Return to Office - Understanding Generational Differences to Help Craft Your Message and Strategy

TL;DR - Consider the proper approach when the time comes to really return to the office. Information about each generation may provide one more piece of insight into how to best approach them and avoid losing them to the "Great Resignation".

As managers and leaders, you're already used to connecting in different ways to your team: Some people need a gentle nudge while some need more direct methods.

Now that we've dealt with/are dealing with/will continue to deal with an unprecedented global pandemic that's lasted longer than anyone probably thought at the outset, we've also been dealt some entirely new situations:

• Some companies had to find a way to enable remote work when they had never considered it before.
• Some companies had to implement a digital transformation strategy when they had no plans for one.
• Now that everyone's used to working at home, how do we get them to come back?

Now, as much of the workforce (especially in technology but this cuts across many industries) is still remote and companies are planning a return to the office, are they taking into account what all of the data that affects each employee's outlook?

We obviously can't account for each unique condition and situation, but if we start looking at generational demographics like Fast Company recently did, we can add one more piece of information to our decision making process. Here, they started digging deeper into the generational make up of the workforce by conducting a study of nearly 500 people from different countries with a similar generational breakdown (with 41% women and 59% men) as the chart below and asked them multiple questions about their outlook on the return to office and their productivity while remote.

Baby Boomers - ~27% ages 54-70

Generation X - ~35%, ages 34-53

Generation Y/Millennials, ~37%, ages 21-33

Silent Generation - ~1%, age 71-89; Generation Z, 1-2%, under 20

The Results?

No surprise, Millennials who grew up immersed in technology since they were born, are most resistant to returning to the office AND felt that they were more productive while at home. This makes sense when we consider the fact that they're using to connecting with their friends and colleagues virtually via their phones or tablets and don't need an office to foster a social connection to their peers. They see little difference between being physically present and being virtually present. They are just as (or nearly) engaged while remote as they would be in an office environment, but the perks of being at home allow for less stress and some "home multitasking" like starting some laundry before a video call.

Baby Boomers were able to witness the development and creation of the technologies that we all use today, but haven't necessarily been steeped in them like the younger generations. They're used to a more separate office technology environment (that provided the only access to certain resources) that doesn't blur the lines between work and personal technology. As a whole, they're used to the "rat race" and working in an office environment, but surprisingly are overall neutral in the return to the office while feeling they were able to perform just as well while remote. Perhaps because for the first time in decades, they are able to see what life might be like without a lengthy and arduous commute that allows time for a less stressful lifestyle that can include regular exercise and time with their family.

Lastly, the Gen Xers polled seemed to prefer a return to the office and saw their remote work as on par with their office work. Why would this be? FC posits that the Gen Xers, who now make up 50% of the leadership positions globally, have put in over two decades of work to climb the corporate ladder by being present and networking at the office. They know the value of "showing up", shared coffee breaks, happy hours, and actual face time with their colleagues and their reporting structure. If this is what helped them advance through the ranks, they may be eager to prove themselves again.

Of course, these are the results of a smallish population and there certainly could be exceptions within each group.

So what does this mean to me?

If you're reading this far, I'm sorry to say that this data doesn't provide a magical way to ease the return to office for resistant employees. What this does provide is just another data point to consider when you're dealing with actual people: They are multi-layered, multi-faceted individuals facing their own unique combinations of situations and challenges.

Perhaps this data, along with other factors, results in your company considering a hybrid work approach which could be a few days a week at the office or flexible times allowing for child care, avoiding rush hour, etc. Allowing those that must return to the office an option to do so without losing some of the "perks" they enjoyed while working at home could be an effective way to ease them back into accepting a return to the office.

Of course, I realize you may not be the one that is actually choosing the return to office strategy for your company! However, as a leader, you may be the one responsible for delivering the message to your team and having more insights into your team's thought processes is always a good thing.