UK bosses are having to send young recruits on courses to 'de-text' their speech because they can no longer hold a proper conversation.
Training is being given to school leavers who use text-speak such as 'IDK' for 'I don't know' and 'LOL' for 'laughing out loud'.
Peter Searle, UK chief executive of the recruitment company Adecco, said growing numbers of firms have been forced into action to rectify the problem.
He also warned that social networking websites have created a generation of employees who lack the basic skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
Heavy use of Twitter and Facebook is isolating staff because relationships are all through a machine, he said. 'We have instances in offices where people would rather sit at their desk and send e-mails to each other next door than walk around and have a conversation.
