Balancing Return-to-Office Efforts and Engaging Gen Z Talent

Being a corporate leader today is the ultimate balancing act, and managing Gen Z talent in the middle of return-to-office efforts is no exception. A recent survey by KPMG revealed that 62% of U.S. CEOs want their employees back in the office full-time within the next three years. However, they are faced with the challenge of engaging with their Gen Z workforce, who have a different perspective on success and career advancement.

Corporate leaders are seeking ways to make the office enticing to Gen Zers and motivate them to excel in their careers. At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women conference, Kim Seymour, Etsy’s chief human resources officer, expressed her concerns about career development and the next generation of leaders. She emphasized that they cannot expect the next leaders to emerge from the comfort of their homes.

One potential solution that many companies are already exploring is offering incentives to young workers to come to the office. The same survey by KPMG found that 90% of CEOs plan to reward employees who choose to come to the office with raises or promotions. The panelists at the conference agreed that offering the ‘carrot’ rather than resorting to the ‘stick’ approach would be more effective in motivating Gen Z.

Maryam Banikarim, co-founder of NYCNext, highlighted that Gen Z does not respond well to being told what to do and are not interested in the traditional, hierarchical career ladder. She encouraged leaders to make coming to the office a enjoyable experience that provides unique opportunities for creativity and growth. It should be something that Gen Z workers genuinely want to do, rather than feel obligated to do.

In line with this, Christina Wootton, chief partnerships officer at Roblox, emphasized the importance of offering Gen Z employees something different from what they can get from working remotely. Employers can focus on organizing leadership panels, facilitating cross-functional collaboration, and providing opportunities for professional development.

Source: Gen Zers hate being told what to do—especially with RTO. But they are more likely to want to come into the office if they think their workplace is unique