Gen Z workers are craving more in-person interaction: survey

Gen Z workers often get flak for the remote working trend, but a survey has found that they want more in-person interaction.

Some 91% of Gen Z workers say it would be nice to have a balance between virtual and in-person opportunities to connect with others at their company and in their industry, according to a recent survey of 1,824 U.S. adults in white-collar jobs by Harris Poll on behalf of global events company Freeman.

The youngest generation at work feels that connecting with people in person is valuable. The survey found that 91% of Gen Z also agree that in-person events are some of the best ways to build social and interpersonal skills.

Most (89%) of Gen Z agree that relationships built during in-person events are critical to building professional confidence and 86% agree that attending in-person events is key to career development.

A desire to improve their communication skills is partly why Gen Z workers are so keen to attend more in-person events. Many young people studied virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic and started their first jobs working remotely, which stalled some of their soft skills, such as networking and navigating interpersonal dynamics.

Only around two in five Gen Zers surveyed expressed high confidence in networking with people in their industry or building strong business relationships.

Meanwhile, 82% of Gen Z say they want to feel more comfortable expressing themselves and being with others in person, while 79% say it’s their goal to be able to interact with people more “in the real world.”

And they’re blaming technology for their problems. Over two-thirds of Gen Z say tech has made them feel less connected and more isolated from others at their company and in their industry. Nearly 80% said companies focus more on tech to “connect to” people rather than fostering “in-person connections.”

Overall, Gen Zers want to see their company allocate more spending on events to help them build stronger business relationships.

Older generations have pinned the rise of remote work on Gen Z professionals, citing a lack of work ethic and discipline. British businessman Lord Alan Sugar, 77, recently said that young workers “just want to sit at home,” and that they need to come back to the office.

“It’s small things, like interaction with your more mature colleagues, that will tell you how to do this, how to do that,” Lord Sugar told the BBC. “That is lacking in this work-from-home, zoom culture.”

However, Freeman CEO Janet Dell told CNBC Make It via email that these sentiments have been proven untrue.

“This research completely upends that narrative. The data shows Gen Z isn’t driving a purely digital revolution — they’re actually advocating for a more thoughtful integration of digital and face-to-face interactions,” Dell said.

“They’re not looking to hide behind screens; they’re actively seeking opportunities to build interpersonal skills and meaningful professional relationships. This generation has a sophisticated understanding of when technology helps and when it hinders real connection,” Dell added.