Forcing anything in the workplace, let alone communication, is rarely productive. We need to privilege solutions that accommodate Gen Z’s initial reticence. Rather than develop spaces for forced interactions, we suggest designs that allow for privacy and facilitate less invasive forms of communication. Workstations with low panels allow the Gen Zer to feel safe within his or her space, while simultaneously providing opportunities to make eye contact with fellow workers and managers. They encourage a basic level of communication that can evolve as the employee becomes more comfortable. Similarly, replacing walls with glass panels whenever possible – from private offices to conference rooms – fosters an environment that values both transparency and privacy. The glass walls enable subtle communication and convey a sense of inclusivity.
For Gen Z, “Enhanced Communication” Won’t Cut It
As the fastest-growing generation, Generation Z, loosely defined as those born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s, has become a hot topic in conversations surrounding workplace design. Concerns abound over their reliance on technology and the way post-9/11 culture has influenced their perceptions. Social researchers, marketers, and academics are all looking to find answers to the questions of how to attract, retain, and integrate this talent into an evolving, multi-generational workforce.
Research shows that a Gen Z workplace needs to prioritize technology, promote stability, and increase efficiencies. The fact is, the subtleties in Gen Z’s needs will result in a substantially different office environment. One need look no further than communication, a core concern among managers due to Gen Z's unique exposure to technology.
As a generation with new communication requirements, Gen Z is forcing designers and corporations to re-examine communication's role in the modern office and how it will shape the workplace of the future.
Favoring communication as the key design goal for a Gen Z-friendly workplace makes sense, given their unique struggle with the forms of communication driving business performance – including in-person social contact – and the impact that a four- or five-generation office will have on business operations. Since each generation is communicating in a different way, depending on their exposure to and facility with new technologies, the communication gap between each continues to widen. The more generations in a single company, the more opportunities there are to lose critical knowledge, specifically that which is classified as tacit and best learned through direct interaction. Our goal is to deliver design interventions that can best support corporations as they welcome the newest generation.