To think 'text speak' is too casual for workplace emails?

[AFriendlyVouce]

I don't know if it's a generational thing, but we've had quite a few younger colleagues - early 20ish - join our company recently and quite a few (not all!) of them are remarkedly casual in their communication style.

Signing off emails with "thx" or using "yh" for yes. Very short one line responses with no To or sign off at all. And loooong response times unless you chase them via Teams. We're mostly hybrid / remote.

Is this a new communication style thing, or just our particular batch of new employees?

i agree with you, not professional for the work place

Also agree. There must be a happy medium between “tx” and “I assure you of our best attentions…”

Not unreasonable. I had a colleague send a letter to a customs that contained '2U'. They were surprised when they had to go through tr

Missed the last bit...training on letter writing.

Yes this is my exact thought, that some training might be helpful but wanted to sense check if I'm BU / patronising

It depends. Our CFO (insurance so not a trendy environment!) has been known to email me ‘tx’. I like the chap and didn’t blink, that he bothered to thank me given how stupidly busy he is was more important!

Of course, he has a full range of communication styles…

Same here.

I think some one line responses and "thx" is fine as long as that's not all you get from them.

I draw the line at "yer" though. Winds me up every time.

Internal use I would say it's fine

I have Gen Z DC and they don’t even text like that!

I suspect your recruitment process needs looking at OP.

Good point. Although I have to say I helped recruit one of these and they absolutely did not communicate like this during recruitment, only once started! Which suggests they must be somewhat aware it's not the best way of making a good impression.

Thx is quite common and understood so seems fine for internal day to day communications

Yh isn’t

Send them for training on email writing and office courtesy - the rules on how quickly they are expected to get back to various people in the team

Get them some training quickly on communication styles for different occasions.. The quicker you do it the better it will be taken - if you wait too long it gets patronising.

That said, I'm in my fifties and frequently send internal Teams messages saying Thx, or just a thumbs up. It has its place, but emails, even internal ones, tend to finish "kind/best regards" unless it's a long chain between close colleagues.

They start Hi, rather than Dear though. It took me a long time to adjust to that, I was still Dear-ing a good 2 years after everyone else.

Entirely depends on who is sending and receiving the email.

I'll use a more formal writing style for a colleague I don't know well and more casual style for colleagues I do know well

Internally I think it's fine. I know senior managers who do it. If they're on the move and responding on their phone I'd rather that than have to wait for a well written response.

Not responding promptly to emails is something that really annoys me though.

I wouldn't know what to make of yh. What does it mean?

Emails are still formal in my firm, Teams messages are a whole other world

What do you class as promptly? I respond to emails as and when I'm able to

I write like very casually internally if it's just a short message or email to someone I know in the company. No to or maybe just a Hi, no sign off, sometimes no capital letters.

I'd be more formal for an internal email to someone I don't know, or if it was a lengthy email laying out a request or process. External emails I am very exact.

I'm in my 50s, I don't think it's generational, it's just a reaction to so much instant and online communication. I do respond quickly though when I can, no long wait times (partly why the response are often quick and casual).

I must admit that now we have teams (I know we had skype and messenger previously) I find if I email I don't get a response as quickly as I do on teams , generally this is internal communication. I tend to leave emails to those messages that which are external or need a formal response (say from a vendor) or I am copying in a lot of people which would be clumsy in teams. I'll often just do a thumbs up in teams because I could be juggling many things at once or in a meeting but the recipient at least knows I have acknowledged it.

Our cfo and ceo will send emails saying thx at times.

It just means -email received and work streak ended.

Though cfo and I mostly communicate via WhatsApp so smileys used often too.

We're all 50. It's hardly ancient !

Starting an email then yes use hi and a sign off. That's just polite. Unless it's an email like CAN PEOPLE CONE OUT OF FILE X where nothing more is needed than the subject!

Yes, I hate it and ask colleagues to resent the email if it's one that needs to go on permanent record

Can you imagine bring audited or up in court or somewhere formal where the evidence looks like this 💯😀👏💗

I hope you realise that a thumbs up is considered hugely passive aggressive to people under 30.

I really don't like the emails that start with Hey Doing, or just Hey. I wouldn't appreciate someone in real life getting my attention by saying Hey . Also hate the smiley faces at the end of an email, so sickly. Teams messages happy with emoji s though as usually only to and from people I know really well and part of a casual conversation. Still wouldn't use a smile one though.

The people in my workplace who do this are older academics/ politicians who type on the go! So not sure it's generational