In comparison, Denise felt close to colleagues in a previous internship, even though they only worked in the office once in a while. They would reach out often or organise meet-ups.
“Moving forward, when I do interviews, the number one question I’ll ask is ‘what’s the culture like?’ (and) see how companies answer that, like (whether they have) get-togethers,” she said.
“Even though it sounds so lame and cringe saying it out loud, it does matter. It affects the whole working experience.”
But it goes beyond team bonding activities.
Just as Gen Z’s demand for flexible work arrangements is rooted in a desire for trust, what they’re truly seeking is a chance to belong and for meaningful connection beyond the daily grind.
To keep up, companies should first “stop treating hybrid as a logistical solution, which is what we did during the pandemic”, Ms Thana Balasingam suggested.
“Gen Z values flexibility but not at the cost of connection. The problem is that many hybrid set-ups are technically flexible but emotionally disconnected,” she said.
“Start designing for human connection. Culture and career development won’t happen remotely. You have to engineer that.”
An organisation she worked with, for example, restructured hybrid days to “centre around connection”.
This led to cross-team coffee chats, executive Ask Me Anything sessions, reverse mentoring pairings – and better engagement among younger employees.
“I don’t know which generation asks for as much feedback as Gen Z. They want clarity, coaching, connection,” she added. “And if hybrid work environments fail to offer those, they’re going to opt out.”
And if they do, who would blame them?
If anything, perhaps the Gen Z career approach reflects how older attitudes towards work – which placed the job at the centre – can no longer hold.
You could be a social media manager, tech analyst, lawyer, banker, journalist and so on in possibly any company of your choice.
You might have ended up joining this one for the exciting job scope and competitive benefits.
But more often than not, you’ll stay for the people. Gen Z has simply figured that out early.
