Recent graduates, referred to as Gen Z, are showing a greater enthusiasm for returning to the office compared to millennial parents who have become accustomed to working from home, according to Phillippa O’Connor, UK chief people officer at PwC.

O’Connor stated that while some experienced staff with children found it challenging to transition away from remote work, new employees are actively seeking opportunities to learn from colleagues directly. This observation highlights a potential generational divide in attitudes toward workplace flexibility, with some experienced workers preferring remote setups established during pandemic lockdowns, while younger individuals entering the workforce are drawn to in-person collaboration.

PwC's expectation is for employees to be present in the office at least three days per week.

"Our early careers folks have been enormously positive about that because they find this is the critical point in their career, they build their networks both with each other and with more senior stakeholders in the organisation," O'Connor said. "It’s also such a critical learning time for them."

She emphasized the benefits of in-person interaction for learning and development. "The ability to learn - you sit next to somebody and you watch them do something and you’re a part of that client call – has been demonstrably a positive impact of the hybrid policy," O’Connor added. "We haven’t had any problem with that population [graduates] wanting to be in the office and actually the feedback we’ve had from them about it and the benefit it gives them – that group stands out above everybody else in terms of the benefit they get from being together in person."

Conversely, O’Connor noted that the demographic finding in-person work most challenging was the parent and carer population. PwC has implemented support mechanisms to address these concerns, combining hybrid arrangements with everyday flexibility. "We trust our people and they come in when they need to and they leave when they need to," she said.

These remarks coincide with research from the Social Market Foundation, supported by PwC, which underscored the significance of early career roles offering strong support, training, and a clear path for advancement. The study found that individuals starting in such roles earned an average salary of £55,000 by age 35, in contrast to £27,000 for those beginning in 'low mobility' positions with fewer development opportunities.