The 20-somethings are getting cozier with their 9-to-5 jobs, leaning into TikTok trends like "corporate girlie" (or "girly") and boasting about the perks of heading into the office every day, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.
Free coffee, the opportunity to listen to podcasts at your desk, face-to-face interactions and even stopping by Starbucks or a fast-food establishment for a quick meal on the way to the office are just some of the benefits listed by some young TikTokers who relish what their desk jobs have to offer.
One worker cited in the piece is 22-year-old TikToker Alicia Winterboer, who posts about how happy she is with her routine at the office, alleviating some of the fear that work complaints from other TikTokers might fuel for the platform's audience.
A woman works at a desktop computer alongside an Apple Inc. laptop in a home office in this arranged photograph taken in Bern, Switzerland, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"It is OK to have that 9-to-5, and it is OK to have that routine," she said.
Others showcase the benefits their jobs bring as well, reiterating the idea that careers can be stable and enjoyable.
Many who have hopped on the "corporate girlie" trend use their platform to share inspiration for cute work outfits and show off the "aesthetic" of their work environment.
The trend of showing off your corporate job isn't exclusive to women, however.
Connor Hubbard, another influencer mentioned in the WSJ report, even reels in money from documenting his 9-to-5 life on TikTok.
Some TikTokers are showing off what their workplace can bring, including stability, free food and a sense of camaraderie. (iStock / iStock)
Perhaps the trend contradicts what companies – and the leaders sustaining them – have been led to believe about Gen Z employees.
Reports have swirled about America's youngest employable age group thanks to other social media trends like "quiet quitting," "quiet vacationing," "lazy girl jobs," "bare minimum Mondays" and "resenteeism" – which hinges on doing the bare minimum on the job due to burnout or feeling unappreciated.
Some numbers feed into the rumors about Gen Z.
A 2023 survey from ResumeBuilder, for instance, found that 49% of business leaders and managers identified the group as difficult to work with most or all the time and a majority agreed Gen Z workers lack effective communication skills, motivation, effort, and even technological skills in some instances.
This is 'the problem' with Gen Z work trends: Jean Twenge
'Generations' author and San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge explains how younger workers are reversing decades of teen employment decline.
Some speculate that communication breakdown is due, in part, to workplace changes during COVID-19, when people moved from office to home to get their work done.
Other numbers indicate positives that Gen Z can bring to the workplace, however.
According to Live Data Technologies, Gen Z workers are "staying at a company 18% longer than millennials did in their first seven years in the workforce," the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting the firm’s director of growth, Jason Saltzman, as saying, "Gen Z is more aligned with Gen X and boomer timelines in terms of the amount of time they spend at a company."
Gen Z workers boast of 'quiet quitting' and 'bare minimum Mondays'
Ramsey Solutions host Ken Coleman says employers will need to coach young workers more than in previous years.