American 20- and 30-somethings are discovering a darker side of remote work, and it isn’t pretty.
New data shows that early-career, work-at-home employees get less training, fewer mentors, and much lower promotion prospects.
Now, they’re quietly going back to the office to save their careers, along with their older peers, with 42% of employees returning in the last year, even if it means "showing up just for visibility," a newBamboo HR study notes. Another 58% of employees who returned to the office report stronger professional networks, while 81% of in-office…
American 20- and 30-somethings are discovering a darker side of remote work, and it isn’t pretty.
New data shows that early-career, work-at-home employees get less training, fewer mentors, and much lower promotion prospects.
Now, they’re quietly going back to the office to save their careers, along with their older peers, with 42% of employees returning in the last year, even if it means "showing up just for visibility," a newBamboo HR study notes. Another 58% of employees who returned to the office report stronger professional networks, while 81% of in-office workers value the networking and visibility opportunities with leadership, Bamboo finds.
Early-career workers ‘have more to prove’
Employers seemingly have workers over a barrel, a scenario where career professionals increasingly see the phrase seeing is believing directly applying to their jobs.
"In my experience, the shift away from remote work among younger workers is real and surprisingly strong," said Ben Lamarche, general manager at Lock Search Group, a Toronto-based talent recruitment firm.
Over the last two years, Lamarche said he’s seen more Millennial and Gen Z candidates say they won’t apply for fully remote roles. "When I press them, I tend to hear the same thing: a lack of passion and excitement," he noted. "Working from home makes almost any job feel rote and disconnected. You don’t feel part of anything, and you rarely see how your efforts fit into a larger picture."
Younger workers, in particular, feel this vibe the most because they’re still building their careers. "They have more to prove, and they want the opportunity to do it in an environment that pushes them, supports them, and includes them," Lamarche said.
Anxiety over missing out is also fueling the drive back to the office.
“There’s a fear of being passed over,” said Rachel Shaw, an HR executive and founder at Rachel Shaw, Inc., a boutique human resource consultancy. “If younger workers have older managers who still value face-to-face and in-person collaboration, regardless of whether that can be effectively done remotely or not, they may be concerned about missing out on opportunities.”
How to pivot from remote to the office
The process for a remote worker seeking to switch to on-site work should be as simple as reaching out to HR and asking how to make the switch. Still, a little due diligence can go a long way.
These three strategies should make the workplace switch easier.
1. Get the geography straight
If you want to start working on-site, then job one is learning about where your company may have co-working spaces or offices nearby.
“Even if an employee goes into the office, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll work alongside their manager in today’s workplace,” said Zach Wright, founder and CEO at the virtual office services company Grapevine Software. “If their manager is in California and they live in Boston, being in the office most likely won’t correlate to promotions or growth.”
2. Leverage in-house support
Reaching out to HR or discussing the transition with managers can expedite the transition.
“Those conversations are important to clarify what returning to the office will actually look like,” Shaw said.
If you’re a remote worker seeking to work onsite and aren’t sure where your first step lies, opt for your team leader first, who knows you and the company’s workplace options.
“Discuss the shift with a direct supervisor, especially where the supervisor might work remotely,” said Nance Schick, employment attorney at Third Ear Conflict Resolution, a workplace conflict resolution firm. “It’s better to approach a direct supervisor with clarity about the request and an intent to discuss how it will benefit both employer and employee.”
3. Make your case
Once you’ve landed on the best plan to return to onsite work, start doing your homework.
“To make the strongest case for moving from remote to in-office, focus on your future increased impact,” said Sam DeMase, a career expert at New York-based ZipRecruiter. “Identify and propose three ways you will drive better business results by working in the office. This adds fuel to your request."
Factor in your employer’s views and preferences on remote work
While some companies view remote-versus-onsite work through a different lens, experts say most businesses want to see workers in the flesh.
"The C-Suite is driving return-to-office mandates,” DeMase noted. “Their reasoning comes down to finances, brand perception, and corporate tradition. Investor pressure and the natural attrition that happens when you mandate in-office work are also big financial motivators.”
Companies also must put some skin in the game to get employers in the right geographic spot.
“Many staffers don’t leave for remote work; they leave for a better company culture, even if in-person work is required,” Shaw said. “Consequently, the C-Suite needs to spend some time and invest in building ‘fun’ back into the workplace to get people talking and collaborating on more than just meeting a deadline.”
That’s particularly the case for younger workers, who crave connections at work. “If they don’t get it at their current employer, they’re willing to leave and find it somewhere else,” Shaw said.