Our enterprise member ZeroBounce recently published the Gen Z at Work Report, based on a survey of nearly 1,400 Gen Z professionals, born between 1997 and 2012, in North America and Europe, the report reveals surprising truths about how this generation communicates and copes at work.
1. Email Is Gen Z’s Go‑to Communication Channel
- 42% say email is their favorite workplace channel – twice as many as those who prefer Slack/WhatsApp (20%).
- Only 7% prefer phone calls, and just 2% opt for video calls, indicating a strong shift toward asynchronous, low-pressure formats.
2. Email as a Coping Tool, But at What Cost?
- 60% of Gen Z report using email to avoid awkward conversations or anxiety at work – rising to 65% among women.
- Some respondents said that email “allows a degree of separation” and helps them set personal boundaries. Clinical psychologist Dr. Catherine Wikholm frames this as avoidance coping – a short‑term comfort that may undermine confidence in direct communication over time.
3. Email Overload Creates Stress, Hurts Productivity
- 53% of Gen Z say email stresses them out (14% “strongly agree”), while a staggering 92% report that email overload negatively affects their productivity, 33% saying “always” or “often”.
4. Etiquette Confusion Is Widespread
Many younger professionals feel unsure about basic professional email norms:
- 57% are unsure how formal to be
- 51% don’t know when it’s appropriate to follow up
- 26% are unclear about CC vs. BCC decisions
- 14% are conflicted about emojis in work emails
5. Career Drivers and Gendered Differences
- Work–life balance tops Gen Z’s career priorities (32%), followed by salary (26%) and purpose (15%)
- Gen Z men express slightly higher email anxiety (55% vs. 52%), while women are more likely to rely on email for conflict-avoidance (65% vs. 57%) and to prefer email as their primary channel (45% vs. 39%).
- Women place more weight on company culture and recognition; men lean more strongly toward meaningful work and remuneration.
What Email Experts Should Take Away
- Design Supportive Interventions
- Offer guidelines or toolkits on tone, formality, follow‑ups, and email structure.
- Provide coaching or micro‑training for Gen Z employees managing email anxiety.
- Mitigate Email Overwhelm
- Advocate for internal standards around email volume, response expectations, and recipient etiquette.
- Encourage Direct Communication Where Appropriate
- Support development of in‑person, phone, or synchronous communication skills for sensitive subjects.
- Account for Generational Differences in Digital Behavior
- Recognise that while email remains core, Gen Z may default toward it even when it adds stress.
- Use that insight to align onboarding, templates, and team norms with their comfort zone—then help them expand their communication skills.
- Respect Gendered Preferences, but Strive for Equity
- Understand that women may use email more to avoid conflict, offer equal support across genders in confidence‑building.
- Frame communication training in terms of empowerment, emotional safety, and boundary‑setting for all.
Gen Z may rely on email more than any prior generation, but not because it’s easier. They’re using it to manage workplace stress, set boundaries, and buffer against uncomfortable scenarios. Yet email overload and etiquette ambiguity fuel anxiety and reduce productivity.
This offers a unique opportunity: to support Gen Z through well‑designed email education, etiquette guidance, and cultural change. By empowering this cohort with clearer rules, emotional support, and communication flexibility, you can transform their email experience from anxiety‑inducing to confidence‑building, improving well‑being, efficiency, and collaborative trust across teams.
