Fatigued by everything virtual, the youngest generation at work are now leaning into in-person networking events to find their tribe.
A large number of Generation Z — born between 1997 and 2012 — entered the workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic and were forced to tune in remotely. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy even declared a loneliness epidemic in the U.S. in 2023, saying it was especially affecting young people.
Some Gen Z workers are even returning to the office in a bid to expand their network. One recent Freeman survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. adults in professional jobs found that 91% of Gen Z said it would be nice to have a balance of virtual and in-person events to connect with others at their company and in their industry.
“In general, young people seek the social atmosphere because many of them just graduated college or are a few years out and are looking for similar social conveniences,” Dan Schawbel, managing partner at Workplace Intelligence, explained.
Some employers are catching on and trying to fill this gap. Canary Wharf, London’s privately owned financial district, which houses companies like JPMorgan, Barclays, and Morgan Stanley, launched the Wharf Connect networking program in 2024 for professionals in the first 10 years of their career.
