Gen Z wants the office, but Millennials want out

When reading about the return to office (RTO) debate, you might expect older generations to vote in favour of it, and younger workers to be less traditionalist.

However, a new study has revealed that a large majority of university students are looking for full-time office work when they graduate, a sign that newbie employees might not be quite as enamoured with flexible working as older colleagues.

While companies like Amazon, Dell, and Starling Bank have faced backlash for their RTO policies, research suggests their stricter mandates won’t put off the next cohort of graduates.

Students lean towards full-time office work for their first job

The study, conducted by the digital student platform UNiDAYS, has revealed that 65% of students over the age of 16 believe a physical office is important for their first job. Moreover, nearly half (47%) of those surveyed said they would apply for a job which requires them to attend the office five days a week. Only 11% say they would work completely remotely.

But while many students are in favour of working from the office full-time, there’s still a strong preference for flexible working in their careers overall.

Most notably, 54% choose hybrid models as their preferred working pattern, while 20% want a job that offers a work from anywhere (WFA) policy.

This means that while companies might expect graduates to eagerly attend the office at the start of their career, the same group will also need the right incentives to make them stay.

Commenting on the research, Alex Gallagher, Chief Strategy Officer at UNiDAYS said: “It’s clear recent narratives that report Gen Z are reluctant to return to the office are changing.

“Our research shows that the next generation is more than willing to do so and value the opportunity to spend time with colleagues and learn from them.”

Student loneliness peaked during the pandemic

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic saw lecture halls and cafes being replaced with Zoom calls and remote PowerPoint presentations. While students were still able to continue their studies remotely, they were missing out on the traditional university life.

According to a survey by Student Minds, two-thirds of respondents said they “often felt isolated and lonely” since March 2020, when lockdown restrictions began. Additionally, 82% reported that the pandemic had negatively impacted their university experience.

But even after restrictions were lifted, many universities adopted a “hybrid teaching” model, in which courses combine face-to-face teaching with online learning. Research from The BBC revealed that 28% of courses were taught this way in 2023, versus 4.1% pre-COVID.

Combined with UNiDAY’s data, this could suggest that many students want office work due to having experienced the sometimes isolatory environment of remote work.

Research has shown that remote offices could be on the brink of a loneliness epidemic. In a survey of 1,000 employees in 2024, nearly four in five said they believe that WFH has damaged the social aspects of working.

This in turn can also impact learning and development, as younger colleagues are less able to interact with and learn from older co-workers.

Millennial employees more likely to rebel against RTO policies

Millennial employees, most of whom will have already built up an impressive CV and will benefit less from in-person collaboration, haven’t been in favour of RTO mandates.

A study by TopCV recently reported that one in three Millennials ignore demands to return to the office, with 37% planning to continue working remotely or go to the office less frequently than required. One in six employees also said they would quit their job to find more flexible roles if they were forced to return to the office full-time.

Moreover, two in five employees believe that returning to the office would significantly decrease their job satisfaction, particularly over work-life balance and mental health. 

Amanda Augustine, career expert at TopCV commented: “As more companies push for employees to return to the office, workers are increasingly voicing concerns over the loss of flexibility and its detrimental impact on mental health and work-life balance.

“While offering enticing incentives may help, workers’ growing need for flexibility and autonomy remains a significant challenge for businesses who refuse to bend.”