Gen Z is the future of our workforce, yet many of them have never worked in an office full-time. Like those in other generations, some Gen Z employees have an easier time working from home than others. But unlike other generations, this cohort of employees hasn’t spent years or decades developing their careers and building professional relationships. That could mean that many of your younger employees are feeling stalled, disconnected or less engaged. Here are five things they may be missing, or have never experienced, about working in an office:
The office humor and casual camaraderie that employees enjoy when sharing a workplace is a huge element of job satisfaction for many. For remote work teams, you might want to create more opportunities for online social connection, like trivia competitions, virtual cocktail hours or just more time for chitchat in online meetings. One note though: be sensitive to demanding mandatory fun for employees, and when possible, schedule these during work hours.
When people are working together in an office environment, there are countless interactions throughout the day that provide feedback, from a casual nod of approval to pointed conversations that deliver constructive criticism. Encourage your managers to find ways to provide that feedback in online conversations one-on-one meetings.
People working together as a team tend to thrive on meeting challenges together and then celebrating their successes. Gen Z and Millennial employees also may be more team-oriented than their older colleagues and could be missing those collective victories. Encourage managers to find ways to acknowledge the wins, and to congratulate teams for crossing hurdles and meeting milestones.
In the typical office situation, younger employees learn from older ones by watching how they handle a wide range of situations, from sales calls to meetings with their superiors to managing office politics. A full year out of the office means the current cohort of entry level employees has missed out on that subtle learning. Consider launching a more structured mentoring program that allows Gen Z employees to develop close one-on-one supportive relationships.
Was one of the pre-pandemic perks of your offices a well-stocked break room. Did you typically have frequent lunch meetings with catering or takeout? You might not realize that younger employees on lower salaries were accustomed to counting on those office-provided calories to stretch their food budget. Providing lunch might be a good way to get hybrid employees to come into the office more often.
