Saying “Hey” Turns Workers to Jelly
Seeing the one-word text message Hey causes reactions from Am I being fired? to What did I do wrong” to Ugh, more work. It almost never elicits a calm response.
The “hey and wait” message has other versions: hi, hi there, and hiya. But whichever salutation is used, it’s so common that it has garnered its own term: Hey hanging.
One psychotherapist suggests the nebulous conversation starter causes a fight-or-flight reaction because the brain tends to jump to a worst-case scenario. Others say the problem is the result of an intergenerational communication glitch as younger workers interpret the seemingly harmless word in a different way than older workers do.
So far, no one has a good answer as to when to use the one-word conversation starter. Some suggest asking offending senders to please get to the point and lose the hey hanging.
Chaker, A. (2024, April 25). The new most dreaded work at work: “Hey.” The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com
Millions of Students Rely on AI for Writing Assignments
Turnitin, the plagiarism detection tool, has gathered data that suggests millions of students have used generative AI tools for 
help with writing assignments. The AI detector company reviewed over 200 million papers turned in by high school and college students and found that 11 percent, or 22 million papers, likely contain AI-written text comprising 20 percent of the work’s content. Three percent contained 80 percent or more writing that was likely created by AI.
Still, Turnitin’s chief product officer says “the sky isn’t falling” yet. Annie Chechitelli believes the data showing that one out of ten assignments uses some AI has remained constant. And as any writing instructor knows, a percentage of students have always cheated.
Hoover, A. (2024, April 9). Students are likely writing millions of papers with AI. Wired. https://www.wired.com
Hello, Gen Z, Time to Cut the Cord
It’s common for young people entering the workforce to ask friends and family for connections to land a position. But Gen Z seems to be taking this practice to a new level by asking their parents to be involved in their job search to an alarming degree.
According to a survey conducted by global management consulting firm McKinsey, nearly 30 percent of Gen Zers claim that a parent has gone with them to an in-person interview, with some of those parents actually introducing themselves to the interviewer.
One tenth of Gen Z had their parents conduct screening calls. One in eight parents wrote their child’s résumé from top to bottom. Mothers seem to be more involved, with 76 percent “supporting” their child’s job search in various ways, including being an off-camera cheering squad during video interviews. Some parents come onto camera and speak directly to the hirer.
Experts suggest that young job searchers remember that they are the ones who will have to actually perform in the position and that the time to cut the metaphorical cord may be nigh.
Linares, M. (2024, May 7). GenZers are asking their parents for job help. Forbes Career Newsletter. https://www.forbes.com