While Gen Z has been characterized by some hiring teams as more difficult to train and less likely to be a team player, the younger generation is actually more keen to return to the office than others might suspect. Newsweek spoke to young professionals and experts about why this trend is happening.
In a new FTI consulting survey, 42 percent of Gen Z workers said they would be excited about a possible RTO mandate, compared to just 33 percent of Gen X respondents.
Why It Matters
In the years following the coronavirus pandemic, more companies have issued return to office mandates, creating some employee backlash and even high turnover.
Many workers began to expect remote work and have now based their family and home lives around the remote work policies they’ve been under for years.
For Zoomers, who have often had a bad reputation among employers, working in the office can offer several advantages that older employees might not benefit from.
What To Know
Gen Z, which consists of workers up to 28, was far more likely to embrace a return to in-office work with open arms. Roughly 42 percent said they would be excited, and 33 percent would be accepting of a possible RTO mandate.
That was compared to just 33 percent of Gen X workers who would be excited and 25 percent who would be accepting, according to the FTI Consulting survey.
Many employers risk losing talent if they enforce a companywide return to office policy, but that risk might be lower for Gen Z-ers, who are just starting out their careers. The younger generation may be more inclined to benefit from the social aspects of working in an office and building their networks.
Paige Kylie Maxwell, a 28-year-old social worker living in Austin, Texas, said working from home from 2022 to 2024 offered her a lot of freedom but ultimately led to a decline in her mental health and social life.
“It was enjoyable, and I got a lot of freedom, but I was starting to become almost agoraphobic,” Maxwell told Newsweek. “I didn’t want to go out, I didn’t spend much time with peers other than my already existing friend group.”
When Maxwell started an in-person job last year, it was a rough transition, but she ultimately doesn’t regret it over the remote job.
“I like the social interactions that in-person work gives me. I love the idea of hybrid work, because it’s kind of the best of both worlds,” Maxwell said. “Overall, I’m happy to be back working out of the home. There are definitely times when I miss being home all the time. However, I’m making more money, and doing more challenging and fulfilling work.”
Julia Yates, a 26-year-old recruitment consultant living in New York City, is yet another member of Gen Z who would prefer to be in the office. As someone who relocated twice, she said it’s nice to be able to chat with others.
“I love working in-office,” Yates told Newsweek. “It’s critical to learning and growing within an org. You get so much collaboration and learning by osmosis and I think a lot of young people kind of recognize that they need that and crave the growth versus Gen X who are so much better established and don’t need that same level of development.”
Ultimately, companies may still need to reconsider these types of in-office work policies, as overall, 74 percent of fully remote workers said they were likely to seek employment at another company if required to return to the office full time. Roughly 62 percent of hybrid workers said the same, according to the survey.
What People Are Saying
HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek: “At first glance, it’s easy to assume Gen Z’s willingness to return to the office is not about collaboration or career growth – though it could partly be those things for individuals. But the real driver is more bleak: work from home has exposed just how isolating, precarious, and underpaid modern work really is.”
Kevin Thompson, a finance expert and the founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek: “Gen Z, currently between the ages of 13 and 30, has fewer incentives to stay home. Many are unmarried, have fewer family responsibilities, and are more mobile in pursuing job opportunities. Compared to older generations, they are less likely to have children or external obligations that make remote work a necessity.”
HR consultant Natalie E. Norfus, founder of The Norfus Firm, told Newsweek: “Gen Z’s openness to returning to the office probably comes down to where they are in their careers and their desire for in-person mentorship, networking, and connection. Unlike Gen X, who are more established and likely have solid home setups, many Gen Z professionals are still building their workplace identity and see the office as a place to learn, collaborate, and be seen.”
What Happens Next
Since Gen Z entered the workforce in the middle of a pandemic, where mass layoffs and hiring freezes were common, work from home wasn’t necessarily the enjoyable experience that their older coworkers may have experienced. So they may be more likely to seek in-office work out in the future.
“When your entire job exists through a screen, with no mentorship, no workplace culture, and a boss who barely acknowledges you, the office starts looking less like a productivity trap and more like a lifeline to human connection,” Driscoll said.
Older employees often had years of in-person networking and career building before remote work became widespread, he added.
“Gen Z didn’t get that. So is it surprising? Not really. But it’s less about the love for the office and more about the brutal reality of being a young worker today,” Driscoll said. “They’re not drawn to cubicles – they’re desperate for stability, mentorship, and real career opportunities. If employers actually provided those things remotely, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
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