Overall, workers are craving flexibility and working from home, according to a recent study from Future Forum, a consortium funded and created by San Francisco-based Slack.
READ MORE: The Big Disconnect Between Workers and Bosses and What it Means for Entrepreneurship
But new research from travel management company TravelPerk sheds light on a darker side of working from home. Younger generations are experiencing more imposter syndrome and burnout than older generations from working from their apartments and homes.
TravelPerk surveyed 1,000 U.S. workers and looked at Google search data. More than half of Generation Z, which the survey defines as people ages 16 to 24, is facing imposter syndrome — the feeling of doubt and that you are a fraud. That’s compared to 1 in 11 workers over the age of 55 who are facing the feeling, according to the survey.
What’s more, Google searches for “how to overcome imposter syndrome” are up 170% during the last year.
It makes sense that younger workers lack the confidence of their older counterparts — they are only just entering the workforce, and working from home creates more disconnections from colleagues and mentors, according to the report. About 60% of workers say the best way to learn a job is being around colleagues. Those who have been in the workforce longer have more stability in their roles.
Still, over half of workers said they’re concerned about a lack of team spirit or working relationships, according to the report. Even more say that the key to trust is human contact.
Some 51% of all workers, regardless of age, are concerned about burnout from back-to-back video calls every day.
The perks of working from home– getting laundry done between work, running errands during a lunch break or taking a midday shower — are also some of its downfalls. Workers say they struggle to find a balance between work and home when it’s occurring all in one place.
No matter how long employees work from home, it won’t replace the benefit of in-person meetings. Young workers are more likely to spend more time preparing for in-person meetings, according to the report. Plus, more than half say their industry needs in-person meetings to survive.
Over the last year, many have become experts at the setup, forming routines that create a healthy relationship between work and home despite the blurred lines. Seth Levine, the managing director of The Foundry Network, wrote about how to avoid the pitfalls of working from a dining room table or home office last year. Some of his tips (in his own words) include:
- Make occasional tweaks. Move things around in your WFH space and try something new each week. Over time you’ll discover little boosts from mixing things up.
- Build social interaction into your work routines. Carve out opportunities for spontaneity with banter time at the start of regular meetings.
- Try shorter meetings 25 and 50 minutes, instead of 30 and 60 minutes to force people to have breaks during the day.
READ MORE: Tips For Working from Home From The Foundry Network
This story and others on Times of E are made possible by a sponsorship from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private, nonpartisan foundation that provides access to opportunities that help people achieve financial stability, upward mobility, and economic prosperity – regardless of race, gender, or geography. The Kansas City, Mo.-based foundation uses its grantmaking, research, programs, and initiatives to support the start and growth of new businesses, a more prepared workforce, and stronger communities. For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect with www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn.
