Gen Z is, in fact, the generation most enthusiastic about working in the office, attending 3 days a week.
The following contribution is from Fortune. Author Sydney Lake is an associate editor at Fortune, where she writes and edits news for the publication’s global news section. At Fortune, she previously wrote about real estate, housing, and higher education. Before joining Fortune, Sydney was an assistant editor at Virginia Business magazine and interned in the production department at CQ Roll Call. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and leadership studies from the University of Richmond and her master’s degree in digital media management from the University of Southern California.
Workers under 24 are more likely to be in the office than other generations.
Gen Z is leading the return to the office, with an average in-person commitment of three days a week, according to a recent survey by real estate group JLL.
The company surveyed more than 12,000 workers around the world and found that Gen Z values in-person work the most.
Gen Z workers have a bad reputation for being lazy and not wanting to go to the office, when in reality, many do want to see their colleagues in person.
Leading the Return to the Office
Contrary to popular belief, Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) is leading the return to the office, according to a late March report from real estate group JLL shared with Fortune.
JLL found that workers under 24 are more likely to be in the office than other generations, coming in an average of three days a week.
Other generations go to the office between just 2.5 and 2.7 days a week, JLL reported to the Financial Times.
The research was based on survey responses from more than 12,000 workers across diverse industries and 44 countries.
“COVID-19 lockdowns shaped an entire generation of younger workers who spent their final years of training and early careers without the cultural, social, and professional benefits that co-living provides,” said Sue Asprey Price, EMEA managing director and global head of portfolio services for workforce dynamics at JLL, in a statement.
“We are seeing a huge response from that generation, as being in the office is key to their happy and fulfilling work experience.”
Many Gen Z workers told Fortune that they feel they missed out on in-person interactions during the pandemic, when some would have been in high school or college.
They say going to the office gives them the opportunity to learn more from their colleagues and forge friendships.
“When working remotely, you don’t have the option of walking over to someone else’s desk to learn how to do something or ask a quick question that doesn’t require a meeting,” Spencer McLean, public relations manager at Advantage Media Group, who was born in 1999, told Fortune.
“There are things you don’t learn as easily when working virtually, like how to better interact with new colleagues or pick up on social cues.”
Additionally, Gen Z workers love to chat for long periods of time, which, experts explained to Fortune’s Emma Burleigh, is likely due to the isolation and loneliness experienced by this generation during the pandemic.
However, the key is that Gen Z still doesn’t want to be in the office every day.
They still prefer hybrid schedules that allow them some quiet time to work from home.
“Honestly, I didn’t like going into the office every day,” McLean said.
“Hybrid work gives you a mental break, since you don’t have to have constant conversations and can sit and focus, and it also gives your skin a break from makeup.”
Earlier this year, Harris Poll and global events firm Freeman surveyed 1,824 American adults in white-collar jobs, and 91% of respondents said they wanted a balance between remote and in-person work.
Chloe Chan, a US Gen Z partner at global fintech firm Revolut,
said hybrid schedules are “the best of both worlds.”
She mentioned being inspired by a podcast by psychologist Gillian Sandstrom, who highlighted the powerful impact of small office interactions, such as wandering around the office to grab a snack.
«I’ve found I have stronger relationships with colleagues I see frequently in the office than with members of my remote team,» Chan told Fortune. «In general, going to the office also provides that third space for connectivity.»
Caitlin Luetger-Schlewitt, a professor of leadership and career preparation in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at North Central College,
said she asks her students each semester if they want to work remotely, in person, or with a hybrid schedule.
Most say in person, she told Fortune, and very few, if any, want to work completely remotely.
The most common reason students give is that they want to communicate with their supervisor and colleagues more consistently and receive better support.
Additionally, they are «burned out» from completing high school and college remotely during the pandemic, Luetger-Schlewitt explained. «They felt disconnected from the world around them as distance learners and expect this feeling to be replicated in remote work,» she explained, adding that she has also heard many students say they find it difficult to motivate themselves for remote work.
Luetger-Schlewitt said she finds these trends interesting because of the number of millennials she has worked with who prefer remote work.
In fact, the JLL report showed that workers between the ages of 35 and 54 were the least satisfied with their office work, citing environmental concerns and a desire for better technology, flexibility, and nutrition.
«I wonder if and how Gen Z’s preferences and priorities will change as they approach midlife,» Luetger-Schlewitt said.
Ambitious Gen Z Leads Return to the Office: Here’s How They’re Leveraging It to Advance
The following contribution is from CNBC Make It, a financial wellness publication offering practical advice and compelling storytelling. Our goal is to help you be smarter and more successful with your money, work, and life. Through our articles, newsletters, digital videos, TV shows, events, and online courses, we provide information and inspiration to help you face life’s most important moments—from landing your dream job to starting a business, investing in your future, and buying a home.
The author is Sawdah Bhaimiya, an Associate Reporter at CNBC Make It based in London. She covers success, finance, entrepreneurship, work, and life.
A recent study by real estate firm JLL revealed that young professionals are spending more time in the office than other generations.
Some ambitious Gen Z professionals are leading the return-to-office trend, eager to climb the corporate ladder, learn from their older colleagues, and break stereotypes about their generation.
Born between 1997 and 2012, many Gen Zers started their first jobs in the midst of the pandemic.
As remote and hybrid work became the new norm, younger generations were often criticized for the rise of empty offices, facing a wave of criticism for their laziness and avoidance of in-person work.
Recently, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon complained that while he has been working seven days a week since the pandemic, «Zoomers aren’t showing up.»
«Zoomers» refers to Generation Z. Meanwhile, 78-year-old British entrepreneur Lord Alan Sugar urged young people to return to the office, stating that they «just want to stay home.»
However, contrary to these accusations, young people up to 24 years old attend the office an average of three days a week,
a higher rate than all other age groups, according to a recent global study of 12,000 employees by real estate firm JLL.
Furthermore, Gen Z says they crave more in-person interaction.
Ninety-one percent of Gen Zers want a balance of virtual and in-person opportunities to connect with colleagues and grow professionally, according to a survey of nearly 2,000 American adults by events firm Freeman.
While young workers enjoy the benefits of remote work and flexibility, they view the office as «a launching pad for their careers,» said Dan Schawbel, managing partner of research firm Workplace Intelligence.
CNBC Make It interviewed three members of Gen Z about how being in the office helps them advance.
«We have no idea how to be a professional adult.»
Gen Z is said to have made several corporate mistakes in recent years, from adopting the «office siren» aesthetic to using TikTok slang like «ick» due to their inexperience.
The office provides an environment for young workers to familiarize themselves with corporate norms, from communication skills to dress codes.
Sophia Thibault, a trust specialist, said the pandemic hit midway through her freshman year of college and impacted her ability to socialize.
So when her first job at MRHFM required her to be in the office five days a week, she welcomed the opportunity.
«At first, it was a little annoying having to be in the office every day, but I think it really helped me adjust to the working world,» the 24-year-old said.
«I just want to be paid well and surrounded by the people who will guide my future. How can I learn if I’m not here with them?»
Max Ranzato
Partner at PEM Law LLP
Being surrounded by colleagues 40 hours a week helped Thibault develop her ability to interact with a diverse group of people and acquire habits like corporate jargon, buzzwords, and dress codes by observing others, many of which can’t be learned «behind a screen,» she said.
«Generally, my friends who graduated with me like being in the office because we have no idea how to be a professional adult,» he said.
Max Ranzato, a 28-year-old associate attorney based in New York, echoed Thibault’s sentiment and recalled getting his first job out of college as a life sciences recruiter, which he transitioned from full-time in the office to remote work after a year due to the pandemic.
Ranzato said that remote work slowed his learning, as his manager was no longer available to advise him.
«Once you switched to remote work, you lost all the fun and perks of being a recruiter, and then you were just cold-calling people all day, alone, not talking to anyone, not having lunch with anyone, not making real friends,» he said. «I definitely think working from home is very lonely.»
«I want to be very successful.»
But for Gen Z, working in an office isn’t just about filling in the gaps in their corporate knowledge—it’s also about advancing.
«I want to be really successful,» said Ranzato, who now works at a law firm and commutes 90 minutes from Queens to New Jersey four days a week just to be in the office.
«So I walk to the subway, take the subway to Penn Station to catch the train, take a train to Newark, New Jersey, and then take an Uber to the office,» he explained. «It sounds really intense, but I don’t mind.»
Ranzato, who estimates the cost of his daily commute at between $600 and $800 a month, says it’s worth it because, as an ambitious lawyer who aspires to make partner one day, he feels his «learning grows exponentially in the office.»
At the office, Ranzato interacts with partners daily, observing their behavior and communication style in meetings and asking the questions he needs.
«I just want to be paid well and surrounded by the people who will guide my future. How can I learn if I’m not here with them?»
Her Gen Z friends, accountants and engineers, share her opinion and expect recognition from their superiors. «They want money. They want to get promoted. They want to do what their bosses do,» she said.
Schawbel explained that the office environment accelerates career advancement through «immersion,» something that’s harder to replicate through a screen.
Thibault said that at her previous job at the law firm MRHFM, she and her Gen Z colleagues were always in the office and extremely motivated.
«We were on top of our work… and everyone in the office knew that if they needed someone to work on something, ‘give it to the three girls, they’ll do it.'»
Molly Gilbride, a 25-year-old media relations specialist from Seattle, said she feels «confused» when Gen Z is accused of being lazy and avoiding the office, since in a previous role, Gen Z was the primary group of office-going workers.
«I think we value the flexibility and the option of being in the office, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like going because it’s too much work,» she said.
«The future is hybrid»
«The future is overwhelmingly leaning toward hybrid,» Schawbel said. «It’s about the best of both worlds.»
Gilbride’s current company allowed her to switch to remote work due to personal issues, but she misses being in the office because it brought a little «diversity» to her week.
«The flexibility of remote work is fantastic and it’s what I needed in my life right now, but I’m trying my best to get back to a place where I can work hybrid because I love going to the office.»
Ranzato also enjoys her remote work Fridays because the «freedom» allows her to do dishes, prepare meals, or fold laundry. With billable hours, she can make up her hours throughout the week, adapting the structure to her life.
TikTok content creator Gigi Robinson believes «hybrid is the future.»
The 26-year-old New York City resident doesn’t work full-time because she suffers from multiple chronic illnesses and regularly travels hours for treatment during the workweek.
Robinson was a student at the University of Southern California when the pandemic hit and her studies became strictly remote. «Coincidentally, COVID-19 hit, and all of a sudden, the accessibility tools I’d previously craved—
– Can I access class via Zoom?
– Can I submit materials remotely?
— were available to everyone. And I thought, ‘Well, why was it so hard before?'»
Robinson, who now runs a fully remote internship program at one of her companies, believes remote work offers accessibility for people like her.
Gen Z remote workers aren’t just slacking off, Thibault noted. She spoke of her surprise when an older colleague once mentioned sitting by her pool when working from home.
«When I work from home, I’m not sitting by my pool… I wouldn’t swim in my pool during work hours or openly tell my colleagues that,» she said.
«I feel like Gen Z: we want to prove our worth; this is our first opportunity to work and be professional, and we’re highly motivated by money, feedback, and new positions… so that’s what drives us to work harder and be in the office. But even when we’re at home, we work hard.»
Five Years After Lockdown, Younger Generations Lead the Return to the Office Trend
The following contribution is from the JLL portal: WE SEE A BRIGHTER WAY FORWARD for our clients, our people, our planet, and our communities. By combining innovative technology with world-renowned expertise, we uncover opportunities that create a brighter future for all.
Author: Jamie Obertelli
Contrary to expectations, younger workers are leading the return to the office, valuing in-person connection and mentorship, while companies struggle to enforce return-to-office orders.
Five years after the initial COVID-19 lockdowns forced millions of workers home, JLL’s latest data reveals a surprising shift in workplace dynamics: younger generations are leading the return to the office, challenging the prevailing idea that older workers are more office-centric.
This generational shift highlights the changing nature of work.
Companies must adapt their workforce strategies to attract and retain talent, especially considering the challenges of enforcing return-to-office orders, also identified in the data.
Gen Z adapts to the office.
JLL’s research, based on surveys of more than 12,000 employees across diverse sectors and 44 countries, revealed that Gen Z is more li
