Gen Z can do remotely anything, here’s how they’re adapting to a changing workplace
Walking across American college campuses, you may notice clusters of students clutching their resumes, looking for a return on their investment in higher education. Some of Gen Z are searching for their dream job, but most are on the hunt for stability, according to CNBC. Though high-paying salaries and benefits are meaningful for prospective employees, about half of Gen Z is searching for an opportunity that is increasing in supply: remote work.
The COVID-19 pandemic flipped the world and the American economy upside down in several ways, but one memorable trend that rippled throughout the country was how workplaces adapted to the global shutdown.
The pandemic created an opportunity for employees and employers alike to shift from in-person to a completely remote approach out of necessity. #Vanlife and the normalcy of traveling the world while working a 9 to 5 job exploded. In today’s world, as the pandemic dust has settled, workers are understanding the long-term consequences of remote and hybrid work.
Many Americans have now at least partially returned to work, but have different expectations for how often they should be in the office and how to manage a work-life balance. The remote work ‘revolution’ has opened a can of unexpected relief for some workers, including shorter commute times and more flexibility in their schedules, according to a recent survey cited by CNBC. Roughly 64% of Americans reported that it is now easier to maintain a work-life balance but 60% of Americans have found it more challenging to connect with co-workers, according to a 2022 report from Pew Research Center.
Despite a lack of connection, 98% of workers want to work remotely at least some of the time, according to a 2023 report from Buffer. Looking more closely at which Americans desire remote work, a Handshake study of around 3,800 random students found that students of color and women are submitting “significantly more” applications to fully remote roles.
As trends of remote have only grown, analysts predict that 32.6 million Americans will work remotely, according to Upwork. This is about 22% of the American workforce. More of those looking for remote work include college graduates and upper income Americans, according to Pew.
For Gen Z, the data about remote work may seem dizzying, especially if you include the voices of seasoned professionals. One New York University professor publicly said that Gen Z remote workers are “probably not going to become CEOs.”
Though living out of a van and attending or sitting at home Zoom meetings might sound like a dream-like lifestyle, some members of Gen Z are craving in-person work. Among other reasons, young people today are worried about how remote and hybrid work affects mental health and may be holding them back professionally. The generation is ultimately split on whether they want to work remotely, but meaningful connections, security and fair workplace practices are other highlights of what the generation wants from a job, according to the Washington Post.
Walking into today’s workforce as seasoned Zoomers, only time will tell how Gen Z will grapple with the tradeoffs of the evolving workplace.
