WSU report shows changing needs among Northwest employees

In addition to navigating labor shortages, Northwest businesses are trying to identify the value of remote working and appease its young employees.

This is according to a survey of nearly 1,000 business leaders and employees in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The survey was commissioned by the Washington State University Carson College of Business and is part of the college’s fifth annual Business in the Northwest report.

It included a survey of Generation Z employees, who are defined as individuals ages 18-25 who have at least one year of part-time or full-time work experience.

Though the majority of business leaders and employees feel it is safe to return to the workplace in person, 59% of employees think working a traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. office job is not realistic for them.

Two-thirds of Gen Z employees surveyed feel they are behind their co-workers because they entered the workforce during the pandemic and never had the traditional office experience. That said, 71% still said they work best in a flexible work environment.

WSU Carson College of Business Dean Chip Hunter said remote work during the pandemic has led people to reconsider how much time they want to spend at the office and if they enjoy their jobs.

In addition to feeling like the pandemic has hindered their growth, 60% of Gen Z workers feel less passionate about their industry and many are rethinking their career path.

Hunter said each business has to ask itself if it can accomplish its tasks through remote work and if there is anything that is lost when employees stay home. Collaboration, relationships with coworkers and training may be aspects that suffer when people work from home, he said.

Still, many people want to work remotely, and some are still concerned working in the office may jeopardize their health.

“As a manager, you’re really struggling with that tension,” Hunter said.

Most employees want to work for companies that value their wellbeing and 80% of Gen Z employees want to work for companies whose values align with their own. For example, eight out of 10 young employees believe diversity, equity and inclusion is a “must have” in the workplace.

Approximately 70% of Gen Z and millennial employees want to work for a company that has clear mental health offerings for its employees. For example, Hunter said this could include allowing employees to take mental health days as part of their sick leave.

The pandemic continues to present labor challenges — 69% of business leaders say they want to create more job opportunities at their company, but are not confident there are enough qualified applicants to fill them.

Hunter said the hospitality industry in particular was significantly affected by the labor shortage. This is largely because of the lack of remote work opportunities.

Despite these challenges, the majority of business leaders and employees said they are optimistic about job opportunities in the Northwest. Hunter said this optimism is what stood out to him when he saw the results of the survey.

“There’s always a sense of, ‘We can figure this out, we’re confident in the economy of the Northwest,’ ” he said.

The full report can be found at business.wsu.edu/bnw-2022.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.