In the conversations about returning to the office, there’s an assumption that it’s “the dinosaurs in the C Suite” who insist people come in as much as possible. But there’s another group that is clamoring for more time together. It’s your youngest, newest employees.
An article in Forbes highlights some of the reasons.
There are many reasons for wanting to spend time with colleagues. Younger workers (Gen Z and Younger Millennials, if we’re still making up labels) have two compelling reasons: Social Interaction and Mentoring.
The Social Interaction
People in the 21-30 range look to the workplace for much of their social interaction. More so than older workers. It makes sense. Statistically, they are more likely to be single. Thus, they don’t have the family responsibilities that have other employees seeking more flexibility and work-life balance. Many of them, especially fresh out of school, have left their existing friends or families for new opportunities. They find themselves in new cities (or parts of town), needing to rebuild social networks and support systems.
Many of these younger workers have had first jobs (or dead-end jobs) before coming to work for you. Now, they are looking for someplace to start a career. It’s also feasible that because they didn’t buy houses in the suburbs, they live closer to the office.
Most importantly, they WANT to belong somewhere. Claiming to have a best friend or intimate social circle at work is a significant indicator of employee engagement. This is the age when people hang out after work. And they date – maybe co-workers (don’t tell HR), maybe friends of co-workers they met while hanging out. They start to settle into the neighborhood or town where they will spend a significant part of their life.
Beyond the Social
Lest you think those darned kids are just about finding new people to party with, there’s a second, more compelling reason. Young workers know they lack essential information. They want to learn as much as they can.
Employees new to your organization want guidance and mentoring on what their new job entails. More importantly, they want to learn how things are done at your company. They want to learn and be part of the culture.
And then there are those who came from school during Covid who may have no in-office experience at all. They don’t know the basics of etiquette, networking, and professional behavior. They want training, mentoring, and networking, which CAN be done virtually. But it is far easier and more natural to happen in physical proximity to others.
That doesn’t mean the young’uns are signing up for a traditional 8-5, commute-to-the-office grind. What they are looking for is sensible flexibility. They want to do good work, and know that some activities make sense in the office (socialization, training, mentoring, coaching). But not all activities. There are plenty of tasks that don’t require being in a central location. If they feel their brains work best in the morning or late at night, that’s when work can be done.
Helping Them Helps You
As organizations consider what hybrid work should look like, it’s important to consider all demographics of the organization. When offering flexible or hybrid work to your younger recruits, are you maximizing the time spent in the office with the chance to manage their calendars?
Don’t assume that younger, more technically connected people are avoiding the office. They may just want to make the most of the time while they’re there.
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