The truth about remote work: Why Gen Z needs to work from the office

I want to work in your office; not from my home.

I want to understand the company I am working for, and be proud of the team I work with, I can’t do this from my bedroom. I need you to see me when I’m doing a good job.

I need to see what good leadership looks like. I need to see what bad leadership looks like.

I need to experience when I’m working under poor leadership or what it’s like if my manager throws out a thoughtless one liner to me. I’d like to feel that feeling so I will know how to lead when it’s my turn.

I want to see people working together; there are important team intricacies I need to learn as an adult.

I want to work in an office because I will need to learn more about interpersonal relationships outside of my friendship groups. I know what I learn in the workplace in my 20’s and 30’s will help shape my life. If I can be exposed to different ages and cultures now, my life will be richer for it. I don’t want to be robbed of lifelong friendships I will make there.

I need to practice having difficult conversations, so don’t ask me to work from home and work behind a screen.

I want to work from your office because when I’m working on a project I’m excited about, you will see me shine.

I want to work from your office so I can share my personal life with my colleagues and learn how it helps us bond, I want to laugh out loud every day because there’s someone really funny at work.

I want to learn to pick up signals when someone is distressed or needing my help and I want to learn what it feels like to help someone.

There is more to me than my completed projects or my work outcomes that you are counting.  I am more than that and I want you to see it.

I need you to see me start failing when I’m learning, and help me up before it’s too late to fix. I want to learn the soft skills that will ensure me a promotion; I can’t learn those from home.

I need the same opportunities you had to develop your humanity in the workplace, my parents aren’t the right people to coach me now; my colleagues and manager are.

I need to see and experience what it feels like to give and receive feedback. I need to know, it’s how I learn the fastest, and I need to understand it’s normal and it’s not going to kill me.

I need you to see all of me.

I’m special.