What does the next generation look for in the workplace?

ResearchESG

17 June

Ahead of our 2025 Future of Work insights, coming soon, we are sharing five key findings from last year’s 2024 workshop and invite you to share your own thoughts in the comments below.

Partnering with University of NSW (UNSW), we paired aspiring Interior Architecture students with young team members and graduates from a diverse cohort of our clients; some of Australia’s largest companies spanning the finance, construction, telecommunications, global tech and retail industries.

We asked, “What kind of environment would support you to do your best work?”

And better yet, “Do you see value in a physical workplace?”

We listened to and distilled these valuable responses in to five key insights.

Keep reading to find out more about each of them.

1. Adulting

For a young person, stepping in to a well designed workplace while dressing in a way to express their best self - and being seen doing it - serves to crystallise the metamorphosis into adulthood.

Last year, our DC x UNSW Future of Work Workshop revealed that the physical workplace is essential to how the next generation navigates adulthood.

Do you resonate with the idea that a physical workplace can reinforce a sense of ‘adulting’? Can it provide a platform for this transformation from student to professional, and even provide reassurance and belonging?

2. Cost of working

The ‘cost of working’ can “discourage young professionals from physically attending a workplace, hindering the connections and collaborations that hybrid models were designed to foster.”

Last year’s workshop revealed that while flexibility is a hallmark of the modern workplace, it can be a double-edged sword for young people grappling with the high cost of living.

Does the cost of travelling to your workplace, buying lunch in the CBD, or the appeal of air conditioning contribute to whether you attend your physical workplace? What we’re hearing is that a free coffee goes a long way!

3. Belonging

In an era that celebrates diversity, this generation expects more than a one-size-fits-all methodology

In our 2024 workshop, we uncovered how important it is to build inclusive environments that resonate with the next generation, creating spaces that aligns with their values and treats them as individuals.

Does your workplace offer a sense of belonging, and align with your values?

4. Leading in real life (IRL)

With the rise of hybrid working comes the allure of flexibility, but remote working can also cause isolation for younger employees.

During last year’s DC x UNSW Future of Work Workshop, we uncovered how important it is for leaders to be physically present in the workplace. Their presence can promote a sense of community, provide opportunities for informal mentoring, and reignites the collective drive to go to work and to refine and showcase skills.

Young professionals often rely on a feedback loop to gauge their performance and career trajectory, but working remotely can intensify feelings of unease; Am I doing a good job? Is my boss even noticing my contributions? This is where leading IRL (in real life, in person) is crucial.

5. Authenticity

“I don’t have a comparison, but it’s what I expect.”

Whe workshop also revealed that young team members are increasingly drawn to companies with a strong sense of purpose and values. With this, comes an expectation that the leadership, culture and the physical environment reflect these values.

Is authenticity important to you? Have you seen it modelled in culture and in the physical environment?