In Spain, the percentage of employed people who work more than half the days of the week from home went from 4.8% in 2019 to 10.8% after the pandemic, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
The way of working has changed a lot during the last two years, betting on hybrid models. In fact, 14% of employed Spaniards had this way of working (teleworking + face-to-face) in 2022.
Many companies have established remote work as a new work model and the arrival of generation Z, the first digital natives, to the world of work is consolidating this situation. 17% of working Spaniards are between 16 and 24 years old (data up to the third quarter of 2022) and, it is estimated that by 2030, they will represent 30% of the labor force*.
Those born between 1997 and 2012, also called centennials, have been educated around the Internet and electronic devices, conceiving the world in a different way, a fact that is transferred to their professional activity. Although many employees appreciate the flexibility of hybrid work -83.7% of employed Spaniards prefer teleworking according to the National Observatory for Technology and Society (ONTSI)-, the data shows that many companies are not yet optimizing digital tools to match the level of engagement achieved on-site.
Generation Z during meetings
Regarding his workday, the 95% of ‘Z workers’ feel bored at work, especially during trainings and online meetings, compared to 87% of employees in general, according to the results of the Workplace Culture Report 2022 prepared by Kahoot! in different American companies, focused on the experience of employees regarding their work and work environment.
This report reveals that the reason for disconnection of generation Z was the long duration of the meetings (51%) and their content (42%). In addition, 31% of workers in this age group consider that they are spoken to instead of being encouraged to participate actively, and 29% of them do not feel connected to anyone in online meetings, which points to the need for a more interactive, engaged and connected experience.
Boredom in virtual meetings led some employees to other tasks to pass the time. So much so that 11% of the youngest, millennials and generation Z, hold more than one meeting at a time.
Work involvement
59% of Gen Z believe that a small dose of friendly competition it would make you feel more involved during trainings or online meetings. Below, 51% affirm that the brainstorming with your peers of work would help them to be more present and committed. Lastly, 38% think that they would be enhanced by some Rich and interactive tools.
Despite the increase in the phenomenon of ‘silent resignation’ whereby workers reduce their efforts and commitment to the minimum possible, the survey carried out by Kahoot! reveals that 76% of workers want to go the extra mile for their company. In this sense, among the generations, Z (68%) is the most willing to give up a percentage of their salary, compared to boomers (32%), generation X (41%) and millennials (56%). that they would reject part of their salary for being more committed to work. However, he also revealed that a new phenomenon called ‘silent restraint’ may be emerging in the workplace.
All generations claim to have untapped knowledge, but this is clearer in Gen Z, as they 77% say they have knowledge that could help their co-workers, but have not yet sharedcompared to baby boomers (46%), Gen X (50%), and millennials (68%).
“The success of hybrid work models is encouraging news for the many companies that have opted for them permanently. But despite the general commitment and preference for hybrid, our survey shows that Gen Z workers demand a company culture that encourages knowledge sharing and provides attractive ways to do it.” declara James Micklethwait, vicepresidente de Kahoot! at Work.