Written by:
Christine Christodoulou
Why young workers should be prioritised in the post-pandemic workplace
It’s fair to say that adapting to working from home full time during the pandemic hasn’t been easy for any of us. But for young, entry-level employees – who are new to the world of work – it has been particularly difficult.
Research from Advanced unsurprisingly reveals that 18 to 24-year-olds have been feeling isolated, overworked and underappreciated at work during the pandemic.
With many young workers living in a house or flat with multiple occupancy, one in four of the respondents found themselves stuck working in their bedroom – a situation that is far from ideal.
Managers have been slow to pick up on young workers’ feelings of isolation and provide the levels of support required. Only 37% of the young workers surveyed say their manager has introduced regular check-ins since working remotely over the last 12 months.
In fact, managers have in many cases only served to make matters worse. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents said they have been expected to perform urgent tasks outside of their normal working hours, for free.
Understanding young workers’ struggles
Explaining why it’s been so difficult for young workers to separate work from personal life, Alex Arundale, Chief People Officer at Advanced, said: “Many young people may struggle with putting together the basics they need to work from home, such as an adequately-sized desk, or even just sufficient peace and quiet from noisy flatmates or other family members.”
He added that, as workers return to the office, managers need to prioritise their younger employees who may have had no in-person onboarding or training as yet, especially if they joined during lockdown.
Unsurprisingly, 44% of those questioned said they’re really looking forward to returning to the workplace, with greater social interaction the main draw. But even though working from home throughout lockdown hasn’t been ideal, just over 50% said they want to spend half of their time in the office and half at home moving forwards.
At Revoco, we’ve introduced flexible working hours, remote working and early finishing on Fridays for everyone, but we pay special attention to our younger staff and trainees. They enjoy one-on-one mentoring with the founders of the business and regular training sessions to help feel settled in their role and be successful.
