This $2,000-a-month ‘chief small talk officer’ job could be Gen Z’s worst nightmare
Talking to coworkers you don’t know very well, or may have little in common with outside of work, can be uncomfortable. But no generation seems more averse to making office chit-chat than Gen Z . Now, one company is offering a new role for a brave Gen Zer to challenge all that. The job, called a chief small talk officer, was recently posted by the self-improvement app RiseGuide. The company is…
The concept of a "chief small talk officer" job has emerged, potentially causing some distress among Gen Z individuals. This unique role, offered by the self-improvement app RiseGuide, involves visiting various locations in cities across the U.S. and engaging in conversations with strangers for a period of 30 days. The position, which offers a monthly salary of $2,000 along with a spending allowance, aims to help Gen Z improve their interpersonal communication skills.
According to the company's research, only 34% of people feel comfortable talking to strangers, with Gen Z seeming to have even more difficulty in this regard. A 2024 Harris Poll study found that 53% of hiring managers believe Gen Z graduates lack strong communication abilities, and 65% of Gen Z workers admitted they struggle to come up with things to say to their colleagues. In light of these statistics, the company hopes to demonstrate that communication and confidence can be developed as skills rather than innate traits.
The role of a chief small talk officer would involve recording the applicant's experiences, including notes, observations, short videos, and stories. These recordings will be used to create a ranking of the best places to meet strangers in cities nationwide, as well as tips for those who want to enhance their small talk abilities.
The findings will also be compiled into a comprehensive lesson for the RiseGuide app. While the task of talking to strangers may seem daunting, the position offers an unconventional yet potentially valuable opportunity for Gen Z to develop essential social skills that could carry them through their careers and personal lives.
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