GEN-Z Remote employees

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: 

A good laugh 

The human voice conveys so much and can create a powerful connection with listeners. FDR harnessed that power in his Fireside Chats. CEOs and other executive leaders can use podcasts to build personal connections with employees. Use a leadership podcast as a standalone piece on the company values or a significant change — or make it a weekly or monthly update.

Feedback

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.

High fives 

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.

Mentoring

Some business topics or strategic goals are difficult to communicate in a short article or intranet page. A podcast provides time for a subject-matter expert or executive leader to go into more depth and provide a fuller explanation. Use a podcast to explain the research behind a new product introduction or the business reasons behind a major change initiative.

Free food

Was one of the pre-pandemic perks of your offices a well-stocked breakroom. 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 toget hybrid employees to come into the office more often.