Story at a glance
- The rise of remote work means many young Americans are joining the workforce without entering a physical office.
- Researchers are wondering if entering the workforce remotely will hurt those beginning their careers.
- While Gen Z is especially equipped for remote work, it may make it harder to former the kinds of connections that prove invaluable in a first job.
After the pandemic led to a nationwide surge in remote work, many young Americans are now entering the workforce without going into an office.
While work-from-home has given many employees welcomed flexibility, researchers are raising questions about whether it will hurt those beginning their careers.
Workplace experts told The Hill that by entering the workforce remotely, early-career Americans may find it harder to form the relationships they need to thrive.
Amy Glaser, senior vice president of staffing company Adecco, said that younger workers, especially Gen Zers, are uniquely equipped to enter the workplace remotely because they “grew up” online.
“Through their technology experiences, many have the ability to self-service and resolve issues that other generations may struggle with while working remotely,” Glaser said.
And many Gen Zers, she added, have thrived in their first work experiences, be that a job or internship, precisely because they worked from home.
But working in-person often helps entry-level employees learn from experienced workers and pick up company culture more quickly than working remotely, Glaser added.
“Employers can support remote entry-level talent through mentoring programs and onboarding processes that help them learn new skills and align with the company’s culture,” she said.
Mentorship is something that Gen Z staffers are hungry for. One 2023 survey from Adobe found that 83 percent of Gen Z workers think a workplace mentor is crucial for their career, but only about half have such a mentor.
Early-career workers may find it harder to form the types of connections with bosses or coworkers that help with creativity, learning and eventually career advancement, according to Richard Smith, a professor of practice at the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business.
A 2023 study from Alliance Virtual Offices found that remote workers were 38 percent less likely to receive bonuses but worked nearly twice as many overtime hours as their in-person colleagues.
Persephone Hall, the executive director of the Hale Center for Career Development at Connecticut College, said that while she’s generally a supporter of remote work, she worries about young Americans entering the workforce remotely in industries that are relationship-based either with clients or coworkers.
“It’s a little different to build relationships virtually,” Hall said. “I don’t know if young professionals have the professional savvy to do that effectively.”
She added, however, that she has been “surprised” at how effective remote work has been for early career professionals.
Many of the college students she works with were happy with their remote entrances into the working world through internships or first jobs. The situation allowed students to ask questions via email instead of meeting in person, making it easier to process their learning.
“I think it gave many a sense of comfort that they could progress at the pace that worked for them,” she said.
“As long as students can figure out or those young professionals can figure out how to get the answers they need when they need to stay on top of things, I think they do well,” Hall said about remote work.
Ultimately, whether a remote job hinders or helps someone starting their career depends on the individual and the workplace.
Lauren Turner, a marketing coordinator at digital estate planning site Trust & Will, says she has thrived in her remote position because of her supportive coworkers.
The job is her first corporate position out of college and is completely remote. Turner credits her manager, who she says has been a mentor and cheerleader, for helping rid her fears about starting in the industry.
Something that Trust & Will has done to help foster connections among remote workers is host in-person events throughout the year, Turner said.
“Meeting the people you work with every day for the first time in person is a weird and surreal experience,” she said. “But it fosters a better work culture and is crucial to building relationships.”
Hall said that there are small ways young workers can help overcome the barriers of relationship-building that remote work sometimes poses, including making sure they come across as engaged in the work, such as turning the camera on during Zoom meetings or answering emails in a way that lifts up someone else's work.
“Taking the moment to say ‘I see what you're doing well, I value it and it’s helping me learn’... to me that’s developing that reciprocal relationship in a workplace that sometimes comes more easily when you are sitting around a table,” Hall said.
Employees love remote work. But for young workers, it poses risks
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27.02.2024
Story at a glance
- The rise of remote work means many young Americans are joining the workforce without entering a physical office.
- Researchers are wondering if entering the workforce remotely will hurt those beginning their careers.
- While Gen Z is especially equipped for remote work, it may make it harder to former the kinds of connections that prove invaluable in a first job.
After the pandemic led to a nationwide surge in remote work, many young Americans are now entering the workforce without going into an office.
While work-from-home has given many employees welcomed flexibility, researchers are raising questions about whether it will hurt those beginning their careers.
Workplace experts told The Hill that by entering the workforce remotely, early-career Americans may find it harder to form the relationships they need to thrive.
Amy Glaser, senior vice president of staffing company Adecco, said that younger workers, especially Gen Zers, are uniquely equipped to enter the workplace remotely because they “grew up” online.
“Through their technology experiences, many have the ability to self-service and resolve issues that other generations may struggle with while........
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