There’s a persistent myth about Gen Z, The generation raised on social media and smartphones, that they would be the biggest champions of fully remote work. They’re digital natives, after all. Surely, they’d be the loudest advocates for never setting foot in an office again?
New data says otherwise. And for anyone paying attention to the future of the office market, it’s one of the most important trends to understand right now.
The numbers don’t lie
A Gallup generational study found that 71% of Gen Z employees prefer a hybrid work environment, making them the generation most likely to want a blend of in-office and remote work, more so than Millennials, Gen X, or Baby Boomers. At the same time, only 23% of remote-capable Gen Z workers say they’d prefer to work fully remotely, compared to 35% of older generations. In other words: Gen Z is the least likely generation to want an entirely remote working life.
A separate Harris Poll and Freeman survey of 1,824 white-collar workers reinforced this, finding that 91% of respondents wanted a balance of remote and in-person work, primarily to connect with colleagues and build the relationships they simply can’t form over a screen.
Why the office still matters to them
To understand why, consider what Gen Z is actually looking for at work. Unlike older generations who built their professional networks, mentors, and social circles before remote work became mainstream, Gen Z entered the workforce during or just after a period of widespread remote work adoption. Many started their careers in home offices, spare bedrooms, or at kitchen tables, with Slack messages replacing corridor conversations.
The result? A generation acutely aware of what remote work can’t provide: serendipitous encounters, organic mentorship, face-to-face collaboration, and the social fabric that comes from being part of a team. Socialising, networking, and mentorship consistently score as the primary motivators for Gen Z preferring in-person or hybrid work. When it comes to establishing yourself in a career, being seen, being mentored, and being physically present still matter enormously.
What this means for office space
For landlords, flexible workspace operators, and businesses making decisions about their real estate footprint, this trend carries meaningful implications.
For years, the prevailing assumption was that younger workers would shrink demand for office space as remote-first became a default. That assumption is now being challenged by the very generation it was based on. If Gen Z, who will make up an ever-increasing share of the workforce over the next decade, actively wants access to a physical workspace for collaboration, mentorship, and human connection, demand for well-designed, flexible office and coworking spaces is not going away.
This is particularly good news for the coworking sector. Flexible workspace offers exactly what Gen Z appears to want: an inspiring environment that is professional enough for focused work, social enough for collaboration, and accessible without the rigidity of a traditional nine-to-five in a single fixed location.
A new kind of workplace expectation
There is an important nuance, however. Gen Z doesn’t want just any office. They are not clamouring for grey cubicles and fluorescent lighting. What they’re seeking is a workspace that actively supports the kind of human interaction that advances careers and enriches working life, with the flexibility to work remotely when deep focus is needed.
Employers who design their office strategies around this reality are well-positioned to attract and retain younger talent. Those who continue to treat the office as an obligation rather than an asset will find it increasingly difficult to compete for the next generation.
The bigger picture
The generational shift in work preferences is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. The newest generation entering the workforce values in-person connection for fundamentally different reasons than their older colleagues. Reasons deeply tied to career development, social wellbeing, and the kind of informal learning that only happens face-to-face.
For the office market, this isn’t just reassuring news, it is a directional signal. The future of the office isn’t about forcing people back. It’s about building spaces that offer something remote work genuinely cannot. If the data is to be believed, Gen Z already knows exactly what that something is. The challenge and the opportunity for the office market is to deliver it.
