GENERATION Z REALLY WANTS TO GO BACK TO THE OFFICE

Less than 25 percent of workers aged 20-something want to work remotely full-time, even if they can, according to a new survey by WFH Research, a collaborative project by several universities.

The share of workers preferring to stay remote all day every day is 29 percent among 30-somethings, 33 percent of employees in their 40s, and 41 percent of those 50 and beyond, the survey found.

Work-related social media site LinkedIn found that applicants under age 24 are least likely to seek jobs advertising full-time remote work.

“Gen Z wants to work together in person,” Joe Du Bey, CEO of Eden, which provides workplace-management software, told Business Insider. 

“When we talk to our customers, they’re telling us the same thing,” he added. “It’s their 20-somethings that are pushing them very hard to get back into the office.” 

The chief reasons Gen Z wants to work at a central location:

• 75 percent want “community,” the energy, buzz, and interaction with colleagues;
• More than 40 percent were concerned about a lack of networking and career mentoring if they work in isolation;
• A significant minority said they lacked a physical workspace at home.

A worker in her or his early 20s, perhaps living in a studio apartment or with roommates, will want to hook into a professional structure at the beginning of a career, have a workspace that feels authentic, learn how organizations work, learn from older colleagues, and develop relationships, including friendships, Business Insider noted.

As workers age, they have established themselves, their networks, and their families, perhaps moved out to the suburbs, and are less dependent on co-workers for a professional and social context, BI pointed out, making remote work more attractive.

In a poll of tech workers that Eden conducted, 88 percent of employees on a hybrid schedule said they preferred it; 87 percent of office full-timers liked that arrangement best; and 83 percent working entirely remotely want to stay that way. 

“Part of the Great Resignation was really just a shuffle toward your work preference,” Du Bey noted.

TREND FORECAST: Companies such as Tesla and JPMorgan that demand daily attendance at a central location will attract younger workers taking their first steps on the career ladder.

Those workers can be paid less but will need more guidance and supervision.

In contrast, Meta, Yelp, and other companies moving toward fully remote workforces can have their pick of seasoned employees who will demand larger salaries but need less direction and hand-holding.

Overall, as the economy goes down, businesses renting office space will do what they can to cut back on rent expenses and will do so by permitting workers to work at home a few days a week. 

This of course will put more downward pressure on the commercial real estate sectors that rely on commuters.