The Generational Email Writing Stereotypes and How to Oust Them

Email. A great solution for communications on a time crunch. The next best thing to a text, oftentimes preferable to a phone call, and something we all receive way too many of on any given day. Ads and junk emails, newsletters, work emails, and personal emails. 

How each one of us handles email communication is a whole other beast. In fact, a recent video by Matt Buechele on TikTok addresses the unique generational differences when it comes to email communication. Matt is known for creating quick-hit videos as he commutes in New York City about different workplace nuances and astute observations. As always, his analysis of how each generation handles emails is pretty spot-on. 

Below, you can find Buechele’s analysis and some tips on how to handle professional workplace emails.

1. Baby Boomers 

Explains Matt, “If you email a boomer, they will reply to you by just calling you on the phone. That’s kinda their move.”

At first listen to this honest analysis, I was absolutely giggling. When I engage with my grandma in an email format and it gets too wordy for her, she will call me directly and have me – essentially – repeat everything I sent in the email to her. She has the capability of reading my thoughts and writing a response, but the interest just doesn’t seem to be there.

As for addressing Baby Boomers in the workplace? I do find that people of older generations prefer brevity in written communication. If you are not straight and to the point, they will often call you to discuss the content of the email. Even if you are brief, you may find that a phone call is their best method of communication, as that was something they got used to and comfortable with early. 

While a whopping 95% of Baby Boomers admit to using email communication for their personal life, only about ⅓ of workers that are part of this generation rely on their email inboxes for work. They rely on being direct in their communication – an admirable trait – so are identified as preferring face-to-face interaction first, followed by a phone call.

If you are a Baby Boomer – or anyone, really – who is still trying to get on board with email and SMS messaging in the workplace, there are several advantages to these methods of communication. They don’t require small talk or chit-chat as most in-person conversations do, which allows you more time in your day to tend to any outstanding tasks. 

Having everything in written form – especially in an email or via a workplace messaging system – also helps you keep receipts when it comes to what was communicated to a client, team, or coworker. This way, you have items to search and go back to if any questions arise or you can’t necessarily remember a conversation you had.

2. Gen X 

“Gen X, they’re more like the EE Cummings of email because none of their emails ever have any punctuation, sentences start with lowercase letters, a bunch of one-sentence paragraphs. And their email signature always says, ‘Sent from my iPhone.’ Like, they’re always emailing from their phone. Or worse, it’s like, ‘Sent from the magical little box in my pocket.’”

While this certainly isn’t true for all members of Gen X, anyone who is lax about punctuation should be a little more careful when it comes to professional emails. A couple of grammar errors here and there won’t be scoffed at, making it a habit can make an email difficult to read, as well as look a little too unprofessional in many settings. Autocorrect and browser extensions like Grammarly can help eradicate this issue almost entirely.

As for the email signature? We get it. Being clever is cute. But when it comes to work emails, your signature should be professional with just a touch of personality. They should provide information like your name, job title, and the company you work for. But sometimes, email signatures are about brand recognition as well. Indeed has some great advice on how to craft the perfect email signature, whether you are a student, a freelancer, an entrepreneur, or working in the corporate world. 

3. Millennial  

“Millennials, we’re somehow still the worst because we’re so so racked with anxiety that if even one semi-important person is on the email, we will sit down at our computer, we will never send it from the iPhone because we need to draft it, call in the cavalry, and send a screenshot of it to our best friend and be like, ‘Is this ok… or should I take away some of the exclamation points after every damn sentence?’”

As a millennial, I have never heard a truer statement. I am always creating drafts and adding to them, saving them for later if I don’t have someone on-hand to validate my phrasing or how the email is composed. We spend a ton of time in our inboxes – about 6.4 hours per day – and are (probably) the most attached to those email inboxes. That time is spent overanalyzing emails sent and received, wondering if we said the right thing, and creating systems for the organization in our inboxes.

If nothing else, millennials should place boundaries around their inbox habits. If you work a regular 9 to 5 job, try to stay out of that inbox outside of normal operating hours as much as possible. If you are not in the headspace to craft email responses, try to stay out of the inbox as well. 

While it is important to check your email throughout the day, try to limit it to once an hour or less, and only stay in there for about 10 minutes. This way, you can ensure you are being proactive with your other work instead of reactive to things that may not need to be prioritized quite yet. 

4. Gen Z 

“And then Gen Z’s tricky because we don’t have enough data points on them. I’m not actually entirely convinced that they even use email. I think the only time they’ve ever sent an email is when they have to ask a professor for an extension on a paper.”

There absolutely has been a decline in the usage of email with the rising age of Gen Z. This generation prefers quick messaging, like that provided in Slack, Zoom, and elsewhere. In fact, only about 14.4% of Gen Z use their email for work. 

The good news? These messaging systems are built into most corporate project management software and technology, so the options for written communication are seemingly endless. But be sure your profile on your messaging system has all of the necessary information in it, so it can serve as your email signature for when you don’t live in your inbox. If you are still working through academia, here are some fun tips on how to update your email signature for success. 

Whether you love long-form writing, quick-hit emails, or phone calls, it is always fun to go against the grain and try to defy stereotypes. If you fit into any of the above categories, try something new to spice up your professional email correspondence. Surprise someone with a thoughtfully written response, including a GIF where appropriate, or even learn how to manage your emails to reduce stress.