[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] A survey has found that Gen Z office workers feel excluded from communication within organisations because they do not properly understand idiomatic expressions used in the workplace.

On July 22 local time, IT outlet TechRadar reported that a study by UK career-change support firm Careerminds found Gen Z employees understood an average of only 5.3 out of 24 frequently used business terms.

The picture did not differ much when expanded to all age groups. Workers of all ages understood an average of only 7 of the 24 business terms, and 48.8 percent of respondents said they understood five or fewer. This is seen as a sign that workplace communication is changing across generations.

The shift is presented alongside a recent reshaping of the work environment. Artificial intelligence is automating a significant share of administrative tasks, and hybrid work that spread after the pandemic has also changed how colleagues interact. Careerminds said younger employees in this environment are slower to adapt to corporate office settings in both physical and digital terms.

The report also cited external research from 2024 saying remote work is weakening social skills and verbal communication abilities. As a result, it said, the likelihood has grown that new and junior staff who have not sufficiently learned abbreviations and older business terms used inside companies will fall behind in communication processes.

Another view raised was that the impact does not stop at a simple lack of understanding. While commonly used organisational phrases can function as abbreviations that improve work efficiency, they can become a barrier to entry for employees who have not yet learned that language.

Career expert Amanda Augustine (어맨다 어거스틴) pointed to what she described as a clear direction for managers. "Communicating clearly is a leadership skill," she said, adding that executives and leaders should adjust how they communicate so all employees can participate in conversations rather than using unfamiliar terms as if to show them off.

Augustine also said that while business jargon can be useful as a kind of shorthand, the findings show how easily it can exclude people who have not yet learned that language. It is a warning that terms intended to speed up internal communication can instead slow organisational adjustment and collaboration.

Amid this trend, calls may grow for companies to recheck how they handle internal communication. In particular, in an environment with less face-to-face contact and more digital collaboration, communication standards that prioritise understandability over work efficiency are likely to become more important. Leaving generational language gaps unaddressed can also affect young employees' participation and growth paths.

The survey showed that changes in workplace communication can lead to gaps in adaptation across generations. In an environment where AI-driven automation and hybrid work have become routine, short and clear communication itself is emerging as a key task in running organisations.