The way we work has outgrown the nine-to-five full-time office model – today, flexibility and hybrid are the standard. While all generations are embracing this new approach, Frank Weishaupt, CEO, Owl Labs,  looks at the younger generation of workers, with an upbringing shaped by the hyper-digital, remote-first world, who are most accustomed to this ongoing change.

Different from the ‘hustle’ culture that previously defined the workplace, the challenge now rests on employers to adapt. They are now required to rethink how they structure a workplace to suit a workforce that expects flexibility, purpose, and digital-first ways of working. How can leaders learn from the tactics championed by Gen Z to improve working practices for all ages?

Reshaping culture with hybrid models

The hybrid model has gradually changed how we integrate work with the other elements of our life, encouraging employees to establish a balanced approach to their professional lives. With more time spent physically working outside of the office, organisational culture has changed. Working in a hybrid model reduces commuting time and expenses, and gives time back to family and hobbies.

This shift in culture cannot, however, be seen as an aversion to collaboration or working face-to-face with colleagues. Gen Z, in particular, value social interactions at work and seek meaningful office engagements. For example, 43% of Gen Z prefer to attend the office three times a week compared to 34% of millennials and 35% of Gen X, according to Owl Labs’ State of Hybrid Work Report. This highlights the power of the hybrid model; employees often see the office as a space for collaboration and connection, saving work from home days for deep focus work. workers champion this attitude, but equally enjoyed by many older workers, and delivers great benefits for organisations and employees alike.

Hybrid work builds a more productive workforce

Evidently, Gen Z are approaching work in a new way, establishing new standards for how a flexible work environment should look, one where employee wellbeing is a priority. Leaders can consider offering benefit packages that reflect this, such as providing access to wellness funds for company-sponsored therapy, ‘work from anywhere’ liberties, and so on. Embracing this change in employee expectation in a top-down manner is important if management is to leverage the strengths of the incoming workforce. By offering a flexible, hybrid environment, many organisations are seeing gains when it comes to productivity and employee happiness. Indeed, almost half (48%) of UK businesses noted increased productivity among their workforce when implementing a hybrid policy, which will in turn deliver better outcomes for businesses and the economy at large. When this approach is fostered among all age demographics, not just the workforce’s youngest, organisations can truly see the rewards of hybrid policies.

Embracing the technologically savvy and empowering workers

Despite progress on flexibility, some leaders still question whether hybrid work reduces productivity. Indeed, current return-to-office (RTO) mandates occurring across many larger enterprises depict that the new era of work is yet to be fully embraced. ‘Masking’ tactics, including “clock blocking” (blocking out time in your calendar to protect it from meetings) are used by almost two thirds (63%) of UK workers, depicting a strong preference to retain control in managing their schedules, and establishing this flexibility and autonomy at work.

Autonomy becomes the cornerstone of hybrid work, empowering employees to work with more independence and self management, with less oversight from management. By embracing a new approach to work, companies have an opportunity to offer all generations a more balanced and sustainable way of working, backed by the many technologies available to aid productivity, organisation and collaboration. While Gen Z may be leading the charge here, they are far from the only generation calling for hybrid work. The solution rests in giving more agency to workers, advocating for a culture that embraces change and digital solutions which aid organisation, collaboration and productivity in the digital work era.

Frank Weishaupt, CEO, Owl Labs