SELFHOOD on: New ways of working
by Kyra Clement
Photo by Avi Richards on Unsplash
It’s been said for a while that the days of the Monday-Friday office job are numbered. It’s little wonder, given that working from a beach (or at least near one) has shifted from unthinkable to aspirational to entirely feasible within less than two years. In fact, 93% of our Next Gen Collective told us they consider flexible working the bare minimum when looking for a job.
With Gen Z growing more influential within the workplace - speaking up for what they believe in and questioning the status quo – it’s clear that many other traditional workplace norms are under threat too. A generation that are rejecting linear career paths that have been trodden so many times before them and are pursuing passions and fulfilment instead.
They do not wish to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, but instead want something more and something different.
As SELFHOOD Collective member Ellie, 24 put it:
“It’s the model that our parents and grandparents may have followed… but look where that got them”.
An innate demand for flexibility sits at the heart of it this shift. Collective member Elliot, 26, explains: “the rigidity of office culture was dead before the pandemic…the pandemic was just a nail in the coffin”.
Since they began stepping into offices in 2016, flexibility has been high on the agenda for Gen Z. Now in 2022, accelerated by the pandemic, they are pushing the boundaries of what this looks like in the workplace. For example, Collective member, Beatriz, 24 tells us “I’m looking for flexibility not just in where I work, but how I work”.
Our poll also saw that 79% of our Next Gen collective were comfortable expressing their personal style in the workplace, and 87% would be happy to show their tattoos in a professional setting. What’s more, almost 40% of our collective would be comfortable telling their boss that they had used drugs – clearly a very personal, taboo subject which indicates a growing informality to work relationships in 2022.
An evolution of workplace culture means these kinds of expressions of honesty and individuality - unheard of a decade ago - are now commonplace for many young professionals.
As the next generation begin to take on more influential positions within their companies, values intrinsic to this generation - such as openness, fluidity and acceptance - are being pushed to the forefront and are taking precedent over more traditional cultural values and perks.
For businesses looking to attract young talent, it’s clear that building a genuine environment of trust and inclusivity is crucial. Recently big tech organisations like Bolt and Spotify have been at the forefront of conversations around embracing change, with flexibility and openness being prioritised over bean bags and ping pong tables. More traditional or conservative companies – whilst despite never being ones for bean bags in the first place – would do well to follow their lead as they seek to attract fresh, bright talent.
Today’s young professionals are changing the terms of engagement when it comes to employment, and who can blame them? When faced with a plethora of options offering similar levels of pay, an open and honest workplace culture could well be the differentiator for many.