The Record - Issue 20: Spring 2021

52 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om V I EWPO I NT Gen Z and the role of the office J A SON COR T : SHAR P As companies look to the future, Sharp’s research highlights changing expectations of the post-pandemic workplace B usinesses have been deeply impacted by the global pandemic, which caused ways of working to change dramatically. Looking ahead, companies of all sizes are continuing to adjust and find new ways of growing and evolv- ing. We at Sharp have been exploring the future workplace and conducted research into pre- vailing employee attitudes and trends. Here are some key findings. The role of the office is changing. The future of work will be different to the pre-pandemic ver- sion of normality. We have had time to reflect on established processes, refining those that add genuine value and removing others. There is a growing acceptance that most com- panies will maintain a hybrid style of working once restrictions lift, which will deliver greater flexibility for a workforce that has spent a year working from home. Attitudes to office-based work after Covid-19 may surprise you . At the end of 2020, Sharp surveyed more than 6,000 office employees (from the under 30s age group, plus a mix of Millennials and Generation Z) in small and medium-sized businesses across Europe. Our goal was to understand how the global pandemic has impacted their working prefer- ences for the future. Our research found that just over half (51 per cent) agree that working remotely has made them more productive. However, the most unexpected feedback from Gen Z came around the need for a physical office space. While they recognise the benefits of remote working, they are still expect- ing businesses to provide office spaces. Companies can engage and enable Gen Z . We worked with future of work organisational psy- chologist, Viola Kraus to learn how the ways of working preferred by Gen Z can be supported by employers. As expected, there are many aspects of remote working that play to the strengths of Gen Z. “The virtual meeting space is theirs,” says Kraus. “In the virtual setting, the feelings of hierarchical boundaries diminish and Gen Z employees are able to speak up freely and express themselves.” While they demonstrate real comfort when using technology to work remotely, this does not necessarily mean it is Gen Z’s sole preference. Kraus added: “For Gen Z, work is about having a meaningful relationship where work melds with private life. So they need to have that social inter- action, virtually and when possible, face-to-face.” For employers, there is a clear call from Gen Z to have both the virtual and physical office which must be geared toward collaboration and interaction. Jason Cort is director of product planning and marketing at Sharp Europe “There are many aspects of remote working that play to the strengths of Gen Z”