Older employees prefer working from home while Gen Z, millennials want to return to office: Expert

Younger workers ‘feel the need to build connections’ in office, The Muse CEO says

Many workers are preparing to head back to the office for the first time since the start of the pandemic; with the continuing surge of the delta variant, however, employees are questioning how long certain work policies will last. 

CEO and co-founder of the online career platform, The Muse, Kathryn Minshew joined FOX Business’ "Mornings with Maria" to weigh in on the debate between remaining remote and returning to in-person work setups. Minshew suggested a worker’s age impacts an employee’s work environment preferences, noting a disparity between younger and older generations.

"The further along someone is in their career, the more likely they are to have a better work-from-home setup...They're less likely to crave that in-office environment," Minshew said.  

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"Whereas a lot of the younger workers are, particularly Gen Z and early career millennials, many of them are still starting out. They still feel like they need to establish themselves, build those connections and mentorship."

Minshew continued to note it’s very "interesting" to see different employees’ perspectives on whether they prefer working remotely or if they want to return to physical office locations. 

"It’s a mixed bag," The Muse CEO said. "We see currently about 37% of people who categorically do not want to go back into an office…and a little over 22% that are excited to go back full time."

Meanwhile, several major corporations such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Uber have postponed their return-to-work date until January 2022 due to the uncertainty surrounding the delta variant spike nationwide. 

"Employers are going to feel pressure to reverse course if the situation with COVID continues," Minshew added. "Because of Delta, more people are saying, ‘I'm actually not ready to go back [into the office].’"

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The Muse CEO noted her business tracks workplace sentiments monthly and found that many company executives are concerned whether it’s safe to bring staff back into work buildings.

"Many [companies] are looking at how important do they believe in-office collaboration is? How much do they feel like some of their employees may go seek work elsewhere if they're not accommodating?’" she remarked. 

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According to The Muse’s data, there’s been a strong preference for flexibility shown when Minshew’s company asked job seekers what factors they consider when looking for employment. 

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"Remote work or workplace flexibility is consistently very, very high," she concluded. "I think we're not going to see that part of the equation go away."

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