Survey: 42% of Young Workers Skip Phone Calls, 58% Rehearse Before Dialing

A survey of 2,000 Gen Z and millennial workers found that 42 percent do not answer phone calls and 58 percent script or rehearse conversations before placing them. Business Insider reported the results from RiseGuide, a self-improvement app that coined the term “callergy” for reluctance to speak on the phone.

Among respondents who avoid spoken conversations, 78 percent said the habit has cost them earnings or opportunities.

One in 10 respondents said a spontaneous call is the most stressful form of communication for them, exceeding the stress reported for a breakup or a job interview. Jaimee Campanella, a time strategist and productivity consultant at RiseGuide, said text messages, emails, and social media give people time to edit responses, while face-to-face communication requires engaging in the moment.

Campanella added that the more people postpone difficult conversations, the more intimidating those conversations can seem.

She stated that avoidance often creates bigger problems than the conversation itself, leading workers to miss opportunities, strain relationships, and spend unnecessary time worrying. Adrian Poon, a Gen Z human-resources worker seeking a permanent position, told Business Insider via text that he only answers calls when he is “in job applying mode” and otherwise lets unknown numbers go to voicemail.

Poon said he has never cold-called a recruiter and prefers to have a prescheduled call with a clear agenda so he knows what to ask.

The survey was conducted against a backdrop of a tough job market for young workers and rising interest in digital-detox practices such as app blockers and flip phones.