Creating Gen Z-friendly workspaces

A new generation is entering the workforce: Generation Z. This happens every 15(-ish) years, but this time is a little different. Every time a new generation enters the workforce, they bring with them new skills, values, and expectations. Born between 1997–2012, the older Gen Zers started their careers during the pandemic. This means that they have never experienced the pre-pandemic office and their expectations of what the office’s role should be and how it should look are significantly different from workers who have experienced pre-pandemic offices and work norms. 

As boomers are leaving the labor market, Gen Zers are entering and corporate offices need to adapt to the change if they want to attract the youngest generation in the workforce now and in the future.

Gen Z wants…

Like any other generation, Gen Z is shaped by the events that have defined their time. For Generation Z, this is COVID-19, lockdowns, and remote work. With this in mind, it is no surprise that 75% of Gen Zers prefer hybrid or remote work. However, they also value office life, socialization, collaboration, and a great company culture that offers opportunities for professional growth. Many of these values are Millennial preferences, but for Gen Zers they have become expectations - and unlike Millennials, Gen Zers are ready to walk away from employers if their needs are not met.

…flexibility

Almost 75% of Gen Zers rank workplace flexibility as the top employee benefit. They see flexible work as an important strategy to enable better work/life balance, which is their top priority when choosing a job. 

For Gen Z, flexibility means freedom to work wherever they want, flexible schedules, and the ability to shape their jobs to fit their daily lives. While flexible schedules may not be widely adopted yet, most organizations have embraced hybrid work. 

However, hybrid work has made many organizations switch from the traditional dedicated desk environment to a shared desk environment to avoid spending money on unused office space. This makes it difficult for office workers to find an available desk or see who is in the office.

Gen Z thrive in open office environments and they value the opportunities for socialization and collaboration they bring. However, they want full visibility of who is in the office and where their colleagues are (with options for privacy, of course), so they can search for their work ‘besties’ and book a desk next to them. 

Organizations need to integrate technology that can visualize this data to accommodate Gen Z expectations. That said, this also benefits businesses as it increases productivity and collaboration when employees do not waste time searching for available desks, meeting rooms, or colleagues.

…cutting-edge technology that enhances the workplace experience

Not surprisingly, Gen Z expects la crème de la crème when it comes to technology. According to a research study from Dell, 80% of Gen Zers aspire to work with cutting-edge technology, because they likely have been since grade school. And when it comes to choosing employment, 91% say technology would influence their choice among similar job offers. 

Gen Z does not want to switch between multiple workplace applications to find and book an available meeting room that matches their needs. They want an all-in-one solution that provides them with a seamless experience. Therefore, you must have a solution that integrates with all of the third-party systems you are already using.

The dynamic mapping platform, MapsIndoors, integrates with any third-party data system to create this seamless experience. With MapsIndoors you get a 2D or 3D map of your spaces that can visualize IoT and sensor data in real-time and enables users to book shared resources directly through the map whether they are using their phone, computer, or a kiosk. MapsIndoors also visualizes assets’ and people's locations and makes it easy for everyone to get from point A to point B even in unfamiliar locations thanks to indoor and outdoor navigation.

…Climate action

The vast majority (90%) of Gen Zers are making an effort to reduce their impact on the environment, but only 15% of them think large organizations are taking substantive actions to combat climate change. However, studies show that fighting climate change improves employee loyalty.

48% of Gen Zers say they are putting pressure on their employers to take action. They want their employers to commit to “achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions within the next decade,” which can benefit organizations financially too.

Indoor mapping and smart building technology enable organizations to monitor, control and optimize energy usage, reducing costs. By replacing old equipment with low-emission equipment, organizations can cut costs further and reduce their carbon footprint while meeting employee expectations.

…a remarkable company culture and a great work environment

Finally, Gen Zers want to work for companies with a remarkable company culture that offers opportunities for professional development and a great work environment.

Hybrid work and shared desk environments can help you release unused office space that can be used for collaboration areas, focus areas, or maybe recreation areas for relaxing or for competing in foosball and table tennis. With an indoor map of your building, employees always have a clear overview of your spaces and their uses - even if this changes regularly.

If you want to know more about how you use indoor mapping to adapt to the needs and expectations of the Gen Z workforce, reach out to us to book a quick chat.