The post-pandemic office for Generation Z

Born between 1996 and 2012, Generation Z (or Gen Z) has been referred to as the true digital or mobile natives. According to a 2021 report by PwC Vietnam, this group is expected to take up about a third of the total Vietnamese workforce and have considerable influence on the national labour market.

One way to identify this demographic cohort is that they prefer working and communicating digitally, have a strong desire to lead and collaborate, and highly value teamwork spirit. According to RMIT Vietnam Lecturer of Human Resource Management Dr Luong Thanh Thao, it is thanks to these characteristics that Vietnamese Gen Z-ers have gained a greater advantage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They have adapted incredibly well to teleworking, which offers them more flexibility and convenience at work,” Dr Thao said.

Nevertheless, post-pandemic reports have shown that this unique group of employees have also experienced isolation, loneliness, and weakened interpersonal skills as a result of extensive hours of remote working. The autonomy and flextime offered in the work-from-home period is no longer as attractive to them.

"Gen Z-ers need their post-pandemic office space to be strategically rethought. Specifically, an office atmosphere that can balance between privacy and in-person connections, as well as value employee wellbeing, has been found by researchers to play a critical role in attracting Gen Z job seekers,” Dr Thao commented.

The RMIT lecturer believes a proactive hybrid work strategy in the post-pandemic era will enable Gen Z employees to feel more connected to their colleagues and organisation while being able to maintain the privacy they have been accustomed to at home. 

It should be noted that before the pandemic, the trend towards more ‘open environments’ had already given rise to ‘unassigned seating’ or ‘hot desking’ strategies to save more office space for group work and collaborative projects.

Ms Evelyn Kwek, Managing Director of Great Place to Work ASEAN/ANZ, recalls that there has been a lot of debate on the topic of ‘open office’ in recent years.

“When this trend was first introduced globally, it was very much welcomed as companies saw that the removal of walls and dividers facilitated collaboration, open communication and a sense of community amongst team members,” she said.

“However, in recent years, there has been research to suggest such seating arrangements do not necessarily facilitate collaboration, and that in fact, productivity will be impacted as the open environment is not conducive for deep focused work.

“Some companies, especially post-pandemic, have now reworked the office space to include open seating arrangements, small booths for personal focused work and meeting rooms for team discussions, Ms Kwek highlighted. 

Employers also need to pay more attention to ensuring that the office design can make employees feel as safe and comfortable as the work-from-home experience during the pandemic, according to Dr Jung Woo Han, Senior Program Manager for Human Resource Management and Entrepreneurship at RMIT Vietnam.

This is also what most recent studies on the Vietnamese Gen Z-ers’ ideal workplace claim. This group of young workers particularly need health and wellness to be built into their post-pandemic office space.

Citing a recent book co-authored by Stanford University researcher Roberta Katz and a recent survey by Deloitte, Dr Han highlighted that “Gen Z is pragmatic toward work-related issues and cares more about social and ethical issues compared to the previous generations”.

Dr Han believes that Gen Z suffers from high levels of anxiety and stress that might have contributed to the Great Resignation. Thus, “the first step to boost the wellbeing of Gen Z might be shaping non-hierarchical culture and open communication that reduce tension within the organisation”, he said.

Similarly, Ms Thao Pham, Head of Talent Management, Learning & Organisation Development at VNG Corporation, suggests that a flat and lean organisational structure that enables connection, collaboration and learning across the team and across levels is also a key factor in attracting Gen Z employees.

According to Ms Thao, Gen Z workers value a work environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and innovation. They are also known for prioritising work-life balance and personal growth. Therefore, “besides open offices and hybrid working, the working space could also incorporate tools and technology to support their work and facilitate communication, collaboration, and productivity”, she added.

In the post-pandemic time, providing Gen Z employees a workplace that keep them physically and mentally healthy need to become every employer’s strategic priority, given that the future of the thriving Vietnamese labour market will be tremendously influenced by these young, creative, and enthusiastic employees.

Story: Dr Thao Luong and Ngoc Hoang