Nearly a quarter of young workers have only ever known remote work. This is how to create a culture of support

Employees entering the workforce for the first time may not know what kind of office life they’re missing out on due to the pandemic, but it doesn’t mean employers shouldn’t try and make up for the cultural loss.

Sixteen percent of companies worldwide are entirely remote, according to a survey conducted by software insights company Findstack, and that’s before factoring in the growing number of hybrid models. And for younger employees, it’s gearing up to be the only thing they know — one in five current Gen Z employees has only ever worked remotely, according to a survey conducted by employee invoice company Skynova.

Despite being known for adapting to change quickly, younger employees are going to be met with new, unique obstacles when navigating an entry into an entirely remote workforce, according to Nicholas Wyman, president of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation.

“Making sense of a whole new working life and culture was a challenge during the age of office work,” he says. “It’s an even greater challenge in our new normal of remote work settings.”

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But producing quality work likely won’t be a struggle for these employees — 77% of remote workers say they’re more productive when working from home — but rather, they may have a hard time connecting with their coworkers, their managers and their environment, according to the Findstack survey. Twenty-two percent listed the ability to disconnect after work as the biggest challenge of remote work followed closely by loneliness (19%) and communication and collaboration (17%).

“Managers should try to check in personally on a daily basis with remote employees that are new to the workforce,” he says. “Be attentive and make them feel part of the company’s community, not as a one-off, but continuously. Consider mixing up your contact with emails, phone calls, video meetings, recorded videos, or reach-outs via online collaboration portals.”

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Building strong relationships is going to be harder for young employees in a virtual world, but not impossible — just as long as there’s a supportive c-suite prepared to make concessions wherever is needed, whether that means being more explicit in nurturing soft skills in your new staff or considering a reward and recognition program for remote workers who demonstrate self-direction and creativity.

“If a new staffer begins work for you remotely and after a while, you meet with them in-person, there may be some awkwardness,” Wyman says. “Mention that as a way of putting your worker at ease about any discomfort they may be feeling — encourage questions and, as teachers say, celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities.”