Recent college graduates, often referred to as Gen Z, are expressing a stronger desire to return to the office compared to millennial parents who have become accustomed to remote work arrangements, according to a senior executive at PwC. Phillippa O’Connor, UK chief people officer at the accounting firm, stated that while some established employees with children found the transition back to office work challenging, new entrants to the workforce are actively embracing the opportunity to learn from colleagues.
This generational difference highlights a divergence in work preferences, with younger employees entering the professional world seeking the collaborative and learning environments that office settings can provide, contrasting with some of their more experienced colleagues who grew used to working from home during pandemic lockdowns.
PwC anticipates its employees will be present in the office for at least three days per week. O’Connor observed that early-career employees have shown significant enthusiasm for office-based work, recognizing it as a crucial period for building professional networks with peers and senior staff. She emphasized the importance of this phase for learning, noting that observing colleagues and participating in client calls directly contributes to professional 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 said. "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 identified employees with parental or caregiving responsibilities as the group that found the return to office most challenging. PwC has implemented support mechanisms and combined hybrid policies with everyday flexibility, aiming to foster trust and accommodate the needs of these employees.
These observations align with recent research from the Social Market Foundation, supported by PwC. The study underscored the significance of a first job that offers robust support, training, and a clear career progression path. Individuals starting in such roles were found to earn an average salary of £55,000 by age 35, substantially more than the £27,000 earned by those who began in roles with fewer development opportunities.