trend that’s set to continue, according to a major new study published this week.

Alastair Greener, of Berkshire-based Generationally Speaking, surveyed more than 4,000 people to find out how different generations are communicating as we enter an era of a new generation – Generation Beta.

“I took on this project because increasingly in my work with larger companies and corporates, I’m talking about the importance of effective and impactful communication and how vital it is that we respect the different generations within any workforce,” explained the Hungerford-based communication specialist, speaker and author.

“By providing hard data, this helps give us all a better understanding of generational differences when it comes to communication preferences.

“This understanding can lead to more effective communication, leading to a more productive and generationally cohesive workplace.”

Alastair, working with professional research company Dynata, interviewed more than 4,000 people asking numerous questions around communication preferences, but without revealing that there would be a focus on generational habits and behaviours.

The results confirmed some familiar patterns in the ways that the different generations communicate but also revealed some remarkable insights.

Highlights include:

• 73 per cent of Gen Z – those born between 1997 and 2011 – use emojis in every message
• While Gen Z leans on digital tools, a significant number still value in-person networking and express concerns about the lack of personal connection in tech-driven communication
• 41 per cent of Gen Z avoid phone calls, preferring digital messaging
• 97 per cent of Gen Z use smartphones
• Gen Z and Millennials – born between 1981 and 1996 – spend over 4 hours daily on social media – twice that of Gen X (1965 – 1980) and Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964)
• 32 per cent of Millennials believe they read non-verbal cues ‘very well’, the highest among all generations
• WhatsApp dominates communication with 80 per cent of adults across all generations using it
• Older generations focus on maintaining relationships through social media, while younger generations use it for self-expression
• Younger generations (Gen Z and Alpha) favour texting, social media, and voice notes, while older generations (Baby Boomers, Silent Generation) prefer phone calls and face-to-face communication.
• Half of those working from home feel more productive there, with younger adults more inclined to office work.
• While older respondents (Baby Boomers and the pre-1945 Silent Generation) still rely on phone calls and emails, their openness to modern tools like WhatsApp and video conferencing is higher than expected with 14 per cent of Baby Boomers seeing themselves as early adopters in communication tech
• While younger groups lead in AI usage, older generations are engaging with it too, albeit at lower rates. This indicates a broader adoption curve than commonly believed
• A notable 73 per cent of older Gen Alpha (under 12s) had smartphones by age 10 or younger, with some apps like WhatsApp already part of their communication routine. This reflects rapid tech integration into childhood, even younger than widely presumed.
• AI and Gaming Communication: 41 per cent of Gen Z and 33 per cent of Gen Y use AI platforms for communication, while 64 per cent of Gen Z also engage in social interactions via online games

Younger colleagues not picking up? Try a digital message, the survey suggests
Image by Kampus Production at Pexels

The survey shows that there are many differences in how generations communicate but also some similarities.

The research also suggests that even older generations can be agile in adapting to change, particularly when it comes to advances in technology allowing different tools to be used for different communication tasks.

“We become more understanding of one another if we take a moment to understand the context of each other’s generation,” said Alastair.

“This understanding can help us to become more effective communicators. One universal truth seems to be that we all need to feel that we are being heard whether that’s at home amongst friends or at work.

“2025 marks the birth of a new generation, known as Generation Beta, and by 2035 this generation will make up an estimated 16 per cent of the global population. Most of them will live well into the 22nd Century.

“It’s likely that generational ‘gaps’ will become shorter with the continuing growth of all forms of tech and AI. The world will continually appear differently to younger generations who are simply more connected with others, than those of us who were born in the last century.

“Organisations which proactively seek to support a generationally diverse workforce to communicate effectively will be those which grow and thrive in a world where the differences between younger and older generations become ever clearer,” Alastair said.

Main pic by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels