Say goodbye to 'small talk'; Gen Z is more interested in the 'big talk'

Gen Z's willingness to speak freely is not a sign of youthful recklessness, but rather a desire to forge connections Image: Shutterstock

Whether good or bad, gossip is an inherent part of work life. Employees usually make small talk with their colleagues, discussing topics such as the weather and new TV shows. But younger generations would like to discuss more serious topics with their colleagues—and even with their boss.

This phenomenon has a name: "big talk." It represents the direct opposite of "small talk," those trivial exchanges that break the silence of waiting rooms, supermarket queues or taxi and Uber rides. Because, as its name suggests, "big talk" is much more serious than its diminutive relative. Don't even consider talking about whether it's rainy or sunny out. The aim is to talk about important subjects that will help you forge a deeper bond with the person you're talking to.

Social network Pinterest made "big talk" one of its top trends for 2024. It found that searches for "hot seat questions" increased by 825% on its platform between September 2021 and August 2023, and searches for "deep conversation starters" by 185%.

However at first glance, the office or workplace doesn't necessarily seem like the best environment for this kind of discussion. When colleagues ask how we're doing in the hallway, we're generally content to respond with an unconvincing "fine, and you?". This habitual question rarely gives rise to a heart-to-heart conversation about the relationship or money problems we may be experiencing.

Building connections through dialogue

And yet, many young employees wouldn't mind their colleagues talking to them about more important matters, such as their passions or challenges they're facing both professionally and personally. "It’s all about asking the questions that matter and giving them a chance to share how they are feeling about certain things," Ruth Kudzi, confidence coach and psychologist, explains to People Management magazine.

This is related to the fact that young working people attach great importance to being themselves at work. They refuse to self-censor or downplay their personality, as older generations may have traditionally done. For Ruth Kudzi, this quest for authenticity in the professional sphere is not unrelated to young people's online habits. "They've had a diet of social media so they are often more informed and knowledgeable about topics than generations before them and so they want to engage on this level, feeling confident to add their opinions into the mix," she tells People Management.

Also read: Is Generation Z more fearful of AI than older workers in office?

And as we have seen, young professionals are not afraid to speak up in the workplace. The younger generations of employees are not afraid to express their opinions on issues that are important to them, such as pay and quality of life at work. In fact, 87% of the 1,001 Americans belonging to Generation Z interviewed for a major Adobe survey said they feel comfortable talking to their colleagues about sensitive subjects such as their job satisfaction—or dissatisfaction.

This willingness to speak freely is not a sign of youthful recklessness, but rather a desire to forge connections. After all, young professionals attach great importance to getting along well with their peers. Two-thirds of Generation Z members questioned by job search site Glassdoor for one of its surveys, for example, say they have a best friend at work, compared with 51% of non-Generation Z employees.

Indeed, friendships are forged through conversation. It's easy to feel affection for someone who shares your beliefs or interests. But you have to know that. Small talk," unlike "big talk," doesn't allow a person to get to know another individual intimately. Of course, it's not always easy—or even appropriate—to talk about certain deep subjects with colleagues. But sometimes it's worth a try. Who knows, you might even discover common passions with your open-space neighbors. An additional motivating factor for getting to the office!