Gen Z finishing school

out that shorts and flip-flops are not appropriate for the office, irrespective of how hot it is.

The Wall Street Journal recently did an investigation and discovered that many universities, recruiters and companies are training new hires on developing the interpersonal skills that allow them to interact harmoniously with others in the workplace. KPMG, one of the world’s biggest accounting firms, is requiring new hires to attend the firm’s training facility in Florida, where they will practice interacting in person, in a variety of scenarios.

So, how does this sit with the trend towards flexible working? Is it a generational blip that will flow through and disappear? Or have we created a continuum of the lockdown era, as universities lean towards online classes and heavily reduced in-person time. When the Gen Z recruits start work, with days full of video calls and no opportunities to socialise with colleagues, it simply does not help them develop.

The maintenance of a company culture depends on colleagues being able to quickly connect and interact together. At the moment it feels like the older team members are leading that interaction, and so we do need to look towards schools and universities to help develop this skillset in the next generation. Business also needs to recognise the need to nurture new recruits, whilst allowing the freedom of hybrid working and to remember the value of routine face time.