Is the Handshake a Thing of the Past?

Tracey was recently invited to appeal on BBC radio, talking about the traditional handshake decreasing in popularity and no longer being used by younger generations.

Is this something you have noticed in your organisations?

Do new recruits, business contacts and others still shake hands, or have you noticed a decline?

A recent study carried out by ACS International Schools of 1,200 Gen Z teenagers found that 24% actively avoid shaking hands, with 36% reporting to being too shy to look someone in the eye when having a conversation.

The study found that the lack of contact extends further than just shaking hands, with 59% saying they actively avoid small talk, and 28% not liking to answer the phone or doorbell if they do not know who they will be speaking to.

How does this affect business?

Inevitably, many traditional business interactions take place either through verbal communication, or physical contact (i.e. handshakes, body language). With this decline, how will businesses respond to the changes in preference? 96% of those surveyed felt that texts and emojis will completely replace face-to-face interaction for most daily communication.

2,000 parents were interviewed as part of the same survey, and believe that the internet is to blame, with 73% blaming the amount of time teens spend on line.

What other causes could there be?
Other potential causes include the pandemic, and a fear of germs amongst the generation who missed schooling due to lock downs, as well as a lack of traditional respect and dislike of formality.

What problems can this pose?
The main issue this is likely to pose for businesses is a misalignment between expectations. Where businesses may run on a more traditional model, lack of handshake and eye contact for example, may give the perception of people being uninterested, rude or untraditional. Understanding how different generations communicate and managing those expectations across the business will be essential to ensure this does not
create biases, stereotypes and damaged relationships.

If you would like to discuss this in more detail, or look at how we can support with managers training and communication training, please contact us on team@hrprime.co.uk