A recent FastCompany article (‘Let’s circle back’: The most overused email jargon, revealed, Oct 17, 2025), had this statement:
Around 71% of people surveyed by the U.K. bank Barclays in 2023 said they believed Gen Z was changing the formality of language in the workplace. What worked in formal business correspondence just a decade or two ago, can be received as cold or even rude among today’s digital natives[emphasis added].
First, no evidence was given that this is true. Who says? How do they know this? I read the survey results. I may have missed it but I did not see anything about the communication being perceived as “ cold or even rude,” other than “watching your tone,” which is not the same as what FastCompany said.
Second, if true (doubtful), do I care? I don’t believe I do. Now, don’t misunderstand, I never desire to be unnecessarily insensitive or rude. But, I also do not feel the need to kowtow to what I interpret as lower rather than higher standards of professional communication. I even strive to use correct punctuation in my text messages.
Am I wrong? Am I being insensitive? Am I being a curmudgeon?
In my anecdotal experience, the use of language in digital communications has certainly become less formal since I entered the workplace 25 years ago.
“Further to your recent correspondence dated 1st October, I am writing to confirm my attendance at the forthcoming event.”
I simply cannot imagine writing something like that these days, but that was the norm back then. I used to work for a politician in my first job, every email went out like that.
When email first landed, many people wrote out emails largely the same way they wrote out letters. Eventually SMS speak and then online chat apps changed how people wrote, and that bled into how they wrote emails.
Someday, when all the GenZ and all the other subsequent generations are all that is left in this world, they can all chatter in email to each other however they want. While this end period Boomer is still around, anything sent to me that should at least follow a modicum of formality and does not is summarily dumped. So …
Likely not. Likely not. And likely, but see the first two responses.
Maybe it’s because I’m not a native (English) speaker, but I never understood why someone would use “Yours truly” or “Yours sincerely” in a business relation/conversation.
This isn’t the first survey to come up with these kind of results, a few have suggested that the use of punctuation (ending sentences in Teams with a full stop) is seen as rude by Gen Z.
In the same way that no-one writes correspondence in the style of Abe Lincoln or Shakespeare, language moves on.
As always, I believe that context is key based on the relationship you have with the recipient, the method of communication (letter vs email vs chat/sms), and the longevity or importance of the comms.
An internal letter or email which is required to prove something to a regulator is very different to a chat message to a well known colleague confirming you understood what they said
I have my own foibles about certain things such as the use of an Oxford comma or my anger at the use of “as per” when “per” is correct (with the as being completely superfluous), but I’m on the wrong side of current comms styles and learning to grow old disgracefully.
It’s not that long since many workplaces in the UK expected a manager to be called Mr or Mrs/Miss rather than their first name, and you certainly didn’t call the CEO by their first name unless you were in his inner circle.
Because that’s what we were taught… These things are only ever conventions, after all, and have no merit in themselves, beyond the fact that you’ve stuck by the convention.
It used to be “Dear Sir or Madam … yours faithfully”, or “Dear [Name] … yours sincerely” (don’t remember ever using “truly”).
Or was it the other way round…
At least it wasn’t as bad as the way we were taught in school how to finish formal French correspondence, which started something like “I beg you to believe, Monsieur, in the expression of my most respectful…” and went on for another couple of pages of lickspittlery.
Here’s an example of the kind of unsolicited, sales-oriented email messages I receive. Someone I’ve never corresponded with or had any prior relationship with sends me these emails. They usually begin with a casual, overly informal greeting like “Hi Barrett!” or another pseudo-familiar salutation, followed by the frequently AI-generated line, “I trust you are doing well.”
I wouldn’t bridle at the use of my first name in an email, but I think as a Gen X’er that’s pretty standard for my generation.
I would however instantly dismiss an obvious sales pitch (whether written by AI or not) from someone who had made no effort to build rapport first.
Having worked in IT for 15 years and now in Compliance for 12 years, I’m very used to being the target for unsolicited sales pitches.
Further to our recent conversation (I’ve never spoken to the person in my life)
[Sales pitch] followed immediately by a pseudo instruction to book 15 minutes into their calendar via something like Calendly
Or the people who send an auto generated pitch, followed by regular auto generated follow ups “in case my email fell down your inbox,” “Thoughts?”, or “I just wanted to stay top of mind”. You weren’t even in my mind, never mind top of it, your first email went firmly into the junk filter.
There was also about 6 months in the late 2010s when sales people would randomly try sending you an invitation to a meeting at your own offices without any other comms on the assumption that you’d just accept.
When I started working in technology in the early 90’s all our correspondence was governed by a corporate manual that specified, for example, the Pantone color to be used on letterhead, and business letter styles and fonts, etc. We had terminals connected to an out of state mainframe. Letters were typed on IBM Selectric typewriters.
Around three years later we had a handful of PCs, a Microsoft Mail server, and around 35,000 users in our global address list. I’m not sure how long any formal language survived our first wave of corporate email.
I do remember having to deal with a lot of messages in ALL CAPS in those days. I went to work at a “dot com” company in 2000, and no one used formal language in emails there, at least not internally. And I don’t recall any from companies like AT&T, Microsoft, and IBM.
IMO, by that time formal language was probably limited to mail handled by the US Postal System.
I did use a formal address block when I sent, or replied to an email from a business contact, for the first time, and may have used Sincerely. But that was quickly replaced by something like “Thanks” followed by my first name.
Now that I’m retired most of my mail is automated, or from friends. The only emails I receive with close to formal language come from charities, etc. that I support. Or my attorney.
I’ve received several LinkedIn and email messages using vague language about the “quality of my work” (never specifics) and invited me to make an “invaluable” contribution to my “industry” by being interviewed on a podcast. Once, I decided to call their bluff. I said something along the lines that I’d entertain the invitation if they could promise in writing that they would not attempt to sell me a product or service. I never heard back.
I don’t mind my first name being used after I’ve met someone or at least had a couple of email exchanges. When some level of relationship has been established, informal, warm communications are great.
But I think it is unprofessional to use “Hi” and my first name in a first business-related email. I immediately mark all such emails as junk. I’m beginning to think we should add a course on business etiquette in our Business Academy that includes etiquette for business correspondence.
