How to help your Gen Z employees feel their best self at work

There’s a refreshing workplace trend emerging.

Our Gen Z employees (born from 1995 – 2009) are leaning back into face-to-face relationships at work.

Our recent research into workplace sentiment confirms this shift, revealing that 22% of Gen Z workers value strong relationships with colleagues. So these connections aren’t just nice to have; they’re essential for helping Gen Z feel their best selves at work.

The importance of face-to-face relationships

Growing up in the years dominated by social media and virtual communication, this generation is craving change. Face-to-face relationships in the workplace:

• Facilitate a deeper rapport with colleagues.
• Improve communication skills.
• Increase collaboration.
• Builds camaraderie among colleagues and
• Ultimately boosts job satisfaction and productivity.

Interestingly, for Gen Z, excelling in their career stands as their greatest aspiration, yet simultaneously, they fear being trapped in an unfulfilling job.

4 ways employers can encourage face-to-face connections in the workplace.

As an employer, it’s your job to support and encourage these connections within the workplace. Here’s how:

1. Create collaborative spaces: Think of open-plan workspaces, communal areas, and breakout rooms to encourage spontaneous conversations and collaboration among team members.
2. Encourage in-person meetings: Forget the Teams or Zoom invite, schedule your meetings for days you know people will be around to meet in person.
3. Organise team-building activities: Plan regular social team-building activities and social events to bring employees together outside of work tasks.
4. Create a peer recognition program: Create a system where employees can celebrate personal and professional wins in real-time.

Understand what your employees value.

As employers, it’s your job to recognise and encourage the things that enable your team to thrive and show up as their best selves at work.

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