A fifth of UK workers go an entire workday without speaking face-to-face with a colleague, according to a study of 2,000 workers commissioned by workplace training platform Kahoot. The research found that half of employees use emails or messaging services to communicate with colleagues who are in the same room. This behaviour has been dubbed 'pinging'—a term coined by Metro to describe employees who choose to message rather than talk in person, even when sitting nearby.
Rise of the 'Pinger'
Despite a push for a return to the office, with 41% of people now not working from home at all, water cooler chitchat has yet to make a proper comeback. The study revealed that 40% of office workers feel disconnected at work, despite sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues. Leadership and workplace coach Emma Georgiou told Metro: 'For too many workplaces, employees are constantly in touch, but never actually connecting. Workers are communicating across too many channels, using email, Teams and WhatsApp – and clients and colleagues can access them in any way at any time.'
Generational Shift
Jim Moore, employee relations expert at HR consultants Hamilton Nash, has observed a significant culture shift. 'Younger generations who grew up in the world of the internet and instant messaging are making up an increasingly large part of the workplace,' he said. 'Boomers and Generation X, on the other hand, are more used to phone calls and in-person communication. It’s also a matter of perceived convenience, as sending messages lets people respond at their own pace, while a ringing phone basically screams “Stop what you’re doing and pay attention to me”. Similarly, in my experience, Gen Z don’t welcome being interrupted by someone walking up with a question.'
Productivity Impact
Contrary to the belief that messaging saves time, experts argue it slows down work. Emma Georgiou explained: 'A five-minute conversation becomes a long email chain of back-and-forth, all the while other chains of messages compete for your attention. This reduces productivity and causes stress for employees. Constant notifications leave employee’s attention fragmented, and I think organisations can start to mistake responsiveness for effectiveness.' Jim Moore agreed that a quick face-to-face chat is far quicker overall, even for shy individuals.
Role of Leadership
While pingers may be seen as anti-social, Emma emphasised that office culture plays a key role. 'Simply telling employees to socialise more is not going to work. Companies need to be clearer on when it’s best to message, and when a conversation is more effective. Leaders have a key role to play, as the way they communicate sets the tone. If they make a small shift towards having more in-person conversations, it will quickly ripple through their teams.'
