Empowering your Gen Z workforce - overcoming caller anxiety or ‘telephobia
A 2024 Uswitch survey of 2,000 people found that 70% of young people aged 18-34 prefer a text to a phone call, with 23% of the same age group saying they never pick up calls.
Over the last few years, technology has dramatically transformed the way we all communicate, with the increase of hybrid working, text-based communication platforms and even the ability to record (and re-record) verbal messages via voicenote.
The Covid-19 pandemic also impacted the confidence and education of hundreds of thousands of young people.
Both of these factors has fuelled a phenomenon known as "telephobia" - a reluctance or fear of making or taking phone calls.
“It's normalised for our generation to be used to text messages"
Nottingham College recently caused a media storm on the topic, with journalists from the BBC, Sunday Times, Daily Mail and even a Chicago TV station all clamouring to find out why young people are so nervous around taking calls – and crucially, what we can do to address it.
What our students say
I dread phone calls and use body language to talk so I can't convey what I'm trying to say over the phone".
Nyah - Nottingham College student
The only people I'll call are my mum or my dad. But anyone else, I don't want them to call me because it feels quite formal, and that's not something I'm used to. It's unknown to our generation, we've grown up texting each other.
Evie - Nottingham College student
I keep my phone on silent most of the time because the sound of it ringing "makes me nervous"
Jack Kent - Nottingham College student
How phone anxiety may affect your business
Telephobia is particularly prevalent among Generation Z, and is something that may be affecting businesses in all sorts of sectors, including:
Healthcare and emergency services, for whom clear and confident phone communication is essential for accurate information exchange and timely responses.
Finance and banking customer service representatives handling inquiries about accounts, loans, and fraud prevention. Investment advisors and mortgage brokers who need to build client trust over the phone.
Hospitality and travel hotel front desks and reservations teams handling guest inquiries and bookings. Travel agents needing to communicate quickly with customers and airlines.
Recruitment and HR recruiters conducting phone screenings and interviews with candidates. HR teams managing employee inquiries and sensitive workplace conversations over the phone.
Retail and e-commerce customer service teams handling orders, returns, and complaints. Sales associates managing high-value customer inquiries over the phone.
Professional services such as law firms and solicitors needing to communicate with clients on case updates, or accountants and consultants discussing financial matters with clients.
Overcome phone anxiety in your workforce
Our specialised training programme run by Nottingham College is designed to help your Gen Z employees overcome phone anxiety. By enrolling on this course your staff will:
- Understand telephobia: explore the roots of phone anxiety and its impact on professional performance.
- Practice through real-world exercises: engage in role-playing scenarios to simulate common workplace phone interactions.
- Build confidence: develop strategies to manage anxiety and build self-assurance during phone calls.
- Learn best practices: harness the nuances of professional phone communication to ensure clarity and professionalism.
Why sign up to telephobia training?
Upskilling and support your staff not only benefits them individually but also strengthens your organisation's performance and reputation.
Working with Nottingham College to overcome these barriers to growth will have a positive impact on productivity, customer relations and employee morale.
Empower your Gen Z workforce to communicate confidently and effectively. Fill in the form below to receive a call back about our telephobia training programme and how it can be tailored to meet your organisation's needs.
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