RTO is a hot-button topic right now. This study, by Gallup, is pretty consistent with an earlier study by Spiceworks. 77% of Gen Z want some flavor of onsite presence. Millennials are most averse to RTO, with varying degrees of flexibility desired across the workforce.
In addition to the factors Gallup cites, there are a couple of others that anecdotal evidence suggests:
- Gen Z values the opportunity for easy access to people who can help them grow, or develop their career.
- They have less conducive physical space than folks further along in their career, who are more likely to own a home, or not have room-mates.
- Family commitments, specifically whether kids are in the picture or not.
The study highlights the challenges leaders have in designing and managing organizational RTO policies, and supporting the ongoing growth and development of our teams. For example, if Gen Z values access to mentoring and growth in person, but the cohorts that could provide that mentoring are much more averse to on-site presence, we have a conflict of values.
How we balance the diverse needs and incentives of our team cohorts, while ensuring we develop a sustaining workforce is going to be a significant challenge, and one with which I expect we'll see many pivots and refinements as data and experience give us better insight.
Originally published on LinkedIn.