The full stop emerges as a major point of contention in the workplace

A new poll from The Adaptavist Group claims that there is a growing generational divide in workplace communication, with emojis, punctuation, and AI use emerging as key areas of contention. The study, which surveyed 1,000 UK knowledge workers, reveals how different age groups interpret digital communication tools in the workplace, affecting collaboration and productivity. The Workplace Communication Atlas suggests that nearly half of workers (46 percent) struggle with misinterpreting tone or phrasing, making it the most significant communication challenge. Differences in response time expectations (also 46 percent) and lack of context (31 percent) were also cited as common issues. The findings build on previous research from The Adaptavist Group, which showed that 56 percent of workers find generational collaboration difficult.

One major point of contention is punctuation, particularly the full stop. Among older workers, 71 percent view a full stop at the end of a message as professional and to the point, a view shared by 61 percent of Millennials and 52 percent of Gen Z. However, younger workers are more likely to see it as cold or even passive-aggressive, with 23 percent of Gen Z respondents feeling this way compared to just 16 percent of Millennials and 10 percent of those over 50.

Emojis are another source of generational divide. Over two-thirds (68 percent) of Gen Z workers use emojis frequently in workplace communication, while only 36 percent of those over 50 do the same. Millennials fall somewhere in the middle, with 48 percent incorporating emojis into their messages. However, despite their frequent use, Gen Z are also the most likely to misinterpret emojis, with 43 percent having experienced a misunderstanding at work due to emoji use, compared to 32 percent of Millennials and 20 percent of over-50s.

The study also found that 45 percent of older workers consider the use of smiley faces in professional messages to be inappropriate, whereas 58 percent of Gen Z and 56 percent of Millennials believe emojis make messages feel more approachable. Furthermore, Gen Z (80 percent) and Millennials (74 percent) are more likely to adapt their emoji use based on the recipient, compared to just 58 percent of older workers.

AI is increasingly being used to bridge these generational communication gaps. The research found that 68 percent of workers use AI tools like ChatGPT for workplace communication tasks, including grammar and spelling (42 percent), adjusting tone (26 percent), and brainstorming responses. The majority of respondents (71 percent) said they would be happy or amused if a colleague used AI to respond to their messages, while 29 percent preferred purely human responses.

AI is also proving useful for translating workplace slang, with 52 percent of workers saying they would use an AI assistant for this purpose. This includes 55 percent of Gen Z, 57 percent of Millennials, and 42 percent of those over 50, demonstrating how AI is becoming an integral part of workplace communication.

The findings from The Adaptavist Group highlight the ongoing challenges businesses face in fostering effective communication across multiple generations. With different perceptions of punctuation, emoji use, and AI assistance, organisations may need to develop clearer guidelines and training to ensure workplace conversations remain efficient and inclusive.

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