Bridging the Gen Z communication gap: A Q&A with Jeri Doris

Gen Z grew up in a world of instant, direct, and often asynchronous communication (think TikTok comments and Slack DMs), while many of their managers were trained in a “walk into the boss’s office” or “long-form email” culture. This fundamental disconnect creates a cascade of workplace challenges: missed signals, mismatched expectations, and extensive overthinking.

Gen Z employees may interpret delayed responses as disinterest or poor leadership, while managers often feel blindsided when a Gen Z employee leaves suddenly after “not feeling heard.” For small businesses, where every team member’s contribution is critical and roles often bleed across departments, this communication gap hits harder. Productivity slows when trust erodes, and trust erodes when people don’t feel seen or understood.

The impact extends beyond individual relationships. Gen Z employees, who thrive on frequent feedback and transparent communication, withdraw their discretionary effort when they don’t feel heard or valued. When employers create environments where communication is flexible and feedback is normalized, we unlock that discretionary effort — that magical “above and beyond” energy that fuels productivity. Without regular feedback loops and transparent communication that demonstrate care and investment, these employees quickly disengage. In small business environments where every role spans multiple departments, losing valuable employees can significantly hamper overall productivity and team cohesion. When you don’t demonstrate to them that you care, employees will leave. It’s that simple.

What traditional corporate language or "unspoken office norms" are most confusing to younger Gen Z workers, and how can employers make these more transparent as more of Gen Z enters the workforce?

Phrases like “managing up,” “circling back,” or “owning the room” sound like corporate horoscopes to a Gen Z new hire. Unspoken norms, like being “always on” even after 6pm, or the hidden meaning behind “let’s take this offline,” often go undefined, but carry significant social weight.

The solution lies in embracing clarity as kindness. People aren’t looking for a policy manual — they’re looking for practices that make expectations real. Rather than expecting new employees to decode complex organizational dynamics, successful companies should favor storytelling over jargon and encourage leaders to model desired behaviors. Organizations cannot authentically claim to value work-life balance while simultaneously sending emails on Sundays.

Being explicit about both the “what” and the “why” behind expectations removes guesswork and builds trust, which ultimately translates across generations.

Can you share the top 5 tips for unspoken rules to improve generational workplace communication across generations and expand upon them?

1. Ask for clarification: Don't assume shared meaning. A simple "Can you help me understand what you mean by that?" goes a long way.
2. Define success together: Swap vague terms for specific examples and metrics.
3. Respect communication styles: Some prefer direct feedback, others need context. Ask how team members like to receive information. Feedback isn’t one-size-fits-all.
4. Create psychological safety: Normalize questions about workplace expectations, without judgment.
5. Document unwritten rules: Turn implicit expectations into explicit guidelines that everyone can reference.

Here is another way to look at it:

1. Lead with curiosity, not judgement: Assume good intent, ask curious questions. Miscommunication is rarely malicious.
2. Clarify the context, not just the content. If a Gen Z employee Slacks a quick update that feels too casual to an older manager, a quick “here’s why this matters” helps translate intent.
3. Normalize consistent feedback loops. Don’t save feedback for performance reviews. Normalize short, consistent feedback loops to make course correction less intimidating for everyone involved. Regular feedback demonstrates ongoing investment in employee development and shows Gen Z employees that you genuinely care about their growth. Feedback isn’t one-size-fits-all. Regardless of generational differences, it needs to be tailored in a way that will be heard. I’ve found that Many Gen Z workers thrive on real-time feedback and transparency, whereas older generations were raised on a “no news is good news” model. The disconnect? What one side sees as respectful autonomy, the other experiences as abandonment.
4. Codify cultural expectations as clear guardrails: Successful organizations explicitly name their norms and are consistent with them. Whether establishing boundaries like, “we don’t expect responses after 6pm,” or setting meeting expectations such as, “cameras are optional unless otherwise specified,” codifying cultural expectations creates clear guardrails that allow adults to operate autonomously. I often say to my team, “treat people like adults, but you can’t expect people to be part of the team if they don’t know the rules.” For example, as someone who is personally a morning person and does my best thinking when everyone else is usually asleep, I clearly communicate to my teams that I don't expect responses to early morning messages, and I consistently abide by that boundary.
5. Prioritize personal connection over performance: Rather than implementing blanket communications policies, ask team members directly, “What does great communication look like for you? What do you need to do your best work?” Then actually listen.

Creating cross-generational communication policies starts with abandoning generational stereotypes. Not all boomers are allergic to Slack, and not all Gen Zers are glued to their phones. What employees across generations really want is to feel seen, respected, and understood. Tailor the communication to the person, not what you assume based on generational stereotypes. 

We’re leading in a five-generation workforce. That’s never happened before. The best policies meet people where they are, not where we wish they were.

Related: The next generation of the benefits experience

How can small businesses use improved generational communication as a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining talent, especially when competing against larger companies?

Small businesses have a secret weapon in the competition for talent: speed and sincerity.

While large companies often rely on policies, layers, and one-size-fits-all communications, small businesses can personalize communication, tailor development paths, and actually listen and act on feedback quickly.

In a competitive market, small businesses can leverage their flexibility to create workplace environments where employees feel genuinely understood, transforming personalized communication from a nice-to-have into a strategic hiring and retention advantage. 

If there's ever tension between a Gen Z employee's communication style and an older manager's expectations, how should HR or leadership step in to mediate and find common ground?

Effective mediation starts with empathy. Then get specific.

When I’ve coached employees through situations like this, I ask both parties, “What’s the environment where you thrive? What is needed for you to do your best work?” You’d be amazed at what comes up during these conversations, from “I need a clear agenda” to “I want to feel like my voice matters.”

Once we name those needs, we can create a shared operating manual. HR’s role isn’t to referee, it’s to facilitate mutual understanding and remind people they’re on the same team. Most tension comes not from disagreement, but from disconnection.

What's the best way for managers to ask about communication preferences without it feeling awkward or overly formal, especially in smaller team environments?

Keep it human. I like to ask, “What’s important to you in how we work together?” or “How do you like to receive feedback?” You don’t need a form or a framework — just a little curiosity and vulnerability.

Managers, it’s important to share your preferences too! This isn’t about catering, it’s about clarity. When both sides outline how they work best, it builds trust faster than any icebreaker ever could.

For example, I have developed a one-pager for anyone joining my team as a direct report, calling it “How I Work.” This serves as a guide to understanding what’s important to me, my personal values, some of my background, as well as what is the best way to communicate with me. I then invite them to do the same reflection and share. You can’t ask someone to do something without modeling it yourself. I have found this to be a helpful guide to navigate how to identify the best way to communicate, connect, and collaborate with team members. 

What are some of the most important implicit workplace communication expectations that should be made explicit, and what's the best format for sharing these guidelines?

Some of the biggest unspoken communication landmines include:

• Response time expectations (when is “urgent,” actually urgent?)
• Meeting norms (do cameras need to be on? Is it okay to decline?)
• Feedback timing (is it ongoing, or only during review season?)

The best way to make these expectations explicit? Communicate them early and often. Not just during onboarding, but in leadership standups, team rituals, and via storytelling. I even share on my calendar when I’m going to therapy mid-day, which normalizes boundaries and signals what’s okay.

Organizational culture is defined by what is consistently repeated, not what is documented in policy manuals. Effective leaders say it, live it, and then repeat it until these expectations become embedded in an organization’s fabric.