- Gen Z is resisting the return-to-office push, with many unwilling to work in the office full-time.
- Many leaders are big RTO fans, leaving middle managers caught in the crossfire.
- Workplace commentators say the debate centers on trust and think policies need to reflect this.
Leadership and junior employees are clashing over returning to the office — and middle managers are caught in the middle.
A recent survey of 1,161 British adults aged 18 to 27 conducted by YouGov for The Times newspaper found that 17% would like to work from home all the time, with a further 24% saying they’d like to most of the time.
A Pew Research Center survey released in January found that 46% of respondents who work from home at least some of the time would be unlikely to stay at their current jobs if they could no longer do so.
Leaders, meanwhile, are running low on empathy. They are rethinking the value of hybrid working and eliminating those deemed to be low performers with tactics such as stealth firing.
Middle managers are already in a tough spot after being squeezed out by layoffs and the “Great Flattening.” They now find themselves with another burden — how to best mediate the RTO battle.
Workplace commentators told Business Insider that middle managers must embrace flexibility to handle this lack of harmony, while focusing on building trust.
“For Gen Z, full-time office work can feel like employers are putting a limit on their independence,” says Allison Nadeau, the VP of talent management and acquisition at the HR and recruiting software company iCIMS. “When employees feel trusted and valued for what they deliver, not just where they work, they’ll show up in a bigger way.”
Transparency and trust
Gen Zers seem to value honesty and get frustrated by inconsistent messaging.
Most don’t remember a world where many jobs involved going to the office five days a week, every week.
Natalie Marshall, known as “Corporate Natalie” on TikTok, where she posts workplace skits and has amassed almost 750,000 followers, told BI that Gen Z workers are quite transparent with their expectations.
They’re upfront about their paycheck and ability to work from home being their priorities, and many won’t even apply for a job if a salary is not listed. They’re also very candid about their mental health — even with their managers.
Many Zoomers expect the same transparency from their employers in return. Yet Marshall said the RTO pivot has left some feeling like the “rug has been pulled from under them.”
“When that trust feels broken, and you told me I didn’t have to go to the office, why am I in here four days a week, five days a week?” she said. “That’s when the problems happen.”
Nadeau told BI that middle managers can deal with this tension by “striking a balance between the benefits that come along with office attendance and flexibility.”
“Gen Z employees need to understand the personal benefits of returning to the office,” she said. “So, what’s in it for them?”
Emphasize the benefits
Much of the RTO debate boils down to autonomy and trust, Nadeau said.
“Company leadership that requires in-office attendance must find ways to honor Gen Z’s desire for flexibility and autonomy,” she said.
Edel Holliday-Quinn, a business psychologist, told BI that middle managers can reframe office attendance as an opportunity, not an obligation, and explain how it can benefit them: “If office time doesn’t serve a real purpose, people will resist it.”
Anita Williams Woolley, a professor of organizational behavior at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, told BI that leaders need to be “very clear and specific” about the benefits of being in the office — such as enhanced teamwork and collaboration, more opportunities for being mentored, and career advancement.
Otherwise, she said poorly planned RTO plans can raise costs for companies through increased turnover and reduced motivation.
“If the benefits are not that great for employees or are primarily for the organization, leaders will need to decide if they stand to gain so much that they are willing to accept a potential reduction in the quality of their current or future workforce as a consequence of forcing everyone back to the office,” Williams Woolley said.
Meeting in the middle
If RTO benefits are actually clear and well communicated, “then those who are most committed to growing in the organization will be most likely to take advantage of them,” Williams Woolley said.
Despite negative stereotypes, Gen Zers have much to offer their middle managers — not least their savviness with AI tools.
If companies are interested in keeping their top Gen Z talent, Holliday-Quinn said they need to meet them where they are — “not where leadership would prefer them to be.”
James Uffindell, the CEO and founder of Bright Network, added: “Trust and a structured approach to flexibility are key to making the most of Gen Z talent. Clear communication of workplace expectations and opportunities for skill development are essential to unlocking Gen Z’s full potential.”
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