The app generation wants to work in an office

A new report by business communications provider Fuze challenges everything we think we know about the office of the future.

While there’s been much talk about mobile and flexible working, and how the office is essentially dead, Fuze’s research states the exact contrary -- office will remain strong, if not stronger than before.

This conclusion is based on a survey of 2,500 teenagers, aged 15 – 18, about what they consider essential for their future jobs. Surprisingly, having an office space where they can meet and collaborate with other people is very important.

More than two thirds (69 percent) said it was very important to personally meet people you work with. Just slightly less (67 percent) said they wanted to work as part of a team. Desktop computers and landlines, however, will have to go.

But besides challenging what we know about business, it also challenges what we know about teenagers, as well. As it turns out, smartphones are not the number one way they communicate with their friends. Face-to-face is still the number one preference (34 percent), followed by chat messaging tools (17 percent) and social media (11 percent).

Sharon Francis, head of Office Experiences at Fuze, comments: "The App Generation wants flexibility in how and when they work, but they also place significant importance on face-to-face interaction. Office spaces need to become inspiring environments that promote a sense of community and adapt to the many ways employees want to work, whether they are emailing, taking calls, brainstorming or collaborating on a project".

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