After years of remote work, Gen Z is beginning to find office culture appealing.
From posting “Get Ready With Me” videos showing off their #OfficeSiren and #CorpCore looks to boasting about free snacks, Gen Z can’t wait to go to the office.
“I was super excited. I came from retail so it was fun to go into the office,” Julia Quag, 23, told PopSugar.
And Quag wasn’t alone.
One of the things Gen Z loves most about working in person is dressing up. Getty Images
According to a report from professional services firm Theramount, only about 11% of Gen Z workers want to work fully remotely, compared to 34% of non-Gen Z workers.
The California native regularly posted videos of herself getting ready, but she got the most love from her fellow Gen Zers when she started showing off more tailored office looks that aren’t necessarily appropriate for most office environments.
Quag also loved decorating his desk and creating a more regular itinerary.
“It was nice to have the same schedule every day and have holidays and weekends. It was like going back to school again,” she said.
These may seem like small things, but experts point out that it’s standard behavior for young people entering the workforce or starting out.
“Starting a new experience should always come with some excitement, some nerves, some joy, and maybe even a little fear. If young people want to get excited and romanticize office life a little bit, I think they should be allowed to do so,” Nadia Ibrahim Tani, a career coach and assistant professor at Siniscinati University, told PopSugar.
Experts also noted that some members of Gen Z may be more eager to return to working in an office than previous generations, as they spent the first few years of their careers isolated at home.
They’re also less likely to have children to look after and less likely to have adequate space for a home office.
Digital natives are accustomed to romanticizing every aspect of their lives, especially on social media, from going for a walk (#HotGirlWalk) to having a snack for dinner (#GirlDinner).
Gen Z is also attracted to the potential for greater learning experiences and new coworkers that come with working in an in-person office.
“These social touchpoints are more important than ever to young people,” Ella Halstead, senior analyst at market research firm Canvas8, told Fortune.
But like any new situation, once the initial glamour of office life wears off and the honeymoon phase is over, Gen Z will likely dwindle and settle into a 9-to-5 routine.
These may seem like small things, but experts say this is standard behavior for young people entering the workforce. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Quag has already quit his office job to become a full-time content creator and sell the glasses he used to wear with his office attire.
The strict new dress code proved to be a tipping point for Gen Z.
“They changed it so that we had to wear black blazers and trousers at all times. I said, ‘I don’t want to work here if I have to wear a uniform like that,'” she said.
