You're sitting at your desk, juggling several messages on Slack—requests for the latest report, adjustments to a presentation, and more. Then, you get a message from Mark asking a quick question. But Mark is sitting just a few feet away. He could simply walk over and ask in person, which would be faster. Instead, he sends a message. This behavior has given rise to a new term: "pingers." Coined by Metro, it refers to employees who are physically present in the office but prefer to communicate via messaging rather than face-to-face. This isn't an isolated case. Although many companies are encouraging a return to in-office work—41% of people now work exclusively in the office—casual, spontaneous conversations like those around the water cooler haven’t fully returned. In fact, one in five workers say they go an entire workday without speaking face-to-face with a colleague. A study of 2,000 UK workers, commissioned by the workplace training platform Kahoot, found that half of office workers use emails or messaging apps to communicate with colleagues who are physically in the same room. This trend has left 40% of office workers feeling disconnected, even though they’re sitting next to their coworkers. After all, what’s the point of being in the office if you can’t have a quick chat or share a laugh with a colleague? “For too many workplaces, employees are constantly in touch, but never actually connecting,” says Emma Georgiou, a leadership and workplace coach. She notes that workers are using multiple communication channels—email, Teams, and WhatsApp—making it easy for clients and colleagues to reach them anytime, but not always effectively. The rise of “pingers” is partly due to generational differences in communication preferences. Jim Moore, an employee relations expert at HR consultants Hamilton Nash, says younger workers, who grew up with the internet and instant messaging, are now a larger part of the workforce. In contrast, older generations like Baby Boomers and Generation X are more accustomed to phone calls and in-person interactions. “It’s also a matter of perceived convenience,” Moore adds. “Sending a message lets people respond on their own terms, while a ringing phone demands immediate attention.” He also believes the shift to remote work during the pandemic, which led to hybrid models today, has contributed to this trend. “It’s easier to work in isolation and send an instant message if you need something,” he says. While some may see pingers as anti-social or unproductive, experts argue the issue is more about office culture than individual behavior. Emma Georgiou explains that simply telling employees to socialize more won’t fix the problem. Instead, companies need to set clearer expectations about when to use messaging and when a face-to-face conversation is better. “Leaders have a key role to play,” she says. “If they model more in-person conversations, it will quickly influence their teams.”