Gen Z is evenly split on its willingness to entertain the idea of physical offices being required, a new survey from Dell has uncovered.
According to the respondents, 29% of Gen Z considers remote or flexible options to be a top concern when job-searching, while a seperate 29% say they “see value in” or even prefer in-office positions.
But while the younger generation is open to either type of work environment, most of them agree on a different topic: The importance of cybersecurity.
Some Gen Zers Love Remote Work; Some Don't
Dell Technologies surveyed 15,105 people between the ages of 18 and 26. Participants were living in a total of 15 countries, so it's safe to say the results represent a broad swath of the generation. From the report:
“A flexible digital workspace enables workers to easily and securely access the applications and resources they need to do their jobs, no matter where they are or what device they are using. Gen Z perceives flexible and remote working as important considerations when choosing an employer (29%). However, 29% also see value in, or favor 9 am – 5 pm office-based roles.”
Granted, some amount of the 29% that approve of in-office work merely commit to “seeing value” in the concept, which is a fairly weak signal of approval.
But regardless of how the younger generation's thoughts on remote work shake out, we can safely say that the debate won't be fully put to rest. As with any generation, there's no single hive-mind opinion to point to as a yardstick for interpreting them.
But that doesn't mean Gen Z doesn't have some insight into the world's problems. The Dell study revealing a few big concerns they do share.
What Does Gen Z Agree On? Cybersecurity.
Less than half (43%) of large businesses see digital security as a core priority, even though 83% see it as a top threat. As a top US cybersecurity official put it this month, the “critical infrastructure that we rely upon is all underpinned by a technology ecosystem that unfortunately has become really unsafe.”
Gen Z has been paying attention. According to the Dell survey, a huge 56% agree that we need “robust legislations and investment in cybersecurity,” a big jump up from the 14% that say investments are at the right level currently.
Plus, 57% of Gen Z says they have “low or neutral confidence” in the healthcare industry's personal data storage compliance.
Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field and healthcare is a top target, so Gen Z is right to be wary. But the right tools can go a long way towards boosting safety and security, even if they'll never fully secure your data. Businesses can try adding password management tools, a business VPN, or remote access software to further increase the chances that they'll stay safe from a hack or a ransomware attack — even when working from home.
