“Slay all day…” Snarky Gen Z Email Sign-Offs are a Thing

Warm Regards, Best Regards, Yours Truly, Cheers…

These are all email sign-offs that might sound a bit old-fashioned. Old, not just in terms of age, but in their traditional ways. Because there’s a new generation in town, and they’re rewriting the rules of work email signatures.

Now, speaking as one of the “experienced” folks, let me take a moment to ponder. What’s going on here?

#TIKTOKMADEMEDOIT

As is often the case these days, we stumbled upon this trend through TikTok.

One notable example was a young lawyer, fittingly named @bodybytacobell, who became convinced that her boss wasn’t actually reading her emails. So, she started concluding her emails with witty and unusual sign-offs, just to see if they’d catch anyone’s attention.

Think about these gems:

“Slay all day”

“Cold regards”

“Not a single regard”

And just like that, a trend was born. Gen Z employees across the board began to shake up their email game, ditching the formal sign-offs in favour of their own, often amusing, versions.

 Disconnect Dilemma

This serves as a perfect example of how our connections at work and in life are evolving. With the generational shift underway and Gen Z making up a significant portion of the global population (around 40%), a new communication style is emerging.

And who’s right here? Why do we sometimes use overly formal language in our emails, using our “Yours sincerely,” when all we really mean is “Thanks.”

On the flipside, what happens when we throw out professionalism at work? Is it really OK to disregard professional ettiquette altogether? This aligns with a recent comment by Alex Mahon, chief executive of Channel 4, who suggested that young people are arriving in the workplace ill-equipped with the skills needed to communicate with colleagues; lacking the skills to debate or disagree.

When we connect better, we get better results. It’s ok that we speak in different ways and mean different things, but while we’re working together we need to find agreement on the language, rhythm and styles that work. It takes effort, but it’s worth it!

So, here’s a question for you: What funny generational gaps or disconnections have you encountered in your workplace? Leave me a comment and let me know!

ABOUT KIRRYN ZERNA

Kirryn Zerna is passionate about rehumanising connection in the digital age to cultivate high performance, revitalise culture and help put people’s passion into action. She would love to help you imagine and create a remarkable and unforgettable experience for your business or leadership event.