New study finds Gen Z wants return to brick-and-mortar

Young adults forced into virtual working environments by COVID-19 will be dissatisfied and demotivated if workplaces switch permanently to a remote model, according to a new study.

The insights shatter stereotypes about the rising generation, and reveal surprising truths about how 18-to-24-year-olds are faring after months of shelter-at-home orders.

Take, for example, Zoom. Companies turned to videoconferencing to accomplish tasks during the quarantine, but Gen Z is unimpressed with the technology. Only 11% believe it is as effective as meeting in person, compared with 80 percent who would prefer to gather face-to-face.

This thinking extends to remote work. Gen Z respondents would like to work in a brick-and-mortar office two-thirds of their work week, and work from home roughly a day and a half.

As for organizational learning, young adults want to get back into the training room. Eighty-five percent of respondents prefer learning in-person. Just 3% believe in-person learning will not be needed in the post-COVID-19 era.

What does all of this this mean for establishing a “new normal,” even as the pandemic persists?