We had the fun idea to ask our trainees a bunch of questions about their first 3 months working at RAiN Chartered Accountants. One of the questions was “What is your favourite spot in the office” and to our surprise, the majority (71%) answered the kitchen due to the social interactions and conversations they have here. We were shocked, as marketers in an audit firm we easily categorise our colleagues as introverts, shy of engagement and happy in the corner with their laptops. Boy, were we wrong! The other interesting thing we noticed in our trainees’ answers is that none of them wished they could rather work from home which brought us to the question,
is Gen Z bringing back
the 9-5 office life?
Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012. By the first grade, Facebook was launched and by the time they went to highschool they already knew all about text abbreviations (IYKYK). Unfortunately, this generation was just graduating from university when COVID-19 hit, impacting their social skills and personal confidence. Others were left completely jobless if they were in the service or entertainment industries. Now, 3 years after most countries have been able to phase out the last of the lockdowns, there is an influx of Gen Z employees preferring hybrid or office work over fully remote work.
According to a survey by Seramount, only 11% of Gen Z’ers want to be fully remote compared to 34% of non-Gen Z’ers.
Many sources speculate that older generations do not want to return to office life because they’ve already worked the 9-5 for 15+ years. They already have a solid understanding of their career as well as the social aspects of an office job. Now they prefer the comfort of their home with some even choosing their hours, especially if they’re parents with kids in school.
Here are 3 reasons we think Gen Z wants to work in-office instead of in-bed:
Firstly, many feel like they don’t have the experience necessary to do their job. Understandably, the “online” knowledge they gained in university doesn’t help them in their career daily. Many of these graduates didn’t get the opportunity to work as an intern, laying the groundwork for their careers.
Secondly, after being homebound for the crucial years of early adulthood, many Gen Z’ers don’t want to work from home like they had to while studying. They enjoy dressing up for work, having packed lunches and making small talk in the kitchen with their co-workers. Finally, they can have casual conversations in a relaxed environment, without trying to make friends and socialise because their therapist told them to.
Lastly, seeing your superiors and colleagues handle crises in person, allows a newbie to learn from the experience. Kevin Ellis, chair of PwC UK, said at the World Economic Forum: “Being physically present allows for spontaneous conversations, brainstorming sessions, and the exchange of ideas that may not occur in a remote setting. Additionally, mentors can provide guidance and support to junior staff more effectively when working side by side.”
It’s a common misperception that auditors lack people skills and don’t enjoy socialising. However, if you consider that auditors are almost always on the phone with clients or visiting clients’ offices when completing an audit, we realise that auditing is one of the more social careers. Auditors have countless conversations with their clients about financial statements, missing documents and irregularities, and we all know that “a bee is more attracted to honey than vinegar!”
It only makes sense that these trainees with little experience want to work in an office space where they can improve their people skills and learn from their superiors’ difficult phone calls with clients.
Something a company can do to make the office more attractive for the returning young generation of auditors is to allow them to take up their space. By having designated desks for each employee, they can personalise the space to their taste. This leads to employee satisfaction, a boost in confidence and higher productivity. Only 2 of our trainees’ (or 29%) favourite spot was their desk, which shows the importance of having a permanent desk instead of hot-desking. They mentioned how they like having it close to a window or enjoy being able to focus, uninterrupted. A crucial benefit of each employee having their desk is that they feel valued as an individual. However, having them share desks or move to a new desk too frequently can influence productivity, health, confidence and even cleanliness!
We find ourselves, once again, faced with a societal shift that we all have to deal with due to the pandemic. Just like bell-bottom-jeans have returned thanks to the swing of the pendulum, so the next generation of auditors is returning to the office. Let’s empower them to take their place and play our part in cultivating the auditors and CA’s of the future.
