For most of us, most of the daily work communication happens through emails. In fact, a recent poll found the average office worker receives around 121 emails every day. They send about 40 each day. With virtual communication at an all-time high, emailing, messaging, and DMs can lead to miscommunication. A recent study from wordfinder found out what Gen Z and the millennials really think you’re saying in your emails.
For instance, per my last email, reads to them, why didn’t you read it the first time. Hope this helps, means to never ask for anything again. Thank you for your feedback, is like saying your criticism is totally incorrect. Other passive-aggressive phrases are just to clarify, just circling back, as previously discussed, thanks for the input, just a few things, a friendly reminder, and at your earliest convenience.
Younger workers say these messages sound aggressive, condescending, and rude.
HR experts say there are some preemptive steps you can take to make sure your intent is understood. First, decide if the topic is better suited for face-to-face conversation. If your message is one that can be relayed over email, re-read the words, and think about tone and potential reception.
CV maker conducted a poll of over 45 hundred people asking them what the most annoying corporate buzzword or phrase is. The word synergy, which means increased effectiveness through collaboration, ranked number one. Other hated corporate words are transparency, make it happen, onboarding, and takeaway.