Have you noticed that when the Return To The Office debate rears its head, ‘Team WFH’ always tends to be skewed towards the young’uns?
It would be fair to say that Millennials are consistently blamed for not wanting to go back to the office, in fact if we are to believe much of the media hype, Gen Z & beyond simply want it all!
According to last year’s Axios Harris 100 poll Millennials are the most likely to want a remote option. A whopping 84% of millennials say remote work is important vs. 66% of Gen Z, 75% of Gen X and 68% of Boomers.
Conversely, what we see with upcoming Tech Talent is often the opposite!
As recruiters we’re regularly chatting with junior IT candidates and our observation is that the majority are keen to have a presence in the office.
Why?
WFH isn’t Practical
Whilst flexibility is appreciated, working from home when you live in a share house can be testing! “Without the luxury of a separate study, working from your bedroom or the noisy communal kitchen is tough!” says Lina, one of our Business Analysts.
Learning & Development
Junior talent often cite the opportunities for career growth and mentorship gained from spending time with peers and leaders in the office environment. Whilst Millennials appreciate remote collaboration tools, such as video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management platforms; we regularly hear how much they gain from face-to-face interactions.
Professional Network
Junior candidates also understand the benefits of building a stronger professional network when working face-to-face with colleagues. Early career growth can be accelerated by building connections.
Work Hard, Play Hard
And last but not least, we cannot underestimate the importance of social interaction in our day to day lives. May it be office banter or a few drinks after work, humans are social creatures and there’s no better time to be social than in your early career!
Obviously there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to work and generalizing an entire generation’s behaviour is totally misleading; but while the WFH debate continues we’d suggest keeping an open mind. Most of us value work-life balance and flexibility, and as recruiters we strive to find the right balance for everyone, whatever their personal situation or stage of career.
Namaste.
