How informal communication helps Gen Z build stronger workplace relationships
Don’t think colleagues who chat in the kitchen or message each other on WhatsApp are wasting time. Research by Phyo Khant (David Zheng) Kyaw, of AUT Business School, shows informal conversations are key to building trust and collaboration at work.
It was 2023 and I was about to start my first job as a university graduate. As a Generation Z employee at a large bank in Myanmar (where I was born and raised), I expected to learn the ropes of the banking sector: how banks operate, how profits are made, and how to build a successful, white-collar career.
I did learn these lessons – and they helped me understand how to do my new job. But as a new employee, I also became increasingly fascinated by a different facet of the banking industry: people.
Through my work, I met colleagues of various ages, stages, and generations, all of whom had their own ways of working and communicating. I soon discovered that succeeding on the job wasn't just about performing your role well. It was also about understanding, and adapting to, the people around me.
That discovery was reinforced by conversations with my peers about how we ‘showed up’ at work. We joked about the polished versions of ourselves that appeared on LinkedIn and the professional ‘masks’ we wore every day. I started to wonder whether adapting ourselves in this way was just part and parcel of being a professional.
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These thoughts stayed with me when, in 2024, I came to New Zealand to pursue my master's degree at AUT Business School. My thesis draws on the workplace experiences of five Gen Z employees in different organisations in New Zealand’s banking sector. My research taps into the personalities and relationships that exist beyond an employee’s professional role, examining how so-called informal communication – e.g., random chats, quick check-ins, and even requests for advice – helps build workplace relationships.
I discovered that these seemingly insignificant interactions can have the biggest impact. In fact, they helped colleagues build trust and made collaboration easier at work.
In addition, the use of digital platforms like WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams boosted employees’ connections with each other, not only at work but also in their day-to-day lives. These informal interactions often shaped workplace relationships far more than formal meetings or emails – even though these are prioritised as core communication platforms by most industries.
The interview results also debunked many of my own assumptions about communication at work.
In my home country of Myanmar, for example, professional communication is formal, and organisational hierarchies are respected. Perhaps naively, I expected to find similar experiences in New Zealand workplaces. Instead, I heard a much broader range of stories. Some described their workplaces as structured and professional, yet employees were free to use digital platforms to share ideas, give advice, ask questions, or just chat. Two research participants reported they had rarely experienced communication as a problem. That wasn't the story I expected to hear.
My research also shines new light on the role of masking. For Generation Z, adapting to workplace expectations does not mean hiding or losing our identities. It means learning how to navigate different situations and build meaningful connections with others. Organisational culture plays an important role here because the workplace itself determines whether people feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions, or bringing more of themselves to work.
Fundamentally, my research highlights a simple yet powerful truth: no matter where we come from or which generation we belong to, we all want to feel respected, understood and connected. Workplaces are not just systems and structures. They are communities made up of individuals seeking connection. Sometimes, building those connections doesn't begin through a scheduled meeting or formal email. It starts with a simple conversation. It starts and ends with people.
This article was written by Phyo Khant (David Zheng) Kyaw about his research Understanding Informal Communication: A Qualitative Study on Exploring the Influence of Informal Communication on Workplace Relationships of Generation Z Employees in the Banking Industry. It was originally published in the Sunday Star-Times Brainwaves feature. Read the original on The Post.
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